Practical Training

The Civil and Environmental Engineering Department is now offering both Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Optional Practical Training (OPT) for all BS Civil Engineering (BSCE) and MS Civil Engineering (MSCE) international students effective Spring 2021.

Civil Engineering students who are interested in these courses should consult with International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) to determine eligibility. Students can find information on the ISSS Employment website.

Students are responsible for finding appropriate work experiences to satisfy CPT and/or OPT requirements, as well as completing all necessary paperwork required by ISSS and the CE Department by the appropriate deadlines.

BSCE and MSCE students have the option to complete a period of work in conjunction with their education. Pre-OPT is a work experience completed prior to the completion of the degree program and Post-OPT is a work experience completed after the completion of the degree program.

Students who are interested in Pre- and Post-OPT experiences should work with ISSS to complete the necessary paperwork. Any documents that must be completed by the department should be directed to the department chair at civil-engineering@sjsu.edu.

Civil and Environmental Engineering is now offering two CPT courses, CE 185 and CE 285, effective Spring 2021.

In order to register for these courses, students must satisfy all requirements established by federal law, SJSU ISSS, and the CE Department. CE 185 and CE 285 will be graded Credit/No Credit (CR/NC). In order to receive credit in the courses, students must complete the minimum work hours in an appropriate Civil Engineering work experience and satisfy the academic component of the course.

Students must register for the course that correlates to their degree program. BSCE students may only enroll in CE 185 and MSCE students may only enroll in CE 285. Each 1-unit course may be repeated a total of two times during a student’s matriculation. Courses will be scheduled each term as “Department Consent,” so students must receive a Permission Number to enroll in the course. Permission Numbers will not be given without a written job offer letter.

In order to register for CE 185/285, students must:

• Be enrolled in a Civil Engineering degree program, i.e. a fully matriculated student, in either the BS or MS programs.
• Be in good standing with the program and the university.

CE 185: Work Experience I

In order to register for CE 185- Work Experience I, students must satisfy the following:

• Students must be enrolled in the BSCE program.
• Students may not have taken CE 185 more than once previously.
• Students must satisfy all requirements established by federal law and ISSS. See the ISSS Employment website for more information.
• Students must be in good standing with the program and the university. Students who are on any type of probation, are disqualified, or are changing their major in/out of the CE program may not enroll in CE 185.
• Students may not delay their graduation to enroll in CE 185.
• Students must have a position with a Civil Engineering firm or Civil Engineering division of an organization. The student’s work should be overseen by a Civil Engineer with one of the following qualifications: A PE license, Certified Construction Manager (CCM), Project Management Professional (PMP) or a Civil Engineer with LEED AP Certification ("green associate" is not acceptable). Jobs that are only peripherally related to Civil Engineering are not acceptable. Examples of positions that are considered inappropriate include construction laborer, technician, etc. The department reserves the right to reject a position for the course.
• Students must have a written Job Offer Letter that meets ISSS and department requirements secured before the “Last Day to Drop a Class without a W” in the given term. See the Registrar’s Website for the Academic Calendar. See below for the Job Offer Letter Requirements.
• Students must work a minimum of 90 hours in a term to be eligible to receive credit for CE 185. Students may not work more than 20 hours per week during the academic year and 40 hours per week during breaks. Work must be completed during the term that the student is registered for the course. Specific work dates for each term are listed on the ISSS Website.

CE 285: Work Experience II

In order to register for CE 285- Work Experience II, students must satisfy the following:

• Students must be enrolled in the MSCE program.
• Students may not have taken CE 285 more than once previously.
• Students must satisfy all requirements established by federal law and ISSS. See the ISSS Employment website for more information.
• Students must be in good standing with the program and the university. Students who are on any type of probation, are disqualified, or are conditionally classified may not enroll in CE 285.
• Students may not delay their graduation to enroll in CE 285.
• Students must have a position with a Civil Engineering firm or Civil Engineering division of an organization. The student’s work should be overseen by a Civil Engineer with one of the following qualifications:
  
  • A PE license
  • Certified Construction Manager (CCM)
  • Project Management Professional (PMP)
  • Civil Engineer with LEED AP Certification ("green associate" is not acceptable).
    
    Jobs that are only peripherally related to Civil Engineering are not acceptable. Examples of positions that are considered inappropriate include construction laborer, technician, etc. The department reserves the right to reject a position for the course.
• Students must have a written Job Offer Letter that meets ISSS and department requirements secured before the “Last Day to Drop a Class without a W” in the given term. See the Registrar’s Website for the Academic Calendar. See below for the Job Offer Letter Requirements.
• Students must work a minimum of 90 hours in a term to be eligible to receive credit for CE 285. Students may not work more than 20 hours per week during the academic year and 40 hours per week during breaks. Work must be completed during the term that the student is registered for the course. Specific work dates for each term are listed on
  the ISSS Website.

Job Offer Letter Requirements for CE 185/285

Students must provide a written Job Offer Letter prior to the “Last Day to Drop a Class without a W” in the given term in order to be considered for enrollment in CE 185 or CE 285.

A Job Offer Letter must include the following:

• All necessary information required by ISSS.
• Details of the student’s position, including confirmation that the work will be overseen by a Civil Engineer with the proper qualifications listed above. 
• Confirmation that the student will work a minimum of 90 hours during the term in which the student is registered for the CPT course.
• Agreement that the student will not exceed the weekly maximum number of hours permitted, 20 hours during the academic term and 40 hours during breaks.

CE 185/285 Academic Requirements

These courses that are used to offer students a CPT experience have two components, the work component and the academic component. Each course is 1-unit and is in addition to the academic requirements of the BSCE and MSCE degree programs listed in the SJSU Catalog. CE 185 and 285 will be graded CR/NC.

In order to receive credit for these courses, students must complete a Civil Engineering work experience of no less than 90 hours that satisfies all necessary requirements as outlined above and submit a culminating paper that meets all necessary academic requirements established in the course syllabus.

The culminating paper must:

• Describe the student’s work experience and how the lessons learned in the position will influence the student’s future Civil Engineering career.
• Be no less than 2500 words in the body of the paper (not including any appendices, references, or other components)
• Meet professional standards for technical writing established for the course, including a cover page, proper formatting and referencing, and appropriate grammar.
• Be submitted no later than the last day of the final exam period of the term.

If students have further questions regarding CPT opportunities or CE 185 and CE 285 course offerings, they should contact Kurt McMullin or the Civil Engineering Department at civil-engineering@sjsu.edu.

Kurt M. McMullin
Professor, Structural Engineering
408-924-3855
kurt.mcmullin@sjsu.edu
ENGR 171