Curricular Practical Training EE 5990
CPT is work authorization which allows a student to work in a job directly related to the student‘s major area of study before degree completion. CPT authorization is granted by ISSS. When using EE 5990, internship hours during Fall and Spring semester need to be 20 hours or less. During Summer, winter break, or spring break, international students automatically can work full-time.
International students need to enroll in our CPT course (EE 5990) in a semester that touches the semester when the internship is completed. For example, if a student completes an internship in Summer, the student can register for EE 5990 in either Spring, Summer, or Fall. Students can plan this 1 credit registration in the most cost effective manner. In many cases, it is most cost effective to add 1 credit of EE 5990 registration to Spring or Fall tuition banding instead of paying for a single credit over a summer semester.
Students must complete 2 semesters at the University before they can register for our CPT course. If you start in the fall, you can register for EE 5990 in the summer or following fall. If you start in the spring, you will have to wait until the following spring. EE 5990 can not be used toward ECE program requirements.
To apply for CPT, you must:
1. Review the ISSS CPT information, especially the Basics and Steps.
2. Take the mandatory ISSS CPT Online Workshop.
3. Fill out your portion of the Instructor Verification Form (found on the ISSS website) and send it to the Graduate Program Coordinator (ecedgsoffice@umn.edu) to sign along with a copy of your offer letter. The GPC will send you a permission number to register for the course.
4. Register for EE 5990.
5. Submit your CPT Request in MyISSS.
6. Wait for ISSS email notification that your CPT I-20 is ready. ISSS takes up to 7 business days to review CPT Requests.
MS and PhD students can complete 1 semester of full-time internship during a Fall or Spring semester. This option is available to students after one full time academic year of study. Complete the same steps above, except you also include the signed co-op agreement with step 3 above. Here are parameters of EE 5041. Read carefully to see if they apply to your situation:
Spring/Fall full-time CPT positions can now have start and end dates that fall outside of the semester (generally start and/or end dates are within a week or two of the start/end dates of the semester)
In addition, EE 5041 registration in Fall can cover the summer prior; EE 5041 registration in Spring can cover the following summer.
Example - Students with a full-time internship that runs May through December now only need to register for 1 credit of EE 5041 during that Fall semester. Previously this would require the additional 1 credit of EE 5990 registration.
Example - Students with a full-time internship that runs January through August now only need to register for 1 credit of EE 5041 during that Spring semester. Previously this would require the additional 1 credit of EE 5990 registration.
Full-time CPT requires a signed co-op agreement
EE 5041 course is non-repeatable, extensions are not allowed.
EE MS and PhD students can register for EE 5041.
Full-time CPT in Fall or Spring semesters counts towards the 12 month maximum for OPT.
A Reduced Course Load (RCL) form is not required –this course is Full-time Equivalent (FTE).
When you have a CPT that offer that starts in summer and goes through fall on the ISSS form for the CPT request there's a question on the "Upload CPT Supporting Documents" page that says, "Does this CPT request include a second type of CPT (for example elective CPT in the summer and co-op in the fall)?". You will mark Yes and then there will be an option to upload your other documentation.
International students who have completed their coursework and are eligible to register for GRAD 999, or only the EE 5990 CPT course, need to submit a Reduced Course Load request through your MyISSS account. When ISSS approves an RCL, that becomes the new minimum credit requirement for that term. Plan C students are not eligible to do this. Only Plan A and PhD students who have finished their coursework but are still finishing their thesis requirements can register for EE 5990.