Internships, Co-Ops, and Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Definitions

  • Internship: A short-term (typically 10-12 weeks) professional work experience, occurring over one semester or summer, designed to provide practical experience in a student's field of study.
  • Co-Op (Cooperative Education): A structured program where students alternate academic terms with multiple work terms at the same company. For Purdue ECE students, a co-op must include at least two work terms.
    • At least one co-op work session must occur during the fall or spring semester.
    • Spring and fall sessions should be at least 16-17 weeks. Summer sessions should be approximately 12 weeks in duration.
    • All co-op work sessions must be full-time work.
  • Curricular Practical Training (CPT): Legal authorization that allows international students on F-1 visas to gain work experience through internships or co-ops that are directly related to their major.
  • Purdue Office of Professional Practice (OPP): Purdue department that manages internships and co-ops along with the ECE graduate office.

Additional Information

International students must follow the process below for any employment outside of Purdue.

Most internships and co-ops for international students will involve the student being registered for ENGR 69699 through OPP. This is a zero credit/zero fee course and maintains the student’s status as a full-time student.

Student Qualifications

To participate in an internship or co-op, graduate students must meet the following criteria:

  • Academic Standing: Maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA.
  • Degree Progress: Making satisfactory progress toward degree requirements.
  • Eligibility:
    • International students: Refer to the information on the Purdue ISS Curricular Practical Training webpage.
    • Internships: May occur after two completed academic semesters (Fall and Spring or Spring and Fall).
    • Co-Ops: May begin after one completed academic semester (Fall or Spring).
      • International 4+1 students: Must have completed 9 graduate-level credits if completing the BS the semester before the internship.
  • Restrictions: CPT is not permitted during a student’s final semester.

Offer Letter Requirements

Once you receive an offer letter, ensure it includes the following details to avoid processing delays:

  • Dates: Specific start and end dates. Dates should align closely with academic term dates; mid-semester starts/ends are generally not supported by OPP.
  • Location: The physical address of the work site.
  • Schedule: Full-time status with the specific number of hours per week.
    • OPP does not allow part-time internships (less than 32 hours per week).
  • Job Description: Basic duties must directly align with your degree.
  • Compensation: Your pay rate.

Important: If your offer is part-time or has mid-semester dates, contact Elisheba Van Winkle (vanwinke@purdue.edu) immediately to discuss options.

Application Process

Important! Ensure the offer you submit is the only one you intend to accept. Changes of employer are not supported once the Office of Professional Practice (OPP) approves the offer.

  1. Review Rules and Guidelines: International students should review the ISS Curricular Practical Training webpage; do not submit anything yet.
  2. Contact ECE Graduate Office: Email your offer letter to Elisheba Van Winkle (vanwinke@purdue.edu). She will provide details on the next steps.
    1. Allow 15–20 business days (approximately 3 weeks) for full review by all offices.
  3. Course Registration: Register for the zero-credit course specified by OPP.
    1. This maintains your full-time student status and ensures the experience appears on your transcript. No tuition is charged for this course.

Additional Requirements for Specific Groups

Funded Students (TA, RA, or GA)

If you receive funding from Purdue, you must submit an Unpaid Leave Request via Success Factors at least one month before your start date to prevent overpayment.

  1. On the home page, click Request Time Off.
  2. Select Unpd > 22 Days Personal as the Time Type.
  3. Enter the dates and write "Internship" in the comments.

Contact Information