International Students and Scholars Office

Students must register for an internship course to be eligible for CPT. At Brandeis, there are several main internship course options for undergraduate students after they have completed 2 semesters in F-1 status and declared a major:

• Department 89 or 92 course for declared major(s). For example, a business major student can take BUS 89; an anthropology major student can take ANTH 92; a psychology major student can take PSYC 92, etc.

  • If you have more than one major, you can sign up for the internship course for either major based on the field of work. For example, if a student who majors in fine arts and computer science would like to do an internship in computer science, they will need to register for COSI 89/92. 

  • If you cannot find a course in the bulletin, contact your department to see if you are eligible to add a 92 course.

  • Per department requirements, students with a declared economics major should enroll in BUS 89. 

• INT 92g (usually offered every summer for students who have been in F-1 status for two consecutive semesters with declared majors)

• INT 89a/b (once students have completed Department 89 or 92) For example, if a politics major student who has completed POL 89 would like to do an internship, they can take INT 89. INT 89 is not available for those who have not completed the Department 89 or 92 course. 

• Department 93 or Department 99 (for students who may need to do an internship for their thesis or an independent study) Please reach out to the ISSO to see you may need CPT when you take a department 93 or department 99 course (i.e. NEUR 93a, BIOL 99).

Please contact your academic advisor or faculty advisor if you have questions about the courses. 

Each graduate school and/or degree program at Brandeis has different requirements that will affect your eligibility for CPT. Please check with your school or department for internship courses (i.e. BUS 297, HS 230, COSI 293, BIOT 293).

Ph.D. students in dissertation status may be eligible for CPT if the training experience is an integral component of the dissertation.

• F-1 regulations prohibit CPT authorization for declared minor(s) unless the internship is also related to the major field of study. For example, if a student with international & global studies major and legal studies minor would like to do an internship using CPT, the internship must be related to international & global studies. 
• CPT cannot be used for the postbaccalaureate program. 

During the academic year (required semesters), CPT is limited to part-time (no more than 20 hours per week) and you must continue to be enrolled as a full-time student. Full-time CPT (more than 20 hours per week) is generally available to students only during the summer break or vacation semester. 

For graduate students, only Ph.D. candidates may pursue full-time CPT when they are in their dissertation stage when approved by the faculty advisor.

Spring 2022: January 18th, 2022 - May 17th, 2022

Summer 2022: May 18th, 2022 - August 24th, 2022 

Please note that your CPT employment period must fall within the dates listed above. These dates are based on the Academic Calendar published by the University Registrar. Dates are subject to change.

Note for summer graduates: your CPT must end by your program end date - please work with your program advisor and your ISSO advisor to determine the proper end date 

In a student’s final semester, CPT can only be authorized through the last day of final exams published in the Academic Calendar.  For undergraduate and master students at Brandeis, full-time CPT is only permitted during vacation terms.  Only Ph.D. candidates may pursue full-time CPT when they are in their dissertation stage when approved by the faculty advisor.

CPT authorization must be granted for each employment opportunity for a specific employer and period of time. Before changing employers or engaging in concurrent employment, after being approved by your academic/program/faculty advisor, you are required to request authorization for each employer and time period. If you are asked to extend your work period for an already approved employment you need to apply for and be granted an extension of your CPT before continuing. Work undertaken after the expiration date of your CPT will be considered unauthorized employment.

Employment (Paid and Unpaid) is defined as any situation where one party provides services that benefit another, and in exchange receives some type of benefit from the party to whom the services were provided. The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor consider both monetary and non-monetary compensation in exchange for services as employment. Thus, both paid and unpaid positions are considered "employment" and will need authorization before the start date of the work experience. All off-campus employment requires authorization. Failure to obtain proper authorization, even for an unpaid position, can result in a violation of status.

Under very narrow circumstances students may participate in limited unpaid volunteer activities without employment authorization (i.e., volunteering at a service or humanitarian organization).  If you are interested in volunteering, more detailed information may be found in the Volunteering section of our website. Before volunteering, please consult the ISSO to find out if authorization is required.