Graduate curricular practical training and internship information
The Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering aspire to develop leaders who are well-read, well-spoken and knowledgeable about current business practices. Experiential education is recognized as essential to the overall academic experience. To this end, the Fulton Schools offer enhanced curricula, special courses and extracurricular activities to enrich every student’s education and to offer opportunities to achieve the Fulton Schools’ aspirations.
The School of Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering allows electrical engineering MSE and electrical engineering MS students to complete a maximum of two semesters of internships as curricular practical training, while electrical engineering PhD students can complete a maximum of four semesters of internship as curricular practical training. Please be aware that completing more than 12 months of internships revokes the use of optional practical training.
The School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering has specific policies, eligibility requirements and forms that students need to be aware of. Please read through this page carefully to fully understand the curricular practical training process for electrical engineering MSE, electrical engineering MS, and electrical engineering PhD students.
Please note: Computer engineering graduate students have different processes and requirements. Please refer to the computer engineering forms page for more information.
To be eligible for curricular practical training, you need to meet the International Students and Scholars Center and the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering’s eligibility requirements:
International Students and Scholars Center
- Be enrolled in your current degree program for a minimum of one academic year.
- Internship credit should be listed on your initial Interactive Plan of Study submission.
- You must receive academic credit for your internship.
- You must have a physical presence on campus during the spring or fall semester.
For more information, please refer to the International Students and Scholars curricular practical training website.
School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
- You must be a full time on campus F-1 student.
- You must have at least a 3.0 GPA.
- You must have an approved Interactive Plan of Study on file with the appropriate curricular practical training credits listed in the appropriate semester(s).
- You must not have completed all of your required coursework or required credits.
- You must have a physical presence on campus during the spring or fall semester.
For more information, please refer to the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering graduate student handbook.
Students who wish to complete an internship need to be aware of several key pieces of information.
- Internships cannot start before the semester or session for which you will enroll in the curricular practical training credit (EEE 684). For example, if you are interested in doing an internship in the summer semester, you cannot start working until the summer semester officially starts.
- Registration for internships must be done in the appropriate registration periods. We do not allow late registration for internships.
- If you are an RA or a TA, you cannot do an internship while you are employed by the school.
- If you an an MS or PhD student, your faculty mentor needs to approve of your internship and will need to sign your curricular practical training application.
- Your supervisor is required to submit an evaluation at the end of your internship. A rubric of the evaluation can be found in the curricular practical training application packet. The evaluation can be submitted electronically through a form or emailed to your academic advisor. If your academic advisor does not receive a satisfactory evaluation, you could receive a failing grade (E). This will impact your GPA.
- You cannot do curricular practical training if you have completed all of your degree requirements. If you have completed all of your degree requirements and are about to graduate, you should apply for pre-optional practical training instead of curricular practical training. Please speak to your assigned academic advisor for more information.
If you meet the eligibility criteria listed above, please follow these instructions:
1. Confirm that the curricular practical training internship credit (EEE 684) is on your Interactive Plan of Study for the appropriate semester(s).
2. Review the curricular practical training application packet to ensure you know what information you need prior to initiating the request. If you initiate the request via Adobe Sign and the information you enter is incomplete or inaccurate, your request will be denied and you will need to start over again.
4. Submit the required information to your academic advisor via Adobe Sign. Emailed requests will not be accepted.
5. The school will review your documents.
- If we need additional documentation, you will receive an email from your advisor.
- Once you are approved, you will receive email confirmation. You will need to register for the 1-credit internship (EEE 684) for every semester you hold this internship.
6. After receiving school approval, request internship approval from International Students and Scholars using the curricular practical training online form. Please enter your academic advisor as the contact person on this eform. Be sure to review all International Students and Scholars requirements.
7. You will need to upload documents to International Students and Scholars. The required documents are listed on their curricular practical training webpage under the CPT I-20 application heading.
When your internship is complete, your supervisor must submit an internship evaluation using the rubric that is in the curricular practical training application packet. You are required to submit a self-evaluation as well using the rubric in the curricular practical training application packet. To complete the internship, it is the student’s responsibility to make sure that the supervisor evaluation has been submitted.
*Please note that if you are graduating the semester you complete your internship, your grade for the internship will not be posted until the email is turned in and approved by the graduate program chair.
Please review the application forms prior to submitting the Adobe Sign request:
When you are ready, submit the the request via Adobe Sign using this link:
After your internship, it is your responsibility to ensure your supervisor submits their evaluation using the rubric provided in the curricular practical training application packet. Evaluations can be completed through these online forms: