Berklee attracts students from around the world. Many highly qualified international students seek internships to gain valuable professional skills and learn about working in the United States. We work regularly with employers to host international students as interns.
Eligible international students are able to intern during any academic semester throughout the school year as long as they have valid work authorization on page 2 of their Certificate of F1 Student Eligibility, known as a Form I-20, prior to their first day working as an intern.
Most international students who seek internships will be authorized for curricular practical training (CPT). CPT authorization is site-specific and requires the internship supervisor to provide basic information via a webform, which is sent directly from the Career Center.
Any international student who is a recent graduate and is registering for an internship course for credit will be eligible to intern under their optional practical training (OPT). OPT does not require supervisor verification ahead of time, but an intern must not begin prior to the start date listed on the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
International students on CPT or OPT are eligible for payment as long as they have a social security number or an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN). It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure the intern has authorization prior to beginning an internship/employment.