Curricular Practical Training for graduate students in Statistics

CPT is an authorized period of employment that is an integral or important part of a graduate student’s curriculum.

This information is designed for students in F-1 status. It will provide you with information on a type of employment opportunity, which is known as "curricular practical training" (off-campus employment). Please also attend a Practical Training workshop.

In cases where the practical internship is not a requirement, the department must offer a CPT course for which the student receives academic credit.
The CPT course must be offered during the same quarter as the internship period. Failure to enroll in and complete the class will result in immediate violation of your legal status. It is the student's responsibility to fulfill all requirements of CPT.

Note: Students must be current students in either degree/major and have not already conferred their Statistics M.S. degree.

Step 1: Check CPT eligibility with Bechtel International Center

CPT is authorized by the I-Center. You can submit your application as soon as you have a job offer and have ENROLLED in the CPT course (step 4), but no later than 10 working days prior to the start date of employment. A new I-20 authorizing the requested employment period will be issued.

Check CPT eligibility

Step 2: Request offer letter from employer

Students are advised to request an offer letter from the employer before employment begins. The offer letter should state the terms of employment: job description/summary of duties, dates of employment, full-time or part-time classification (hours per week you will be working).

Step 3: Notify your Advisor

You must notify your advisor about your employment and that you will be enrolling under their section number within 10 working days prior to the start date of employment.

Do not expect your advisor to be able to approve your CPT application if you give them less than the above length of time.

Step 4: Enroll in appropriate Statistics CPT course
You must enroll in the Statistics CPT course before applying for CPT.

Explore Courses

  1. Choose the schedule for the quarter you will be participating in CPT (Filter > term offered).
  2. Click Schedule for STATS298 to expand the list of faculty for the corresponding quarter (your advisor's section# may not be the same each quarter).
  3. Find the name of your advisor or faculty member you have been advised by and enroll in that section number/class # in Axess.

All graduate students in Statistics are responsible for the cost of summer tuition of enrolling in the CPT course. The cost of tuition for 1-unit for STATS 298/398  is a 10th of the graduate tuition cost (8-10 units).

  • 2023-24: $1,272

Statistics M.S. & Ph.D.:

Enroll in the course titled: Industrial Research for Statisticians (1 unit)

Note: Statistics Ph.D. students who have obtained TGR status are not eligible for CPT in any quarter including summer. Statistics Ph.D. students are typically responsible for summer tuition if they enroll in a CPT course.

Step 5: Apply for CPT

The CPT application is available via Bechtel Connect: Students > Employment > Curricular Practical Training

Please also attend a Practical Training Workshop and read the Application Process steps.

Employment dates for CPT

For CPT during the regular academic year of Autumn, Winter and Spring quarters, when students are required to be enrolled full-time (University policy: graduate students must be at-status), you may only work part-time under CPT, and the proposed start and end dates of CPT must closely follow the academic calendar. No exceptions can be made.

The allowable CPT employment dates for the academic year can be found on Bechtel's website.

Attention: Verify the dates of employment.

You will not be able to enroll in STATS298 after the final study list deadline for that particular quarter. You will need to renegotiate your start date if you miss this deadline.

(Example: If your employer wants you to begin working before the allowable start date for summer quarter, but you did not enroll in STATS298 before the final study list deadline for spring quarter, you will not be able to add the course and apply for CPT. Neither the department nor your faculty advisor will be able help you with this!)

Step 6: Social Security Number Eligibility

Verify your eligibility at Bechtel's website.

Step 7: Submit your employment summary

In order to receive credit, you must submit a one-page write-up about your employment experience and the outcome of your work. At the end of the quarter, submit your employment summary to your advisor. We are not asking for any information that is proprietary to the company you worked for, instead, describe your use of statistical tools and/or methods applied to broader questions.

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