International Students Taking CPT and OPT

International students may be required or may choose to supplement their regular coursework with Curricular Practical Training (CPT), or they may wish to engage in Optional Practical Training (OPT) after completing their programs at ISU.

CPT is an academic learning experience (sometimes an internship) related to the major field of study that allows students to apply the knowledge that they gained through their coursework in a business environment. Students can engage in CPT while they are still completing their programs at ISU. Participation in CPT is authorized by the International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) after a student submits an electronic application. A student needs to be enrolled in a CPT-related course each semester they engage in CPT. Some students may use internship coursework credits. If no formal instruction is included as a part of CPT activities, an international graduate student may opt to take an internship/practicum course for R credit. If an internship course is not available in the student’s discipline, they may take GR ST 697 for R credits. However, GR ST 697 is acceptable only for students engaging in full-time CPT. Similarly, departmental courses like this cannot be used for part-time CPT. The internship R credits may not be used to meet the registration requirement for the term of the preliminary or final oral examination. If the CPT is related to a student’s research, they may use research credit registration for CPT.

OPT, authorized by the U.S. Federal Government, allows a student to work in the U.S. in a job related to the student’s major for up to 12 months after completing their program at ISU. Note that a student is considered to have completed their program at the end of the semester in which they have defended the dissertation/thesis/creative component. Students should apply for OPT well in advance of completing their programs, as the OPT authorization process can take more than three months. Furthermore, students who pursued a STEM major are eligible to apply for a 24-month extension of their OPT. There are additional requirements which should be reviewed when considering the STEM OPT extension.

The complete information about CPT and OPT, is available on the ISSO website (https://www.isso.iastate.edu/). The International Student Advisers at the ISSO will also be able to answer any questions about the specifics of CPT and OPT.