Employment
As indicated in the general Employment section of our website, F-1 and J-1 students are limited to 20 hours per week of employment during the academic year. During semesters in which a doctoral student is responsible for a teaching or research assistantship, this experience counts toward the total 20 hour per week limit. Since the number of hours required may vary by academic program, doctoral students are responsible for verifying the total number of hours per week with the individual academic program and ensuring that their work as teaching/research assistants (and/or any additional employment on campus) does not exceed the 20 hour per week maximum.
In addition to the general information about off-campus employment in F and J status available in our Employment section, international doctoral students should also consider the following supplemental information below that applies particularly to Ph.D. students.
F-1 Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
Follow completion of one academic year in F-1 status, a doctoral student may be eligible to pursue employment off-campus via Curricular Practical Training (CPT) if the student's mentor is willing to certify that the employment experience contributes directly to the student's specific dissertation research. A student may also be eligible for CPT if his or her doctoral program includes a required practicum. If the practicum requires participation in the first year, the one year waiting period may be waived. As indicated in the CPT section of our website, this employment must be part-time during the academic year, meaning it must total no more than 20 hours per week, inclusive of any on-campus employment (teaching/research assistantships, other on-campus positions) the student may also be pursuing. Full-time CPT is permissible during the summer term. The CPT request form is available here.
Unlike other degree-seeking students in F-1 status, Ph.D. students are eligible for full-time Optional Practical Training (OPT) prior to completion of the degree. This application may request pre-completion OPT or post-completion OPT. Alternatively, doctoral students may choose to pursue post-completion OPT following graduation. There are benefits and drawbacks to each option. For example, a student who chooses to use 12 months of pre-completion OPT is ineligible for both the Cap Gap Extension and the 17-Month Extension of OPT. Students who pursue post-completion OPT prior to graduation do not face those issues, but are ineligible for an extension of F-1 status. More information on post-completion OPT prior to graduation is available in the section on Completing the Program in the left navigation bar. However, because of the complex nature of the associated Federal Regulations and the differing circumstances of each student’s situation, you should consult with your International Student Advisor about your individual case to ensure a clear understanding of the options available. More information on the OPT application process is available in our general section on F-1 Optional Practical Training.
J-1 Academic Training (AT)
Ph.D. students in J -1 status are eligible for up to 36 months of Academic Training (AT), which may be conducted during the program of study, upon completion of the degree, or a combination of both. AT pursued during the program of study must be part-time (maximum of 20 hours per week) during the academic year, inclusive of all on-campus employment obligations, but students may pursue full-time AT during the summer term. For more information on AT, please visit the J-1 Academic Training section of our website.
Special Note on Employment at Emory Following Completion of Studies
Our section on Completing the Program describes the Emory completion policy for international students in F-1 and J-1 status. Students must carefully consider this policy – and all accompanying instructions – when accepting or continuing employment at Emory following completion of the degree. Once a student has completed the program and the I-20 or DS-2019 Form expiration date has been reached, he or she may not continue work on campus unless authorization for F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT) or J-1 Academic Training (AT) has been received and the effective date of this authorization has been reached. In compliance with the requirements of both OPT and AT, students should only accept or continue employment on the Emory campus that is in their field of study and requires a doctoral education. Furthermore, it is the responsibility of employed alumni to request that the hiring department re-verify employment eligibility paperwork with Emory's Human Resources department immediately following program completion using documentation for OPT or AT authorization.