CPT and OPT Information

F-1 students may engage in off-campus employment under the options specified below. You may not begin employment off-campus before obtaining written authorization from a DSO at the Buckman Center. Students who work without this prior authorization automatically fall out of valid F-1 status, which is a violation of the F-1 visa.

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is available for major-specific employment which fulfills the F11 requirement or for a major-specific academic internship. Whether it's for F11 or an academic internship, the CPT experience can be paid or unpaid.

• CPT is a benefit of F-1 status that permits off-campus employment that offers experience that is an integral part of an established curriculum and directly related to the student's major.
• Part time CPT is undertaken for any length of time in the 6 semesters before graduation (not in the first year). It may not exceed 20 hours a week. Please note that if you have on-campus employment, the combined hours of CPT and your on-campus employment may not exceed 20 hours a week. 
• Full time CPT is undertaken for any length of time in the 3 summers prior to graduation. 
• The CPT Application Packet (pdf) has background information on this valuable benefit and how to apply.

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is available for major-specific employment which is not required by their academic program.

• OPT is a benefit of F-1 status that permits up to 12 months of off-campus employment for the purpose of gaining practical experience in the student's chosen field. While the student may work for any employer in the U.S., the job duties must be directly related to the student’s major area of study and commensurate with the student’s educational level.
• The OPT Application Packet (pdf) has background information on this valuable benefit and how to apply.
• Students who are on Post Completion OPT and who majored in specific STEM fields at Rhodes are eligible for a two-year extension to their OPT term, for a total of three years on OPT. Read the OPT STEM Application Packet (pdf) for more information and how to apply. The deadline to apply for STEM OPT is the last day of the OPT approved date. In other words, students have to apply for STEM OPT prior to the end of their current OPT employment date, or they will not be eligible for OPT STEM Extension.
• The STEM majors which are eligible for this at Rhodes are listed below (as of 2022).

Options after Post-Completion OPT

All students should take one of these options following the Post-Completion OPT:

• Apply for a 24-Month STEM OPT Extension (available for certain STEM students only, see above).
• Transfer to another institution, such as a graduate program.
• Change visa status, such as changing from an F-1 visa to an H-1B visa.
• Depart the US.

Eligibility for CPT and OPT:

• The student must have been lawfully enrolled as a full-time student for at least one full academic year and be in valid F-1 status at the time of application.
• The student must be in good academic standing with Rhodes College. Students who are currently on a leave of absence or on suspension from their academic programs are not eligible.