Most F-1 students will be approved for CPT as part of Career Development's process to Register for Internship Credit and follow these steps:
Once you have confirmed an internship, the next step is to submit the application for 3 elective credits.
- Select a Faculty Internship Advisor- this can be your regular advisor or another full-time faculty member in your major. They have final approval on academic credit for the internship, and will give a grade at the end of the internship.
- Submit your application for credit, login to Handshake with your usual MassArt web ID and password:
- Select to “Career Center” in the menu on the left and then select the “Experiences” button in the middle of the page.
- Select “Submit an Experience” button in the center of the page.
- A form will appear- complete it with as much detail as possible and be sure to check the F-1 box when you are asked.
- Then click “Submit an Experience”
- Career Development will review the information you submitted and be in touch if there are any questions.
- Receive Approvals: the application will be set for approvals by email and *in order* to (1) your internship supervisor, (2) faculty internship advisor, (3) your International Student Adviser (ISA) and (4) to the Registrar’s office.
- Track Approvals: After you have submitted the form, you can go to the Experiences section on Handshake at any time to see your internship details, documents, and approval status.
- Your International Student Adviser (ISA) approves your internship in Handshake, authorizes CPT in your SEVIS immigration record and issues you a new I-20 document with official authorization
- Receive new I-20 from your ISA and print out hard copy to show your employer your work authorization
- Begin and end work on the dates indicated on your I-20:
- you cannot begin work before CPT start date indicated on your I-20 and in Handshake
- you must complete all work on or before the CPT end date indicated on your I-20 and in Handshake
- Any work performed outside of the indicated start and end dates will be considered unauthorized employment and may affect your legal status and/or future work authorization