Co-op and Internships: Definitions, Rules and Guidelines
International students are eligible to work for up to 12 months under the rules of curricular practical training. There are certain regulations surrounding CPT employment that must be met for both co-ops and internships:
Co-op for International Students
Co-op refers to a full-time or part-time, paid work experience that lasts at least two terms with the same employer. Students who meet the following requirements are litigable to participate in co-op:
•Have completed (or will have completed by the start of the co-op) one academic year of full-time classes OR currently CPT eligible because of transferring from another institution where the student has completed one full academic year in addition to completing nine semester hours at IIT OR received a degree in the US and have not been out of the country longer than five months since completing that degree and have completed nine semester hours at IIT.
• Have a GPA of 3.0 or above.
• Have attended the mandatory CPT workshop with the International Center (through main campus or at Stuart).
• The co-op is related to major field of study.
• Will NOT be working on-campus during full-time co-op (on campus job and part-time co-op cannot exceed 20 hours/week).
• Taking no more than 6 semester hours per term during co-op (6 semester hour is the MAXIMUM number you can take during full-time co-op)
• Have enough time on visa to complete 2 semesters of co-op
• The employer has agreed to hire student for at least two semesters.
Additional information regarding co-op:
• The registration fee for co-op is $250/term.
• Co-op carries administrative (not academic) credit.
• Co-ops must follow the academic calendar. Please check our website for all forms.
• All students participating in co-op must receive approval from their academic advisor, the Career Management Center, and the International Center BEFORE the co-op can begin. Approval must be granted EACH SEMESTER.
Internships for International Students
Internships are paid or unpaid work experiences that must be a minimum of one term with the same employer. Guidelines for internship eligibility are as follows:
• Internship must be part-time, 20 hours or less during the academic year (full time internship is allowed during summer annual vacation).
• An internship and on-campus job combined cannot exceed 20 hours, certain approval may be necessary, please check with the CMC.
• Student must have completed (or will have completed by the start of the co-op) one academic year of full-time classes OR currently CPT eligible because of transferring from another institution where the student has completed one full academic year in addition to completing nine semester hours at IIT OR received a degree in the US and have not been out of the country longer than five months since completing that degree and have completed nine semester hours at IIT.
• Student has a minimum of a 3.0 GPA.
Additional information regarding internships:
• The registration fee for an internship is $150/term.
• Internships carry administrative (not academic) credit.
• Internships must follow the academic calendar. Please check our website for all forms.
• All students participating in an internship must receive approval from their academic advisor, the Career Management Center, and the International Center BEFORE the co-op can begin. Approval must be granted EACH SEMESTER.
Internships & Co-ops for Domestic Students
If you are a domestic student and wish to have your internship or co-op appear on your transcript for administrative (not academic) credit, then you must complete the necessary paperwork and receive approval from the Career Management Center. Please contact us at careers@stuart.iit.edu for further information.
FEES: Please note that all students who participate in internships or co-ops must pay a registration fee for each as indicated above:
Internships: $150/term Co-ops: $250/term
