Internship Course for Credit (Doctoral Students)
Overview of ENGR 595
Student Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible to enroll in this course you must meet all of the following:
Hours
- In the Fall/Spring semester, the internship must be a minimum of 10 hours but can not exceed 20 hours
- In the Summer semester, the total effort in the summer, including fellowship, RA/TA and CPT cannot exceed 100% .
Internship Length
To ensure a rewarding internship experience and earn academic credit for your internship course, internships must be
- At least 12 weeks during Fall and Spring semesters
- At least 10 weeks during the Summer semester
- Internships shorter than 10-12 weeks will be considered on a case-by-case basis please email engrinternshipcourses@usc.edu
International Students
- Time at USC
- Maintained full-time F-1 student status for at least one academic year (fall and spring).
- If you attended undergraduate or Master's programs at a U.S. institution and were issued a Transfer I-20 at USC, you may be eligible for CPT earlier.
- Please visit OIS drop-in advising to discuss whether you are eligible to participate in CPT. Once you receive approval, please email vasephd@usc.edu with an email from OIS confirming CPT eligibility in your first semester.
- GPA
- Fall/Spring CPT: 3.0 +
- Summer CPT: 2.75+
- PhD students who have applied or are planning to apply for a program extension will not be approved unless the CPT directly supports research or writing the dissertation. In this case, you MUST upload an explanation from your advisor along with your offer letter.
- Part-time/Full-time Eligibility
- Fall and Spring Semester
- PhD students must have passed the qualifying examination and be enrolled in dissertation units to be eligible for full-time CPT.
- PhD students who have not passed their qualifying examination are only eligible for part time CPT (20 hours or less).
- Fall and Spring Funding
- The total work effort from all sources—including fellowship, RA/TA appointments, and CPT- cannot exceed 100% (40 hours per week).
- PhD students who have not passed their qualifying examination are only eligible for part time CPT (20 hours or less).
- If you need to reduce or decline your fellowship, TA, or RA funding, upload documentation confirming the change to the ICR system here.
- Summer Semester
- Can participate in full time/part time CPT regardless of qualifying exam status
- Summer Funding
- The total work effort from all sources—including fellowship, RA/TA appointments, and CPT, cannot exceed 100% (40 hours per week).
- Before your ICR can be approved, make sure your academic record shows the correct funding. Incorrect funding in your academic record will delay internship start date.
- If you need to reduce or decline your summer fellowship, TA, or RA funding, upload documentation confirming the change to the ICR system here.
- The total work effort from all sources—including fellowship, RA/TA appointments, and CPT, cannot exceed 100% (40 hours per week).
- Fall and Spring Semester
Domestic Students
- Time at USC - no requirement
- GPA
- Fall/Spring CPT: 3.0 +
- Summer CPT: 2.75+
- If a student has a GPA of 0.00, VGAS will process if the student is meeting satisfactory academic progress. Meet with a VGAS advisor if you have questions.
Application Process
Dates & Deadlines
|
Fall 2026 |
Spring 2027 |
Summer 2027 |
|
| Application Opens |
July 13, 2026 |
TBD: Nov 2026 |
TBD: April 2027 |
| Application Deadline |
Oct. 9, 2026 |
February 16, 2027 |
TBD: June 2027 |
|
Internship duration: (If it is your final semester) |
Aug. 24 - Dec. 16 |
Jan. 11 - May 14 |
May 17 - Aug. 10 |
| Internship duration: (If it is NOT your final semester) |
Aug. 24 - Jan. 8 |
Jan. 11 - May 14 |
May 17 - Aug. 20 |
*The Application deadline - Students must submit their Internship Course Request (ICR) Application in myViterbi by this deadline. You will not be able to submit a new application in myViterbi after this date.*
CPT & International Student Information
- International students must register for an internship course during the semester if they wish to do an internship and obtain CPT.
- Follow the internship course syllabus and contact the Viterbi Career Connections (VCC) for your questions regarding the internship course.
- If you cannot continue the internship, please contact the Viterbi Career Connection Office as soon as possible.
- Remove your application from any pending recruiting processes after you accept one offer.
NOTE: As part of your agreement for CPT, you agree not to accept additional job offers after submitting a CPT application for the semester. Internship offers from new employers will not be approved. If you have received an additional internship offer after submitting for CPT, the VCC staff will do their best to assist you with negotiating and retaining both internships. We also encourage you to visit the Job & Internship Tool Kit for Evaluating & Negotiating Offers or schedule an appointment with a career advisor on Handshake for tips on negotiating a start date for next semester with the second employer. Successful completion of the course is required to be considered for future CPT authorizations. If a student receives a No Credit (NC), they will be ineligible for future CPT.
Internship Hours & Location
- PhD students who have applied or are planning to apply for a program extension will not be approved unless the CPT directly supports research or writing the dissertation. In this case, you MUST upload an explanation from your advisor along with your offer letter.
- Part-time/Full-time Eligibility
- During Fall and Spring semesters, PhD students must have passed the qualifying examination and be enrolled in dissertation units to be eligible for full-time CPT.
- During Fall and Spring semesters, PhD students who have not passed their qualifying examination are only eligible for part time CPT (20 hours or less).
- During Fall and Spring semesters, Ph.D. students who have a 50% RA/TA/GA/fellowship are not eligible for CPT.
- During the summer semesters, all PhD students can participate in 50% RA/TA and full time or part time CPT.
**Students cannot take academic difficulty RCL with CPT simultaneously.
All International Students must adhere to In-Person Learning Requirements
Please review the In-Person Learning Requirements for Viterbi Students Participating in CPT. Viterbi will only approve fall or spring CPT applications for out-of-area internship opportunities after students agree to the following conditions identified in the memo. In addition, any out-of-area full-time internships must also state hybrid or remote in the offer letter to get approval. Any out-of-the-area full-time opportunities that state in-person will not be approved. A minimum of 1 hybrid day must be provided for full-time out-of-the-area internships.