CPT Fieldwork Option

*Note: Requirements are current as of Spring 2025.

The MARSEA program offers a course called EARS GR5555: Fieldwork in Modern Asia-Pacific Studies. This course provides an opportunity for students to engage in off-campus internships for academic credit that will count towards their degree. 

Students who have secured internships are eligible to apply for CPT (Curricular Practical Training). As such, EARS GR5555 provides an excellent opportunity for international students, such as those on F-1 visas, to participate in these internships while continuing to work towards their degree. More detailed information on employment requirements can be found here, on the ISSO website.

General requirements for EARS GR5555 include, but are not limited to:

• Open only to MARSEA students, and only with prior written approval of the program director or academic director.
• Completion of both semesters of the MARSEA Core Seminar. This course is not open to first-year students.

IMPORTANT: Students who have completed all requirements for the MARSEA degree may not take EARS GR5555. Because this course is an elective, this means you must not have taken an elective in your first year, because only one elective is required for the degree. If you are interested in doing an internship in your second year, plan accordingly!

If you are interested in doing an internship through EARS GR5555, please email Chris Li, the Student Affairs Officer, at [email protected].

Additional information for EARS GR5555 is listed below:

• The course is taken for a letter grade only, counting as 1 credit. May not be taken Pass/Fail or for R credit.
• Students may only take the course once, and only if they have not already taken an elective.
• The student is responsible for securing an appropriate internship, and should expect to write a report to submit to the MARSEA program upon completion of the internship, which will serve as the basis for grading.
• Unpaid internships cannot be approved for the course.