Career Development

• You are not allowed to work off campus at any time.
• You are eligible to work on-campus:
  • 20 hours/week during academic year.
  • 40 hours/week during official school breaks.
• You can do an off-campus internship, as long as it relates
  directly to your major and it has been approved and registered
  as a credit (CPT).

Finding a job at Bethany:

• You must go to blc.edu and find the ‘Student Job List’ https://www.blc.edu/student-jobs
  1. Check the list of available jobs
  2. Click on the job that interests you to see its job
  description
  3. Contact the supervisor
• You will need a Work Contract for any job you do at Bethany.
• Stop by Darci Theiste’s office (Old Main 213) to
  pick up a contract or contact her at dtheiste@blc.edu
• You will need a Social Security card. You can start working without a Social Security Card, but you will need it in order to get paid. Go to Luther Hall 210-213 and speak with the International Services Office to set up an appointment for Social Security.

No. You cannot work off-campus UNLESS it is a volunteer position (unpaid) or an internship for credit. If you would like to work for course credit, you need to apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and be approved for an internship. 

Other off-campus work for pay is strictly prohibited and can result in a cancellation of your visa. Examples include babysitting, mowing a lawn, snow removal and coaching a sport. 

If an international student would like to receive course credit for an internship, they need to apply and be approved to do an internship through the Career Development Center in Luther Hall 206-209. Then they must go through the process of getting Curricular Practical Training (CPT) with the help of our International Service Offices in Luther Hall 210-213. 

An international student can only receive pay for an internship if they have been approved for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and an internship. Not all internship sites will have the opportunity to pay their interns. If an international student decides to do an internship that is not for course credit, they cannot receive pay. 

Please go to our Internships page and find “program overview”. There you will find the “academic policy” which will explain what you need in order to be eligible. You will also see the costs associated with taking internship credits over the summer.

CPT is Curricular Practical Training. F1 international students may be eligible, although there is a criteria in order to be approved.

• Training relates directly to the student’s major area of study.
• Training is an integral part of the school’s established curriculum.
• Designated school official (DSO) authorized CPT in SEVIS, and the authorization prints on the student’s Form I-20.
• Occurs before the student’s program end date on the Form I-20. 
• Authorization is for one specific employer and for a specific period of time.
• Student must secure the training opportunity before CPT can be authorized.
• CPT must be authorized before the student can begin work. 
• Student can have more than one CPT authorization at the same time. 
• One year of full-time CPT eliminates a student’s eligibility for OPT.

OPT is Optional Practical Training. F1 international students looking to work after graduation may be eligible, although there is a criteria in order to be approved.

• Training relates directly to the student’s major area of study.
• DSO (designated school official) recommends OPT in SEVIS.
• Student does not have to secure training before the DSO can recommend OPT.
• Authorized by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), and the student is issued an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). 
• Allows the student to work for any employer, as long as the training relates to the student’s major course of study.
• Can occur before (pre-completion OPT) or after (post-completion OPT) the student’s program end date. 
• Periods of OPT cannot overlap.
• Students are eligible for an additional 12 months of OPT authorization, when they change to a higher educational level. 

For more in depth information please visit the International Service Offices in Luther Hall 210-213.

Here is an in depth video that covers the following (click the specific category to jump right to that part of the video):

1. On Campus Employment
2. OPT
3. CPT
4. Severe Economic Hardship
5. International Organization Employment