Education in the United States can be expensive for international students. Getting a job while studying can help reduce the cost of your education as well as help you gain some work experience. There are two types of employment options that you can use for working while you’re a student: 

1. On-campus employment, and  
2. CPT which is Curricular Practical Training 

First, let’s talk about On-campus employment. 

On-campus Employment

As an international student, you are allowed to work on-campus at the university in which you are enrolled. You can work in any office of your university and your work may not necessarily be related to your major. During the academic year, you can only work part-time which is 20 hours per week. However, during summer and winter holidays you are allowed to work full-time on campus. Some examples of on-campus jobs include: 

• working in the cafeteria
• in administrative offices of the university
• Working as a Teaching Assistant for a class 
• Working as a research assistant in a lab etc. 

Remember that on-campus jobs are limited so be sure to apply ahead.

Let’s learn about CPT now.

Curricular Practical Training

CPT is temporary employment authorization for international students to work off-campus while they are still enrolled in their degree. CPT stands for Curricular Practical Training which means that the off-campus work you do has to be directly related to your major. The work could be either an employment or an internship. To work off-campus, you first have to apply for CPT with the International Students’ office at your university. It can take up to 2-3 weeks for them to process your application. Once your application is approved, you can get started with your work. CPT approvals are granted semester-wise. You have to renew your CPT authorization each semester. 

You are eligible to apply for CPT only after you have completed 1 year of full-time study at your university. So, if you’re doing a master’s degree you can’t apply for CPT in the first year of your study but can in your 2nd year. You can do your CPT either full-time or part-time. 20 hours of work per week is considered part-time. Any number beyond 20 hours per week is considered full-time. So, if you work off-campus for 21 hours per week, then that would be considered as full-time CPT. Remember that if you work one year of full-time CPT, then you become ineligible for post-degree completion work in the US. So, it’s safer to enroll in CPT part-time. 

CPT always has to be related to your major so the kinds of job you do will have to depend on what your major is. 

We know that this is a lot of information to remember but don’t worry, you will be provided with this information again during your university orientation. Our specific recommendation is that each time you get a job when you’re enrolled as a student, seek advice from the International Student’s office at your university. That will really help in making sure you’re doing all the procedures correctly! 

If you have any questions, get in touch with our university-specific mentors at UniRely. To get more information about how to apply to universities abroad for your master’s degree, please visit our website – www.unirely.com.