Current International Student Information

Who can qualify:

CPT is only available for current F-1 students when it is part of an established curriculum within a school. CPT must be integral to your major program of study. It cannot be authorized for work related to your minor, concentration, or previous major. Students must be in good standing with the Computer Science department. 

Purpose:

A CPT is intended to enhance the student’s educational experience and provide additional learning opportunities that cannot be gained through course work alone. Internships provide students with exposure to professional work environments, varying management styles and increased applicable skills. The Computer Science department encourages our students to seek internships that offer challenging responsibilities that will benefit the student academically.  

Requirements:

A student’s CPT must be directly related to their program of study. The internship must add to the students’ knowledge and skillset, and provide real-world professional experience. CPT cannot be used for general employment. If an internship is determined to be unrelated the student’s program of study, the Computer Science department will not approve the CPT.

Departmental contact: Lori O'Brien, ljobrien@purdue.edu

1. Submit form for CS approval
2. Complete ISS application
3. Register for course (you will need your registration PIN, see your advisor)

Undergraduate

CPT course is:

• Full time 20+ hrs. a week
  • CS 18300 First CPT
  • CS 18400 Second CPT
  • CS 28400 Third CPT
  • CS 38600 Fourth CPT
  • CS 48700 Fifth CPT
• Part-time less than 20 hrs. a week
  • CS 28401

Graduate

For a CPT that is approved by your major professor with the expectation that it will be used for your thesis or dissertation research:

• CS 69800 Research MS Thesis
• CS 69900 Research PhD Thesis

For a CPT that is NOT approved to be used as part of your thesis or dissertation research:

• CS 59799 Graduate Professional Practice.

All Graduate CPT Courses must be supervised by a CS Tenure/Tenure Track faculty member. Register for the CRN associated with the supervising faculty member. If a CRN does not exist, one can be created by the Registrar's Office, Hovde Hall, room 68.

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is an opportunity for F-1 students to gain practical experience working off-campus in a job directly related to their major field of study. It is recommended in SEVIS by an Immigration Counselor at Purdue International Students and Scholars (ISS), and then students submit their applications to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to be adjudicated. An offer of employment is not required to apply for OPT.

Departmental contact: Lori O'Brien, ljobrien@purdue.edu

1. Submit form for CS approval
2. Complete ISS application

F-1 and J-1 students must register for and complete a full course of study unless otherwise authorized.

Graduate student departmental contact: Lori O'Brien, ljobrien@purdue.edu

Undergraduate student departmental contact is your academic advisor.

1. Graduate students: submit form for CS approval.

1. Complete ISS application.

F-1 students must never let their I-20 expire. J-1 students must never let their DS-2019 expire. Program extensions should be completed at the beginning of the semester of which the document would expire. The deadline for extending your document is 14 days before the expiration date listed on the document.

Graduate student departmental contact: Lori O'Brien, ljobrien@purdue.edu

Undergraduate student departmental contact is your academic advisor.

1. Graduate students: submit form for CS approval.

1. Complete ISS application.