Working While Studying
Balancing school and work is a big consideration for many students, especially those planning ahead for real-world experience while earning their degree. Whether you’re hoping to gain hands-on skills, explore your field in a professional setting, or help support yourself financially, there are structured options that allow you to work while you study—when done the right way.
This page breaks down the most common pathways students use to gain practical experience during and after their program. Each option has its own purpose, eligibility rules, and timing, so understanding the differences early can help you plan with confidence and stay in compliance with university and immigration requirements. Below, you’ll find clear explanations of Practicum, Curricular Practical Training (CPT), and Optional Practical Training (OPT), along with guidance on how each fits into your academic journey and long-term career goals.
Practicum is a way for students in master’s and doctoral programs to gain real experience in their field to support their learning in the classroom.
To ensure students have experiences that support the practical application of the learning outcomes in the course curriculum, each student enrolled in a master’s or doctoral program is required to complete 80 hours of practicum every semester through employment or volunteering. If a student is not able to secure employment in their field, the student will be allowed an extension to the next semester. However, the student must make up the hours missed in the previous semester, which is 160 hours during the makeup semester. This extension is only allowed one time throughout the program.
For undergraduate students, there is no practicum requirement.
Curricular Practical Training, or CPT, is the work authorization given to F-1 students to fulfill their practicum program requirements. For CPT work authorization to be issued, practicum must be an integral or required part of the student’s curriculum. It must also be directly related to the student’s major area of study. CPT is authorized by the DSO on page 2 of the Form I-20
- CPT authorization is only available for students whose programs have a practicum requirement.
- CPT may be authorized for FULL-TIME, more than 20 hours per week, or PART-TIME, 20 hours or less per week.
- For Graduate or Doctoral students, it is mandatory to complete a minimum of 80 hours of practicum every semester that aligns with their field of study. Please speak with your Academic Advisor if you have questions about the practicum requirement.
- A Practicum Proposal Form & Employment Offer Letter must be submitted for CPT approval.
- Students may not work, paid or unpaid, unless the employment has been authorized on page 2 the Form I-20.
- Students may only work for the employer authorized on their I-20. Any change of employment will require a new CPT authorization on the I-20 before being able to work for the new employer.
- Undergraduate students at UF are not eligible for CPT authorization.
Students who use 12 months or more full-time, more than 20 hours per week, CPT will not be eligible for Post-Completion OPT, or Optional Practical Training, after graduation. Initial CPT authorization will be for 11 months, or less if the employment will end sooner, so students have the opportunity to decide if they want to move forward with full-time CPT authorization and forgo their OPT eligibility or to switch to part-time, 20 hours or less per week, CPT to keep their OPT eligibility.
Post-Completion OPT is an employment opportunity after graduation, or program end date, that allows students to get real-world work experience related to their field of study. Graduates from bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree programs are eligible to apply for this benefit, 12 months per degree level. This training is authorized by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, through the issuance of an Employment Authorization Document, or EAD.
- To be eligible to apply for OPT, you must:
1. have been in full-time student status for at least one academic year by the requested start date of your OPT,
2. be maintaining valid F-1 status at the time of the application,
3. have not used OPT at the same degree level previously, and
4. have not been authorized for 12 months or more of full-time Curricular Practical Training, CPT. - Students may file OPT applications with USCIS up to 60 days after their program end date.
If you are interested in applying for OPT, please contact your DSO when you have begun your last semester. The DSO will guide you through the application process to ensure the application is completed accurately and contains the required supporting documentation. The DSO will issue the Form I-20 reflecting OPT recommendation that must be included with the application to USCIS. This USCIS application must be filed within the 30-day period after the DSO issues your OPT recommendation.
The 24-Month STEM OPT Extension is an additional benefit from USCIS that allows international students in F-1 status who receive a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree in an approved STEM field to apply for a 24-month extension of their standard 12-month Post-Completion OPT period, twice in a lifetime. This allows international students the opportunity to gain additional real-world work experience related to their field of study after completion of Post-Completion OPT. If you are interested in applying for the STEM OPT Extension, please contact your DSO for guidance on the USCIS application process and requirements.