Internship Registration and CPT Process Information

Internship & CPT Overview

If you plan to complete an internship during the Spring 2026 semester, you may need to seek departmental approval, register for an internship course, and/or complete the CPT process through OGS. Please review the information below carefully to determine your requirements.

Who Needs Departmental Involvement?

• International Students (F-1 visa): Must register for an internship course and complete the CPT process through OGS. More information is available on the OGS CPT website.

• Domestic Students Registering for the Internship Course: If you wish to take the internship course (for credit or transcript notation), you must request departmental approval and submit an offer letter following the guidelines below.

• Students Not Registering for the Internship Course: If you are not registering for the course and do not require CPT, no action or paperwork is required.

Important Dates/Information

• Earliest Internship Start Date (typically the first day of the semester, unless Tandon Graduate Academics permits an earlier start date): Monday, January 12, 2026

• Spring Add/Drop Deadline: Monday, February 2, 2026; If you are registering for the internship course between Feb 3-Feb 9, you will need to fill out the add/drop form if approved by the department. Please note: This registration extension only applies to adding an internship course. Students cannot swap out another course for an internship course after the add/drop period ends: unless the course they wish to swap is a 2nd-half course. In which case, students will drop the 2nd-half course on Albert, then complete an add/drop form to enroll in an internship course.

• Offer Letter Submission to TMI deadline: Thursday, February 5, 2026 at 3pm

• Last Internship Course Registration Date: Monday, February 9, 2026 at 3pm

• Latest Internship Start Date: Thursday, February 19, 2026 

• Latest Internship End Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Hours Required: 240 (minimum)

Duration: 12 weeks (minimum)

Processing Time

Ideally, you should submit your offer letter at least 14 business days prior to your internship start date.

Estimated timeline:

• 1–2 business days: TMI Department review of the offer letter

• 1–2 business days: After you submit your OGS request for a new I-20, the department is notified and signs off

• 5–10 business days: OGS processes the request and issues a new I-20

University Holiday Closure

NYU will be closed for Winter Break from Monday, December 22 through Friday, January 2.

Any offer letter submissions received between Friday, December 19th at 4pm through Sunday, January 4th will not be reviewed until beginning the week of January 5. Please take this into account when determining your start date.

Important Planning Note for Students Wanting a January 12 Start

Because of the required processing timelines (see above), students who submit their offer letter during NYU's closure will not have enough time to begin an internship on January 12, the earliest allowable start date.

If you hope to start your internship on or near January 12, you should submit your offer letter by Tuesday, December 16.

Eligibility Requirements

• Please see the OGS website for eligibility guidance. 

Internship Courses

• CP-GY 9911 (Internship for MS I): For students registering for their first internship.

• CP-GY 9921 (Internship for MS II): For students registering for their second internship.

Permission will be issued after offer letter approval.

Work Hours Policy (per the Tandon Bulletin) 

• During the Academic Year

Most students may not work more than 20 hours per week while classes are in session. Any internship requiring more than 20 hours per week is considered full-time.

The only exception is for students in their final semester. These students may work more than 20 hours per week if they are registered for:

• • No more than 3 non-internship credits, and

  • 0.5 to 3 internship credits for a total of 3.5 to 6 credits in the semester.

• During the Summer

Students may work full-time as long as they are not registered for more than 3 non-internship credits during the summer term. Work hours must align with the organization’s regular work schedule.

Academic Misconduct Policy

Internship courses are Pass/Fail. Any confirmed instance of academic misconduct (as defined in the NYU Tandon Student Code of Conduct) will result in an "F" grade.

• Students who receive an "F" for Internship I will not be permitted to enroll in Internship II.

Offer Letter Submission Instructions

Step 1: Submit Offer Letter via the Offer Letter Review Request Form

Allow 1-2 business days for review. 

Email submissions will NOT be accepted.

The letter must be on official company letterhead and include the following. If your offer letter does not include the below information, it will be rejected and you will be asked to update your documentation:

1. Company name, address, and website URL

2. Internship start and end dates 

3. Job title

4. Compensation details (if unpaid, see details below)

5. Detailed job description (please include 3-4 bullets; we need to have a good sense so we can properly evaluate)

6. Supervisor name and contact info (email and/or phone)

7. Internship hours 

Unpaid Internships

Will only be approved if:

• The experience meets OGS’s definition of an educational, unpaid internship

• The company provides a signed letter on letterhead affirming compliance with Department of Labor standards (no benefit derived from student labor)

• The letter must explicitly state the following: 

  • “The internship meets the criteria for unpaid internships as defined by OGS and the company is in compliance with Department of Labor guidelines and is not deriving any benefit from the work the student will be conducting.”

Commission-based internships and multiple concurrent internships are not permitted.

Offer letters missing any of the required information will be rejected. No exceptions.

Step 2: Complete the Department CPT Info Form

A link to this form will be provided after offer letter approval. 

Step 3: Register for the Internship Course

• Before add/drop: The TMI Department will email you once permission has been granted in Albert, after offer letter approval.

• After add/drop: Use add/drop form provided by the department via email. You will only need to use the add/drop form if registering between Feb 3-Feb 9 for the internship course.

Additional Steps for International Students

Step 4: Submit Digital CPT Request via OGS

After successful registration, follow OGS instructions for digital CPT application.

Once you submit the CPT application, OGS will send an email to our department for sign-off. Please allow 1-2 business days for department review and sign-off.

Step 5: Receive New I-20

Once the TMI Department signs off, OGS will issue a new I-20 within 5-10 business days of submission.

Questions?

• See the Internship/CPT FAQ

• Email: tmi@nyu.edu

• For visa/work authorization questions, contact OGS