International students on an F-1 visa are eligible to participate in the cooperative education and internship program at IIT when they meet the required criteria to maintain their student status with the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services). It is extremely important for all international students to follow all of the required USCIS policies and the IIT requirements in order to maintain their student status.

Students can participate in co-op or internship after completing two (2) full time semesters of study (excluding summer) in the U. S. International students can participate in the co-op or internship program under the Curricular Practical Training (CPT) classification of the USCIS. This means students can work in an approved co-op or internship while pursuing a degree. To meet the USCIS standards, the job must be related to the student's academic major, and the student must be registered as a co-op or internship student with the university and be in good academic standing. In addition, students can work full- or part time. The USCIS definition of a full time co-op is working more than 20 hours per week. Part-time co-op must be at least 10 hours and no more than 20 hours, per week.

As an academically approved program, the length of the co-op or internship work experience must be equal to 80% of the academic semester. Co-op and internship students are expected to follow all of the University class registration procedures, policies and deadlines. All students must register for a co-op or internship class during their work semesters. While this class does not earn academic credit, it appears on the transcript, and provides verification to employers that the student has participated in a co-op or internship program. There is a $200 non-waiveable, non-refundable administrative fee for the co-op, and a $100 non-waiveable, non-refundable administrative fee for the internship. Upon registration for co-op or internship, the International Center issues a new page that is added to the SEVIS I-20 for work authorization. This page contains the student's start and finish dates for the work term and the employer's information. It is unlawful for international students to work off-campus without appropriate authorization from the International Center.

The co-op program at IIT requires an undergraduate student to complete three full time semesters with the same employer, to meet the minimum requirements. (For a part-time co-op student this would mean 6 part-time semesters or a combination of both) For full-time co-op, the undergraduate student will earn 12 administrative credits, and for part-time co-op the student will earn 6 credits. Students doing part-time co-op must register for a minimum of 6 academic credits to maintain full-time student status. For graduate students, the minimum requirement for co-op is 2 full-time semesters or 4 part-time semesters. Students will receive 9 administrative credits for full-time work and 4.5 credits for part-time work. Graduate students enrolled part-time for co-op must register for a minimum of 4.5 academic credits to maintain full-time student status.

The internship program at IIT requires undergraduate and graduate students to complete one semester of full- or part-time work with one employer. The internship must be part-time during the academic year, but can be full-time in the summer. During the academic year, students on internship must enroll in a full-load of classes (12 credit hours for undergraduates and 9 credit hours for graduates) in addition to the internship course.

Upon graduation, co-op students who have completed all the requirements of the program can apply for a certificate indicating they have completed the co-op program. This can be used to verify their co-op experience to employers when seeking a job. In addition, the co-op experience can count toward the professional experience component of licensing boards.

Steps in the Co-op Process for International Students

1.Attend one of the MANDATORY "Introduction to Cooperative Education & Internships” workshops presented by the CMC or one of the “CPT Workshop for International Students” presented by both the CMC and the International Center

2.Register with eRecruiting through the CMC.

3.Begin job search. Most students find their own positions, using a range of resources, including networking, job posting websites and others. CMC offers workshops to assist students with their job searches.

4. Read the Co-op and/or Internship information on the CMC website www.cmc.iit.edu carefully,and download and complete the appropriate forms.

5. After securing a position, set up an appointment to meet with a CMC advisor. At this meeting, student must have the offer letter, job description & completed forms, for approval. See Forms under Co-operative Education Program or Internship Program to find out what documents you must submit.

6. Once the paperwork is complete, the CMC advisor will enter a registration permit for the student. The student is then responsible for registering for the course on-line or at registration desk in the Main Building before going to the International Center for work authorization. The International Center will not issue a work authorization before the student registers for the co-op or internship course.

7. The CMC advisor will give students a copy of their necessary paperwork to take to the International Center.

8. Students who fail to register on time will not get work authorization.

9. The International Center issues the Work Authorization, which is printed on page 3 of the I-20. It contains the employer's information, and the start and finish dates for work. WORKING BEFORE RECEIVING THE WORK AUTHORIZATION WILL BE IN VIOLATION OF BCIS REGULATIONS!

10. Authorization for co-op must be renewed every semester. Please bring your Work Term Evaluation to the CMC, and fill out the online renewal form before the deadline for each semester. Students must also submit a Work Term Evaluation at the end of the semester or term for internships.

11. Contact your CMC advisor when you have questions regarding co-op or internship.

12. Contact the International Office when you have questions related to your USCIS status and work authorization.