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Department Graduate Assistant positions help the faculty in grading and conducting labs.

So, they are available only to students who have spent at least 1 semester in the grad program.

Professors may need student workers or research assistants. Please contact the Computer Science department:

Phone: (573) 651-2244
Email: csdept@semo.edu
Location: Dempster Hall, 021A

Graduate assistantship pay a stipend for the academic year (Fall and Spring) and cover the tuition for up to 9 credits of graduate-level coursework in both the fall and spring semesters and up to 6 credits during the summer semester.

Details About GA…

IES Information

In order for  International Education and Services (IES)  to approve CPT, you must be enrolled in a degree required internship course during the semester you will be completing the internship.

Duration of CPT

CPT is only granted for one semester and you can only work for:

20 hours per week during the fall or spring semester
40 hours during the summer
this includes hours of on campus employment

Full vs part-time CPT

IF internship is for full-time (=40 hours), then you cannot take another course. 

IF internship is part-time (=20 hours), then yes you can take couple of courses.

Documents needed by IES

Graduate advisor letter, sent from the CPT advisor’s email. (They will reject any letter you send on your own.)
Employment letter from supervisor. It should include the company name and address and the supervisor’s name, phone and email as well as the dates you will be working. (You will be responsible for sending them this letter.)

Computer Science Dept Requirements

We will automatically deny your CPT request if you or your position do not meet all of the following criteria.

Student Criteria

The student has completed at least 18 graduate credit hours (excluding CS 500 & CS 503).
The student has completed at least one semester (Fall or Spring) at SEMO.
The student has a GPA of 3.5 or greater.
The student is not currently on academic probation.
The student is in good academic standing.
The student has never received a grade of C or below in any graduate level course at SEMO.
The student has one remaining elective slot if they wish to enroll in CS699. If the student is using CPT as part of any other course, they must secure approval of the CPT component of the course from their instructor.

Company and Job Criteria

Companies will be verified using the following sources (they must be listed in both):

a. https://www.buzzfile.com/Home/Basic  

b. https://www.e-verify.gov/about-e-verify/e-verify-data/how-to-find-participating-employers
The company has been in business for at least 10 years.
The company has at least 20 employees.
The company has revenue of at least $500,000.00 per year.
Note: Smaller companies in the Cape Girardeau area may be approved if the internship is face-to-face and the company can be verified.
The job description must satisfy the following criteria:

a. The job description must contain specific duties. Generic descriptions will not be accepted. These duties must be clearly stated in the job’s offer letter.

b. The offer letter must indicate if this is a full-time or part-time position.

c. The job duties to be performed must be related to the student’s degree program.

d. The job duties to be performed are of a level expected from master degree seeking students.

e. The beginning and ending date of the job must be clearly stated within the offer letter, and both dates must fall within the semester in which a CPT course is scheduled.

Procedure and Deadlines

To apply for CPT, you must submit all of the following to Dr. Robert Lowe (rlowe@semo.edu):

The offer letter from your employer, including contact information for your supervisor.
PDF of your degree works page.
Your CPT letter: international-CPTAdvisorLetter.docx Be sure to fill in the relevant information, including course number (Either CS699 or a regular course.) For the advisor name, fill in “Dr. Robert Lowe” as he is the CPT advisor for the entire department.
If you are submitting a CPT letter for a regular course, you must also attach a letter of approval to use CPT as a course component which must be signed by the course instructor.
A listing of your currently enrolled courses.
A listing of the courses you will be enrolled in during the CPT semester.

If any of the above are missing, your application will be denied until you supply all of the necessary documents. The CPT process can take up to 3 weeks to complete. You must submit your application no later than 4 weeks before the start of the CPT semester.

Internship course vs regular course

Your internship work will count towards your coursework (e.g. mobile computing, data analytics, web development) OR internship course (i.e. CS 699), but not both.

You cannot replace the internship course (CS699) with regular elective course. If you want to take CS699 internship course, then you must drop one of your elective courses.

You must indicate your course choice in the international CPT graduate advisor letter (see above).

CS 699 course submission

Once you enroll in CS 699, you need to report about your internship progress from time-to-time on Canvas course page. You will be assigned a grade based on the evaluation of these reports.

Optional Practical Training (OPT) provides F-1 students with an opportunity for hands-on work experience (work authorization) related to the academic field of study.

You are eligible to apply if you meet the following criteria:

You are currently in active F-1 status.

You have been enrolled in a full course of study for one academic year in the U.S. or will complete one academic year by the date the OPT approval begins.

You have not exceeded 12 months of full-time Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization. (Part-time CPT does not affect OPT eligibility.)

You do not need a job offer first; you can apply for the 12-month OPT authorization without a job offer.

You have not previously completed 12 months of OPT at the same degree level.

You are eligible for 12 months of full-time OPT per academic level. For example, you may apply for 12 months of OPT after completing a bachelor's degree and then another 12 months after completing a master's degree. Extensions may be granted to students in STEM fields. See the “STEM OPT Resources” link for more information.

You may apply for OPT authorization during your academic program, after your program completion, or a combination of both.

More Details About OPT

To be eligible to participate in the student employment programs at Southeast, students must be enrolled in a degree-seeking program and enrolled in a minimum number of hours (U.S. citizens – 6 hours, international graduates – 9 hours, international graduate assistants – 6 hours). All student workers are limited to working a  maximum of 20 hours per week .

During summer and breaks, students may be eligible for additional hours, based on the approval of their supervisor. 

Students enrolled in the intensive English program are not eligible to work on campus. 

The Office of Career Services posts available student worker positions on REDHAWKjobs.com

Additional information concerning student employment can be found in the Student Employment Handbook

On Campus Job

For approval, the student must complete at least 18 graduate credit hours (excluding CS 500 & CS 503).

Company and Job Criteria

Companies will be verified using the following sources (they must be listed in both):

a. buzzfile

b. e-verify
The company has been in business for at least 10 years.
The company has at least 20 employees.
The company has revenue of at least $500,000.00 per year.
Note: Smaller companies in the Cape Girardeau area may be approved if the internship is face-to-face and the company can be verified.
The job description must satisfy the following criteria:

a. The job description must contain specific duties. Generic descriptions will not be accepted. These duties must be clearly stated in the job’s offer letter.

b. The offer letter must indicate if this is a full-time or part-time position.

c. The job duties to be performed must be related to the student’s degree program.

d. The job duties to be performed are of a level expected from master degree seeking students.

e. The beginning and ending date of the job must be clearly stated within the offer letter, and both dates must fall within the semester in which a CPT course is scheduled.

Yes, according to the current SEVIS rule. As they are two different jobs you can do both. please check with the International Education And Services (IES) office for more information.

International Education And Services

Phone: (573) 986-6863
Email: international@semo.edu
Location:
Office :- 1025 N. Sprigg Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
Mailing Address :-
One University Plaza, MS 2000
Cape Girardeau, MO 63701

Yes. Dropping a semester is not recommended for internatinal students under any emergency, Please contact international office for approval regarding your I-20.

International Education And Services

Department Graduate Assistant positions help the faculty in grading and conducting labs.

So, they are available only to students who have spent at least 1 semester in the grad program.

Professors may need student workers or research assistants. Please contact the Computer Science department:

Phone: (573) 651-2244
Email: csdept@semo.edu
Location: Dempster Hall, 021A

Details About GA…

IES Information

Duration of CPT

CPT is only granted for one semester and you can only work for:

20 hours per week during the fall or spring semester
40 hours during the summer
this includes hours of on campus employment

Full vs part-time CPT

IF internship is for full-time (=40 hours), then you cannot take another course. 

IF internship is part-time (=20 hours), then yes you can take couple of courses.

Documents needed by IES

Graduate advisor letter, sent from the CPT advisor’s email. (They will reject any letter you send on your own.)
Employment letter from supervisor. It should include the company name and address and the supervisor’s name, phone and email as well as the dates you will be working. (You will be responsible for sending them this letter.)

Computer Science Dept Requirements

We will automatically deny your CPT request if you or your position do not meet all of the following criteria.

Student Criteria

The student has completed at least 18 graduate credit hours (excluding CS 500 & CS 503).
The student has completed at least one semester (Fall or Spring) at SEMO.
The student has a GPA of 3.5 or greater.
The student is not currently on academic probation.
The student is in good academic standing.
The student has never received a grade of C or below in any graduate level course at SEMO.
The student has one remaining elective slot if they wish to enroll in CS699. If the student is using CPT as part of any other course, they must secure approval of the CPT component of the course from their instructor.

Company and Job Criteria

Companies will be verified using the following sources (they must be listed in both):

a. https://www.buzzfile.com/Home/Basic  

b. https://www.e-verify.gov/about-e-verify/e-verify-data/how-to-find-participating-employers
The company has been in business for at least 10 years.
The company has at least 20 employees.
The company has revenue of at least $500,000.00 per year.
Note: Smaller companies in the Cape Girardeau area may be approved if the internship is face-to-face and the company can be verified.
The job description must satisfy the following criteria:

a. The job description must contain specific duties. Generic descriptions will not be accepted. These duties must be clearly stated in the job’s offer letter.

b. The offer letter must indicate if this is a full-time or part-time position.

c. The job duties to be performed must be related to the student’s degree program.

d. The job duties to be performed are of a level expected from master degree seeking students.

e. The beginning and ending date of the job must be clearly stated within the offer letter, and both dates must fall within the semester in which a CPT course is scheduled.

Procedure and Deadlines

To apply for CPT, you must submit all of the following to Dr. Robert Lowe (rlowe@semo.edu):

The offer letter from your employer, including contact information for your supervisor.
PDF of your degree works page.
Your CPT letter: international-CPTAdvisorLetter.docx Be sure to fill in the relevant information, including course number (Either CS699 or a regular course.) For the advisor name, fill in “Dr. Robert Lowe” as he is the CPT advisor for the entire department.
If you are submitting a CPT letter for a regular course, you must also attach a letter of approval to use CPT as a course component which must be signed by the course instructor.
A listing of your currently enrolled courses.
A listing of the courses you will be enrolled in during the CPT semester.

Internship course vs regular course

Your internship work will count towards your coursework (e.g. mobile computing, data analytics, web development) OR internship course (i.e. CS 699), but not both.

You cannot replace the internship course (CS699) with regular elective course. If you want to take CS699 internship course, then you must drop one of your elective courses.

You must indicate your course choice in the international CPT graduate advisor letter (see above).

CS 699 course submission

Once you enroll in CS 699, you need to report about your internship progress from time-to-time on Canvas course page. You will be assigned a grade based on the evaluation of these reports.

Optional Practical Training (OPT) provides F-1 students with an opportunity for hands-on work experience (work authorization) related to the academic field of study.

You are eligible to apply if you meet the following criteria:

You are currently in active F-1 status.

You have been enrolled in a full course of study for one academic year in the U.S. or will complete one academic year by the date the OPT approval begins.

You have not exceeded 12 months of full-time Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization. (Part-time CPT does not affect OPT eligibility.)

You do not need a job offer first; you can apply for the 12-month OPT authorization without a job offer.

You have not previously completed 12 months of OPT at the same degree level.

You may apply for OPT authorization during your academic program, after your program completion, or a combination of both.

More Details About OPT

During summer and breaks, students may be eligible for additional hours, based on the approval of their supervisor. 

Students enrolled in the intensive English program are not eligible to work on campus. 

The Office of Career Services posts available student worker positions on REDHAWKjobs.com

Additional information concerning student employment can be found in the Student Employment Handbook

On Campus Job

For approval, the student must complete at least 18 graduate credit hours (excluding CS 500 & CS 503).

Company and Job Criteria

Companies will be verified using the following sources (they must be listed in both):

a. buzzfile

b. e-verify
The company has been in business for at least 10 years.
The company has at least 20 employees.
The company has revenue of at least $500,000.00 per year.
Note: Smaller companies in the Cape Girardeau area may be approved if the internship is face-to-face and the company can be verified.
The job description must satisfy the following criteria:

a. The job description must contain specific duties. Generic descriptions will not be accepted. These duties must be clearly stated in the job’s offer letter.

b. The offer letter must indicate if this is a full-time or part-time position.

c. The job duties to be performed must be related to the student’s degree program.

d. The job duties to be performed are of a level expected from master degree seeking students.

e. The beginning and ending date of the job must be clearly stated within the offer letter, and both dates must fall within the semester in which a CPT course is scheduled.

Yes, according to the current SEVIS rule. As they are two different jobs you can do both. please check with the International Education And Services (IES) office for more information.

International Education And Services

Yes. Dropping a semester is not recommended for internatinal students under any emergency, Please contact international office for approval regarding your I-20.

International Education And Services

To receive quick responses when you send an email to the academic advisor or administrative assistant CSgradprograms@semo.edu, always send us your Student SEMO ID and copy of your DegreeWorks so that lookup becomes faster. Please allow us 24-48 hours for responding to your email.

DISCLAIMER: This webpage is maintained by Computer Science department for informational purposes only. No commercial purposes intended. If you find an error, please contact CSgradprograms@semo.edu.