CPT Course Credit Requirements

There are two types of CPT:

1. Optional – a training for which your department will grant you course credit. Not a graduation requirement for your degree program.
2. Required for all students in your degree program for graduation. If practical training is required by your academic department, credits are not required by ISS.

Contact your academic department to learn if your desired CPT is optional or required.

Credit Requirements

If your CPT is optional, you must earn CPT credit. This is how ISS documents the training is integral to your studies.

• ISS requires that at least one credit must be earned for each quarter of CPT authorization.
• The credit must be earned in the same quarter for which CPT is authorized.
  • Example: If you apply for CPT February 15 to June 10, you must register and earn at least one CPT-related credit in Winter and Spring quarters.
• The course name and the amount of credits is determined and awarded by the academic department.
• If your academic department does not offer CPT-related credits, CPT might not be possible. Contact ISS by completing the ‘Have a Question‘ form on the ISS website.

Vacation Quarter & CPT Credit Deferral

• If you are applying for CPT authorization during a vacation quarter, ISS will allow the CPT credit to be deferred to the quarter immediately following the vacation quarter, as long as your academic department also allows the credit deferral.
  • Example: If a student applies for CPT June 24 to August 31, and does not plan to register for Summer quarter, ISS will allow the CPT credit (determined by the department) to be registered for and earned Autumn quarter (if your department allows this).
  • If you later request CPT for Autumn quarter, you will need to register for at least 2 CPT credits in Autumn quarter to cover both Summer and Autumn CPT activity.

Final Quarter CPT

• You can apply for CPT in your final quarter
• You must have other degree requirements left to complete
• Your CPT end date must be on or before the last day of your final quarter (quarter dates are set by the UW academic calendar and include finals week)
• You must register for at least one other course in addition to CPT credit, unless you meet one of the below exceptions:
  • The CPT experience is a degree requirement, OR
  • You are using the CPT experience to fulfill remaining elective credits required for graduation
• It’s recommended that you apply for CPT before you submit your OPT application to ISS

Graduate Students

• The CPT credit must be separate from thesis/dissertation credits
• Full-time requirement with CPT:
  • In some cases, graduate students may be considered as full-time students with fewer than 10 credits while on full-time CPT
  • This includes students registered for Engineering Co-op credits and students registered for thesis or dissertation credits along with their CPT-related credit