International Students
International Students
Helpful Links
International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS): The best "first stop" resource for all things related to international students at the U.
ISSS info for F1 students who wish to work off-campus (CPT): Useful for internship or co-op placements
Academic Resources for International Students: A large range of useful items for international students across UMN
Minnesota English Learning Program (MELP): MELP provides English as a Second Language (ESL) courses that can help non-native English speakers develop their reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.
CSE International Course Equivalency Guide: Information about how technical courses transfer between the U of M and International Schools. Useful for international transfer students and study abroad planning.
Major Exploration for International Students (by CAPE): An excellent resource for international students who are exploring majors.
International Military Leave Support Program: This website is particularly useful for students who must take a leave of absence during their undergraduate years to complete mandatory military training in their home country.
CPT Approval for Internships
Starting in the spring 2025 semester, the process for gaining Curriculum Practical Training approval is new. Students will need to register for the 1 credit course OUE 1830 which meets on Wednesday evenings. This course can be taken twice for credit. Note that the course registration is not the same as CPT approval from ISSS. Please make sure to complete all of the following steps:
Student locates an internship related to their major.
Student signs up for OUE 1830: you will not need a permission number for this. If you have a direct course time conflict with OUE 1830, please contact Alex Anderson to discuss alternative course options.
Student completes the ISSS CPT Online CPT Workshop in the MyISSS portal. Note that you should only have to do this workshop once. If you are signing up for a new CPT course for a new or extended internship, you can just review the CPT workshop information.
Student fills out the top portion of the CPT Course Instructor Verification Form which can be found on this page. The student will need to complete everything through the number of hours per week. The last three lines are for the instructor. If you are taking OUE 1830, please forward the form to Jane Sitter at sitt0036@umn.edu for her signature.
Go to your MyISSS portal and complete all three sections of the CPT Request in MyISSS. You will need the signed CPT Course Instructor Verification Form for this step.
For ECE students, when you are completing the MyISSS CPT Request, you should enter Alex Anderson as your academic advisor, and the MyISSS system will automatically route it to Alex for approval. You do not need to set up a meeting with her.
ISSS processes the CPT request after Alex verifies that the internship is related to your major.
Student will receive a new I-20 via their UMN email.
ISSS has a detailed section about CPT which you can find here. That section will have many answers to questions that you may have.
Reduced Credit Load (RCL)
International students are required to maintain full-time enrollment as part of their legal status as international students. Under certain circumstances, international students may request a Reduced Credit Load. Approval will depend on the reason for the request.
Note that all UMTC used to have a 13 credit requirement, but the University no longer has that requirement. The only paperwork necessary for international student is the ISSS RCL request.
Second semester seniors: international students in their final semseter do not have to take a full 13 credits if they do not need 13 credits to complete their degree. However, international students must apply for the ISSS RCL using the links above for F-1 or J-1 students. Students on other types of visas should contact ISSS for RCL information.