OPT for Thesis/Dissertation Students
TA/RA/GA: If you apply for Post Completion OPT based on completion of your dissertation requirements, and that date is prior to the end date of your graduating semester, you will not be able to continue your assistantship appointment. You will be asked to reimburse UTD for the tuition and student health insurance for that term. Your assistantship will not cover your tuition if you do not remain employed for the full term.
Optional Practical Training is a possible benefit for F-1 students, which grants temporary authorization to work in the U.S. to gain additional training related to their program of study. Most F-1 students apply for Post-Completion Optional Practical training after graduation. However, students who are completing a thesis or dissertation as a part of their program of study have a few additional options.
The ISSO is here to support your immigration needs around completing your program of study and applying for OPT. For academic support, please work with the Office of Graduate Education.
Pre-completion vs Post-completion
There are two types of OPT – pre-completion and post-completion. They each have their own limitations and requirements. When deciding to apply for OPT, your first step is to decide if you want to use pre-completion or post-completion OPT.
| Pre-Completion OPT | Post-Completion OPT |
|---|---|
| Part-time or full-time employment | Full-time employment |
| No unemployment limit | Limit of 90 days unemployment for full period of OPT |
| Not eligible for STEM extension | Eligible for STEM extension if meets degree and E-verify requirements |
| Not eligible for H-1B cap-gap relief | Eligible for H-1B cap-gap relief |
| I-20 may be extended if meets standard extension requirements. | I-20 cannot be extended, must complete program requirements by end of OPT. |
| Continued enrollment in thesis/dissertation courses required. | Continued enrollment in thesis/dissertation courses required. |
| Total of one year of OPT per educational level | Total of one year of OPT per educational level |
| Visit Pre-Completion OPT to learn how to apply. | Visit Post-Completion OPT to learn how to apply. |
Options for Post-Completion OPT
Thesis/dissertation students who want to use Post-Completion OPT have additional options, including the option to begin Post-Completion OPT earlier than non-thesis/dissertation students.
Start OPT before date of your final oral examination
The F-1 regulations allow students to apply for Post-Completion OPT if they have finished all of the coursework for their degree and only have the thesis/dissertation remaining. If using this option, you will select an OPT start date prior to the date of your final oral examination.
Start OPT after date of your final oral examination
The standard “program completion date” is the semester’s degree conferral date as listed in the Academic Calendar.
Instead of the standard program completion date, thesis/dissertation students may choose to use the date of your final oral examination as their program end date. This may be beneficial if you want to complete your final oral examination before beginning OPT, but you don’t want to wait until the end of the semester to begin working on OPT.
Start OPT after standard program end date
You can also follow the standard process for Post-Completion OPT. This would mean applying for graduation in your final semester, enrolling for the entire semester, and choosing an OPT start date after the degree conferral date.
| Start OPT before date of your final oral examination | Start OPT after date of your final oral examination | Start OPT after standard program end date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Program end date | Your program end date will be day before requested start date. | Your program end date will be the date of your final oral examination. | Your program end date will be the standard program end date. |
| On-campus work authorization | On-campus work (including TA/RA) must end before requested OPT start date. | On-campus work (including TA/RA) must end by the date of final oral examination, which will be the new program end date listed on your I-20. | On-campus work (including TA/RA) must end by the standard program completion date. |
| Enrollment requirements | Continued enrollment in thesis/dissertation courses required. | If completing final oral examination prior to Census Day, enrollment not required. If completing final oral examination after Census Day, enrollment in thesis/dissertation courses required. | No enrollment requirements after you have completed your degree, including thesis/dissertation. |
| Eligibility requirements | Must have finished all coursework. | Date of final oral examination must be set. | You must apply for graduation in your final semester. You cannot use priority deadlines. |
| Start date | Start date can be any day after the degree conferral date of the semester in which you finished your required coursework (only thesis/ dissertation requirements remaining), but before the date of Final Oral Examination. | Start date must be within 60 days after the date of final oral examination. | Start date must be within 60 days after the standard program completion date. |
| How to apply | Your academic department must fill out an OPT Recommendation form, which you will submit with your Post-Completion OPT application in iComet. | Your academic department must fill out an OPT Recommendation form, which you will submit with your Post-Completion OPT application in iComet. | Your academic department does not need to provide any documentation for the ISSO. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I have applied for post-completion OPT based on my final oral examination date, and then my final oral examination date is moved to a later date?
That is okay. If you are completing a program of study that has a thesis or dissertation requirement, then you are allowed to apply for post-completion OPT at any time after completion of your coursework requirements. Keep in mind, you must complete all of your program requirements before the end of your OPT period.
You do not need to update your OPT I-20 or submit an update to USCIS.
