CPT Policy MA

  • In order to do paid internships, international MA students must register for the course titled BINF G5006: Fieldwork: Bridging Theory and Practice for at least 1 credit
  • MA students are eligible to register for this course after completing 2 full semesters of courses
  • MA students can register for this course up to 3 times
    • Full time (40 hours per week) in the Summer (after completing 2 full semesters) and part-time (up to 20h per week) in Fall and Spring (also after completing 2 full semesters)
  • This course can only be taken as part of degree requirements. Students who have already completed all the degree requirements (required courses and 30 credits) are not eligible
    • Students who wish to take it in the Spring of their 2nd year, need to make sure they still have course/credits that need to be completed in the same semester
  • Students cannot take the fieldwork course pass/fail and must receive a standard letter grade.

Process

  1. Initiation

Students identify internship, co-op, or employment opportunities and share them with their designated academic advisor, at least 3 months in advance.

  1. Academic Advisor Consultation

Academic advisors will provide insights on which of potential opportunities will most likely be approved. They help students determine if the opportunities align with their academic and career goals.

  1. Application:

Students formally apply for work opportunities of interest, taking into account recommendations from their academic advisor.

  1. Approval Process:

Academic advisor’s approval:

Upon securing the opportunity, students fill out DBMI’s BINF G5005 approval form and submit it to their academic advisor for approval. Academic advisors review the form, ensuring the opportunity meets academic standards and aligns with the student’s program. If approved, the research advisor will sign the form.

*This form will include an acknowledgement section regarding intellectual properties (IP) sensitivity.*

International students are required to present their academic advisor with ISSO F-1 Curricular Practical Training (CPT) request form. This form can be found here: https://isso.columbia.edu/sites/isso.columbia.edu/files/content/Forms/CPT_Request_Form.pdf

International students must also submit their CPT Employer letter (required by the International Students and Scholars Office) to their academic advisor.

  1. Mentor Validation:

The approval form is forwarded to the hosting company. Upon agreement, the mentor at the host company signs the approval form, confirming their commitment to supervise the internship.

  1. Committee Verification and Approval:

DBMI’s BINF G5006 approval form is submitted to the training committee for further review by emailing it to the Graduate Program Manager. International students must also submit the ISSO F-1 Curricular Practical Training (CPT) request form to the training committee and their CPT Employer letter (required by the International Students and Scholars Office) at the same time to receive approval.

The committee verifies the integrity of the internship arrangement and approves it based on its educational value and alignment with program objectives.

Upon committee approval, students are formally notified via email.

  1. Post-completion

After completion of the internship, students are asked to submit a 1-page summary of what was accomplished during their internship. This summary will be used to assign their grade. They will be asked to give a presentation at DBMI.