Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

CPT is available in summers for COGS majors. Students must pre-register in the spring for an appropriate fall course, complete the internship in the summer, and then complete the fall course immediately following the summer internship.

In COGS, there are two routes, one involving completion of a fall upper-level course, and one involving completion of a fall independent study. However, it is usually very difficult to design an independent study sufficiently related to summer internships, and thus completion of an upper-level course is usually the more suitable option.

The basic scenario is:

  1. In the spring, obtain a summer internship offer.
  2. Choose a fall course compatible with the internship. This could be an upper-level course (2xxx and above), or an independent study (3999)
  3. Contact Program Director (cogs-pd@sas.upenn.edu) and Associate Director (cogs-ad@sas.upenn.edu), and submit the relevant materials. (Details below, depending on your route.)
  4. Register for the fall course.
  5. Complete the internship in the summer.
  6. Complete the course in the fall.
  7. Write a paper relating the internship and course experiences.

Details:

  1. Completion of an Upper-Level Course

You must register in the spring for a fall upper-level course (2xxx and above). This should be as closely related to your internship as possible. For example, Behavioral Economics and Psychology (PPE 3003/PSYC 2750) might be appropriate for a finance, marketing, or consulting internship. A CIS class might be appropriate for a software engineering internship; STAT for a data science internship. An NRSC class might be appropriate if you are doing a medical or pharmaceutical internship of some kind. In selecting the course, we encourage consulting the Program or Associate Directors.

You must then complete the internship in the summer, and complete the course in the fall, for which you will receive a letter grade in the usual way based on your course performance. (Pass/fail is not allowed for CPT courses.).

In addition, you must submit to the Program and Associate Directors a 2500-word paper, with references in a standard reference style, which reflects on the summer internship experience in light of the just-completed course. (What were the links and synergies between your internship and course? In what ways were they complements? How did the internship change/expand your skills/perspectives as relevant for your course? How did your course change/expand your skills/perspectives as relevant for the organization at which you interned? Etc.) The paper is due by the last day of finals. It will be read by both the PD and AD. If you fail to submit your paper by the last day of finals, your course instructor will be alerted and may penalize you, for example by withholding your course grade.

To apply, submit the following to the Program and Associate Directors:

(1.a) Course number and description

(1.b) Offer letter from the sponsoring employer, which should contain a job description

(1.c) One-paragraph statement referencing the offer letter and course description, describing how and why the internship and course are related

 Once your CPT application is approved, you will lose the option of dropping your fall course.

  1. Completion of an Independent Study

You must register for a fall independent study course (COGS 3999) in spring. This involves first finding a faculty member who agrees to be your supervisor, and developing an independent study proposal with them. [Follow the instructions here. All the rules for COGS independent studies apply.] You must then complete the internship in the summer, and complete the independent study in the fall. You will receive a grade from your supervisor, based on a significant (e.g., 30 pp.) paper prepared under their supervision, due by December 20.

To apply, submit the following to the Program and Associate Directors

(2.a) Independent study proposal and documentation of approval by faculty supervisor

(2.b) Offer letter from the sponsoring employer, which should contain a job description.

Once your CPT application is approved, you will lose the option of dropping your fall independent study.