Internship Policies and Procedures

• Masters students in JSOM programs must complete at least 12 credit hours at the graduate level in their program
  • F1 students must be CPT eligible – completed 2 consecutive long semesters in the US, one of which must be at UT Dallas
  • Domestic students must have completed 1 long semester in the JSOM program
• Accounting students must complete 12+ credit hours of upper level ACCT courses (i.e. no introductory courses) – check with program advisor for specific classes that will count
  • F1 students must be CPT eligible – completed 2 consecutive long semesters in the US, one of which must be at UT Dallas
  • Domestic students must have completed 1 long semester
• Lawfully enrolled full-time in a U.S. university (in a valid U.S. immigration status that legally allows full-time enrollment) for at least one academic year (two consecutive long semesters) immediately prior to the semester in which the CPT will take place
• Valid F-1 status at the time of CPT application
• Currently enrolled in an internship class
• Good academic standing (minimum 3.0 GPA for graduates, 2.0 GPA for undergraduates). If good standing is not maintained, CPT authorization will be canceled
• Meet all CPT requirements of the UT Dallas JSOM Career Management Center (all JSOM students)
• Have not failed a previous CPT course.
• No incomplete grades
• Must have completed at least one semester at UT Dallas
• Have not completed your degree requirements
• Must attend mandatory CPT workshop*
• Has passed the MAS 6102 Professional Development course (or an exception has been approved)

• Internship experience: Related to your major and degree level to provide the best learning experience.
• Employer: Registered business, does not have any red flags with UT Dallas. Must have an office location where the intern will work, not a home business.
• Credit hours: 1-3 credit hours.
• Students can earn up to 3 credit hours per program, if electives are available on degree program.
• An internship is required for some MS programs – check your catalog for details
• Hours to be worked:
• > 80 hours for 0, 1 credit hour (zero option only when MS program requires an internship)
• >160 hours for 2 credit hours
• >240 hours for 3 credit hours
• Note: Accounting students – >100 hours for each credit hour
• Location: The employer must provide a safe office location, and is responsible for providing the necessary equipment for the role. Virtual/remote/home office working is not approved.
• Start and end date:
• The internship hours must be worked within the semester, and cannot be retroactive.
• Supervisor: Internship must be supervised.

International students on F1-Visas must also meet the CPT requirements for work authorization to be approved.

• The student must report the internship experience by the internship reporting deadline of the semester in which the internship takes place
• Student meets with Program Director to discuss how the internship fits with their degree program.
• Student makes a decision on number of credit hours requested.
• Once the internship is approved by the Program Director, the student is enrolled in the appropriate class for their degree program. Class may be either 16 weeks or second 8 weeks in long semester (10 or 5 weeks in the summer semester).
• Assignments are specified in the syllabus, and course is Pass/Fail.
• Reneging on an offer (or “ghosting” after accepting an offer) is a direct breech of the JSOM Code of Ethics, and will result in failure of the course (credit and/or CPT).

Zero semester credit hour internship option is available only if:

• The student must report the internship experience by the internship reporting deadline of the semester in which the internship takes place
• Student is in degree program that requires an internship
• Student has completed Professional Development MAS 6102 (includes CPT information)
• Student has not already completed a previous internship for zero-credit or for 1-3 credits. (Only first internship can be taken for zero credit.)
• Student has not already completed course that satisfies the internship requirement in their degree
• For eligible F-1 students, a zero-credit internship course will count toward CPT.
• If you are eligible for a zero semester credit hour internship and registration is completed during regular registration, there will be no tuition or fees charged for the course

• Graduated with Bachelor’s degree and in Fast Track program.
• BS and MS are in same discipline.
• Enrolled as a current student in the MS program, in the semester after undergrad program completion.
• Must demonstrate the MS knowledge to complete an advanced level internship
• Completed 9 credit hours of Masters level courses during the undergrad program.
• Must have a B or greater in the Masters level courses.
• Requires a waiver for the reduced academic credit hours and to waive the long semester as MS requirement.

• Occasionally the employer will request that the student stays longer or shortens the internship.
  • For a date change within the internship semester, please send an email to JSOMiCometForm@utdallas.edu, including documentation from the employer confirming the date change.
• If the end date is earlier, the number of hours worked during the internship must still exceed the minimum required for the registered course credit. Any concerns should be discussed with the Program Director.
• For F-1 students, the I-20 work authorization must be updated by ISSO. The student sends an email to JSOMiCometForm@utdallas.edu to request a change to the I-20. If the revised end date is further in the future, the student must receive the valid I-20 before working any additional days.
• Any requests for internship date changes should be sent to JSOMiCometForm@utdallas.edu

• If you have been in your current position for more than six months, your supervisor must carve out a “Special Project” or new responsibilities for you.
• This project must be:
  • Related to your program
  • In addition to your current job responsibilities
  • Completed within the confines of the semester
  • Total at least 240 hours (if you plan on taking 3 credit hours), 160 hours for 2 credit hours, or 80 hours for 0 or 1 credit hour.
• Your supervisor provides you with the following information on company letterhead:
  • 1st paragraph: Description of your current position and duties
  • 2nd paragraph: Description of your new “Special Project” and an acknowledgment that you will be enrolling in an internship course for academic credit, including dates during which the work will be completed, and the total number of hours to be worked.
  • Supervisor’s contact info: Name, Title, Department, telephone #, email
  • Supervisor’s signature
• Once you have the required letter from your supervisor, please report the internship experience in Orion

• Lawfully enrolled fulltime in a US university for two consecutive long semesters immediately prior to the semester in which the CPT will take place. Must have completed at least one semester at UT Dallas.
• Valid F-1 status at the time of the CPT application.
• Currently enrolled in an internship class.
• Good academic standing must be maintained.
• Have not failed a previous CPT course.
• No incomplete grades.
• Has not completed degree requirements (ie has not graduated)
• GPA must be 3.0 or higher for MS students and 2.0 or higher for undergrads. If students switch programs, they must establish this GPA for the new program before they are eligible

In addition to the internship approval above, the following applies to all F1 visa students.

• The internship must meet the CPT Eligibility requirements http://www.utdallas.edu/isso/cpt/
  • Must complete two long semesters
• Students must receive CPT authorization before starting employment.
• Students can only work on one experience per semester – ie internship or on-campus or volunteer.
• For the CPT approval to be processed and the ISSO to issue the work authorization document, the following information must be included when the internship is reported.
  • Start and end date – internship must start after the end of the prior semester and before the end of the internship semester. The start date must be after the I-20 is issued.
  • See check list above for all required information.
• Note: Student is limited to 3 semesters of internships per degree program. If more than 364 days of full-time CPT at any degree level, student will become ineligible for OPT. Student should use Full-Time CPT calculator to check this. (Full-Time CPT is more than 20 hours per week).
• Questions about Reduced Enrollment should be directed to ISSO.

F1 students must register for a CPT session in each semester, even if the internship is extended to the next semester, and complete an internship course in each semester. (May be eligible for Zero “0” credit for the first semester. In each subsequent semester must be registered for at least 1 credit hour).

In addition to meeting the CPT eligibility and JSOM internship requirements, continuing students must be enrolled full time in the long semesters (spring/fall) and all students must meet the physical presence requirement.

• Full time CPT (21 hours or more per week):
• Students can enroll in zero credit hour, and complete full time CPT in summer.
• Students can enroll in zero credit hour, and complete full time CPT in their graduating semester.

• Part time CPT (20 hours or less per week) :
• Students can enroll in zero credit hour, and complete part time CPT in spring, summer and fall semester. There is no additional enrollment requirement in summer unless graduating.

• Request the internship in ORION, including all the requested documents.
• Wait for the email from the Program Director that says to register for the internship course, and then complete the internship course registration as soon as possible. (Note: If a waiver has been requested, Advising will confirm approval before completing the enrollment)
• When the course registration has been confirmed, the CPT eform (iComet) will be submitted for you. The I-20 process will not start until ISSO receives this form.
• Ensure all information in ORION is accurate, and respond promptly to any requests for additional information or clarification.
  • If your start date is in the past, the I-20 cannot be issued. Contact your employer and forward the email confirmation to JSOMiCometForm@utdallas.edu with an updated start date.
• ISSO will check CPT eligibility, and if approved, will issue the I-20 work authorization
• ISSO office will issue an I-20 for the internship duration that is employer-specific and date-specific. A $100 Practical Training Fee will be assessed when the CPT is processed.
• The ISSO office will advise the student on the process should they need to apply for a SSN, and will issue a letter to take to the Social Security Office.

University Holidays and Winter Break – Please note that ISSO will be closed on university holidays and during the Winter Break, and CPT processing will halt until the offices reopen.

• Send an email to JSOMiCometForm@utdallas.edu to request a CPT I-20 update, and attach supporting documents as outlined below:
  • Internship start or end date change: Include your current start/end date and new start/end date in the message. Provide confirmation from your employer of your new date – a screenshot of an email is sufficient for this.
  • Change to employer’s name, address or physical work address: Provide confirmation from your employer of the current address and the new address. If the company name changes, include the reason, and documentation from your employer to support this.
  • Change to number of hours worked per week. Full-time CPT is 21 hours or more, and Part-time CPT is 20 hours or less. If the number of hours you are working changes, then your CPT record of F/T or P/T CPT may need to be updated. When requesting a change, you need to provide the following from your employer:
    • Start and end date of Part-time work
    • Start and end date of Full-time work

• Summer internships are most common and can be in any US location. During Fall and Spring internships, the F-1 students must maintain their immigration status if the internship is not in the DFW area. This may require “reduced” enrollment. Contact ISSO for answers to specific questions about exception for full–time enrollment
• Please note the following:
  • New and Continuing Students:
    • Must be enrolled in full-time or have an exception for full-time enrollment by Census Day of the current semester
  • Full time enrollment for graduate students is 9 credit hours
  • Full time enrollment for undergraduate students is 12 credit hours
• You may only enroll in one online course – the remaining credit hours must be face to face
• Graduating Students:
• May enroll in only the courses required to complete degree requirement. At least one course in the last full semester must be face to face
• F-1 students must apply for graduation by the Immigration deadline (earlier than the University deadline) or risk losing their immigration status.
• Consult with ISSO for specific dates
• For details or how to request an exception, refer to https://utdallas.edu/isso/enroll-reduced/. Contact ISSO at SSB 3.4, ISSOCurrent@utdallas.edu or 972-883-4189