This page provides information for declared undergraduate math major International students interested in participating in curricular practical training (CPT).
Students on F-1 visas should first review the UW ISS website regarding the CPT process. If you have questions about the process, contact your ISS adviser. https://iss.washington.edu/employment/f1-employment/cpt/
Important notes:
• The MATH/ACMS Advising Office will not review internships or job postings for CPT authorization before you have been offered the position. You should carefully evaluate your eligibility and the required criteria BEFORE you apply to opportunities.
• The Math Department does not make exceptions regarding eligibility requirements. Applicants who do not meet the requirements will be denied.
• The CPT process may take several weeks from when you submit the Math Department CPT request form to completion of the ISS process. If applicable, ask your prospective employer to postpone your start date.
• Once you have been offered a position and verbally or via email accept it, it is not best practice to say, "I changed my mind." You should be certain that you will take the position if CPT is approved. The Math department will not review multiple CPT requests for the same time period.
• Do not fill out the UW ISS CPT request form until you receive approval from the Math Department.
Minimum requirements to be eligible for CPT request in Mathematics:
• Be a declared MATH major at the time you are requesting CPT. For example, if you are admitted to the program during autumn quarter, you will be a declared math major effective winter quarter.
• Complete MATH 300 and MATH 327*
• Have made satisfactory progress in all quarters as a math major (see Continuation Policy)
• Must be enrolled in the quarter of the opportunity or be enrolled the quarter immediately following in order to register for the required CPT departmental course credit.
*MATH 327 is required for CPT eligibility, even if it is not a specifically required course for your major-option. MATH 335 is also accepted for this requirement.
Major and Content-Specific Criteria
Your curricular practical training needs to be integral to your major. Therefore, you must carefully read the specific criteria below and determine if your training matches the criteria listed. On the Math CPT request form, you will be asked to justify each criteria.
Major Specific Criteria
The CPT request form will ask you to explain how the training experience relates to the following major specific criteria:
- Critical Thinking
- Deductive Reasoning
- Mathematical Logic
- Communicating Mathematical Ideas
Content Specific Criteria
The CPT request form will ask you to include a description of how the training experience relates to one of the following content-specific areas:
- Algebra
- Analysis
- Combinatorics
- Geometry
- Optimization
- Probability
- Teaching
Required Employer Information
The CPT request form will require you to include the original job posting and a detailed training description from your employer. The description must be written on the company’s letterhead, be addressed to you, include a job title, provide a detailed job description (minimum a few sentences describing specific duties), the street address where employment will take place, number of hours you will work per week and the start and end dates of the CPT employment.
Your experience is important to us and we want to be sure that the opportunity is legitimate. If the company does not provide a detailed description of the opportunity, does not have a dedicated company website that is functional, or does not have a business address, it may not be a legitimate opportunity.
Depending on the timing of your internship, you will either complete assignments during your internship or in the quarter immediately following completion of the internship. If your CPT is approved, the Math Department will enroll you in Math 397 as long as registration for that quarter is open.
CPT Request Steps
1. Review the above criteria, confirming you are eligible for CPT.
2. Receive an offer for an internship that is integral to your major.
3. Submit the Math Department's CPT form (link below).
4. Receive approval from the Math Department and be registered for MATH 397 during your CPT quarter. Note if registration is not open for your CPT quarter, you must wait until your registration date to request being added to the course.
5. Submit your CPT request to ISS through MyISSS.
6. Wait for process completion and next steps from UW ISS.
If you have read and understand the information necessary to apply for CPT, proceed to the request form.