Coleman College Co-Op Program, San Diego, CA

Coleman College offers the option of Curricular Practical Training (CPT) to students enrolled in any of its master's degree programs at the San Diego, California campus. CPT is authorized by the U.S. Homeland Security Department for F-1 international students and is equivalent to the co-op option for domestic students.

This option is designed to give students practical work experience in curriculum-related employment with local corporations and businesses. For those who select this option paid internship employment is mandatory, beginning in the first academic year of the student's program. Along with the mandatory internship employment, students will need to the necessary coursed required to stay in status.

Student Internship Authorization

Immigration Services regulations allow international graduate students who are enrolled in an "internship" or "co-op" program to work in internship positions for as many months as the duration of the program will allow. Throughout the co-op program, international students may work up to 40 hours per week.

F-1 students wishing to participate in an off-campus training program that is an integral part of an established curriculum must first obtain work authorization for Curricular Practical Training (CPT). The training, which must be directly related to the student's major field of study, is defined as alternate work/study, internship, cooperative education, or any other type of required internship or practicum, which is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperative agreements with the school. (Title 8, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 214.2 (f)(10).

Benefits to the Student

The practical training that students receive by working in an American Company gives them skills and experience that cannot be obtained in a normal classroom-only education format, thus giving an advantage in achieving life goals after graduation.

The wages that are paid to the students for their CPT employment are equal to the wages paid to American employees in the same kind of employment. Net earnings are retained by the students and used for their personal or educational needs.

Students can choose either part-time (20 hours or less per week) or full-time (20 to 40 hours per week) employment. This can continue for the entire duration of the master's program, as each student may choose.

Classes will be offered in the evenings so that students can engage in CPT employment during the day.

Elements of Internship Employment

The internship employment is required for at least eleven months of a student's master's degree program. However, if the student chooses to be employed for longer than eleven months, he/she may continue CPT employment for as long as he/she chooses. Please note, that if full-time CPT employment lasts more than twelve months, the student may lose the right to the Optional Practical Training (OPT), which is normally allowed to students after graduation.

Hi-Tech International Resources, Inc, a private employment placement company, will assist all co-op students in obtaining their initial CPT positions. In addition, newly arriving students will often obtain employment information from other students currently working in CPT jobs or from college staff persons, or from newspaper advertising, job fairs or from the internet. While all of the above sources are available to assist students to locate available internship employment, it is the responsibility of each co-op student to follow up on all employment opportunities and personally interview for those positions.