Curricular Practical Training (CPT) for Current F-1 Students

Immigration Status

You must be maintaining your F-1 status as a student at the University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus. You cannot start CPT before the start of your first term at CU Denver or CU Anschutz.

You must be meeting the F-1 enrollment requirements for students in your program at the time you request CPT. You must have completed at least two consecutive semesters for F-1 eligible enrollment before you can request CPT. The two consecutive semesters can only include the fall and spring semesters.

Graduate students may be eligible for an exception to the two-semester requirements if immediate participation in CPT is required to meet an academic requirement for their program.

Academic Requirements

You must be enrolled full-time based on the current F-1 regulations [8 CFR 214.2(f)(6)] and requirements for your program or have an approved F-1 reduced course load. You must also be considered in good academic standing by your school or college.

Hours Per Week

CPT can be approved for part-time (20 hours or less) per week, or full-time (21 hours or more) per week.

Duration

ISSS must approve a CPT request for specific dates. Those dates will appear in the Employment Authorization section on page 2 of your I-20. ISSS approves CPT on a semester-by-semester basis. If your CPT is based on course enrollment, the CPT must start after the previous semester has ended and must end when the semester ends.

If you use 12 months or more of full-time CPT, you will be ineligible for Optional Practical Training (OPT) but may continue to use full-time CPT until you complete your degree.

For detailed information about CPT requirements, please review the F-1 Students CPT Policy and the CPT Eligibility Course. 

F-1 Students CPT Policy

CPT Eligibility Course

If you have determined that you are eligible for CPT, you will then need to determine how you will meet the academic requirements for CPT.

The four major options for meeting the CPT academic requirements are listed below:

• Practical Training Experience is required for a student's degree

• Practical Training Experience is required to earn internship/practicum/independent study credit for which the student will be registered

• Practical Training Experience will provide research that is necessary for the student's thesis or dissertation

• Practical Training Experience will yield a project for a particular course that is required by the student's degree program

If you would like to learn the details about each of these options, please review the CPT Eligibility Course and the CPT Academic Options Guide.

CPT Eligibility Course

CPT Academic Options Guide

If you have found an internship or other professional experience and are ready to start the CPT Request process, you must first complete the CPT Eligibility Course.

The CPT Eligibility Course reviews in detail the CPT requirements and the steps to request CPT.

You must complete the CPT Eligibility Course and score 100% on the final quiz to be eligible to submit your first CPT Request.

Start the CPT process at least two to three weeks before your expected start date to ensure you can start your position on time.

Please review the CPT Eligibility Course carefully for any additional requirements and steps.

MyISSS Access Instructions

• CPT Eligibility Course
• CPT for F-1 Students Policy
• CPT Academic Options Guide
• CPT Offer Letter Template
• MyISSS