GW SEAS Praxis (Graduate)

Professional Praxis encourages students to make the most of their off-campus career-related internship opportunities through self-reflection and analysis of their professional growth. It serves as the “appropriate curricular course” for international students who need “proof of enrollment” to apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT). Students on an F-1 visa must be approved for CPT before they can begin working at an internship.

Step-by-Step SEAS GRAD Request for Enrollment in Praxis

(sometimes called Proof of Enrollment)

  1. Are you a SEAS Graduate Student? If so, proceed. If not, please contact your ccsproprax@gwu.edu.
  2. Receive a job offer. Have a dance party.
  3. Confirm the name of your supervisor. If unknown, ask HR or a recruiter who to list so we can create a letter.
  4. Check your student account for holds. Rectify any holds on your account before moving further. Academic holds disable the ability to register.
  5. Determine the semester(s) that your internship starts (and ends) using the university academic calendar. Write it down as you will need it soon. If your internship spans multiple semesters you will need to do this more than once.
  6. For this step AND THIS STEP ONLY:
    • Obtain the correct Course Registration Number(s) (CRN), Section Number(s), and Final Packet Due Date(s) for the semester your internship starts by visiting the University’s Career Services page under ‘Important Deadlines’. The Final Packet deadline precedes the academic calendar to issue your grade on time (similar to how professors use finals). 
    • Put the Final Packet deadline(s) on your google calendar. (Reinstated March 2023). Only you (not your employer) will complete it.
    • If your internship spans more than 1 semester according to the university’s academic calendar, you MUST submit another Request for Enrollment.
    • For example, if you have an internship from Spring-Fall, you must apply for Spring, Summer Session I, AND Summer Session II. There are 4 semesters when it comes to Praxis/CPT.
      1. Fall (your student application for the semester should be between the first day of the semester and the last day of the same semester, according to the university’s academic calendar.)
      2. Winter/Spring (see Fall for an example)
      3. Summer I (see Fall for an example)
      4. Summer II (see Fall for an example)
    • ** Leave this page as it’s only used to honor university deadlines. **
  7. Submit a Student Application to receive the Request for Enrollment Letter (formerly Proof of Enrollment).
  8. Wait patiently for review.
  9. Receive your Request for Enrollment Letter (formerly Proof of Enrollment). A copy of your exact responses will be sent to:
    • You
    • ISO
    • Registrar
    • Your Employer
  10. Upload the Request for Enrollment Letter to the ISO Gateway. If your internship is more than one semester (according to the university calendar) you will need to submit an application AND upload it to the ISO Gateway to ensure it does not conflict with your status.
  11. Remember to Submit your Final Packet(s)/Survey on the deadline you wrote down earlier. Your employer DOES NOT have to submit a final packet.

This process is specific to SEAS GRADUATE students only. Other programs must use the longer Student Application & Final Packet (including Student and Employer portions) as requested by the Center for Career Services (or your designated school). 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Before You Apply

    NO HOLDS: Ensure that you do not have ANY holds on your academic records. Visit GWeb to check your status or email the Registrar’s Office. Due to privacy, we do not have access to your student financial records.

    QUALIFYING JOBS : Your job must qualify. If you are unsure, contact the ISO.

    VISA STATUS: Questions about your visa status must be directed to the ISO as we do not have access to the system. 

  • Applying

    DEADLINES: Requested internship dates MUST be within the current semester. Requests that span more than one semester will not be accepted. Deadlines are at the discretion of GW Center for Career Services. Students will receive transcript documentation in the form of a 0-credit, pass/no pass course for each semester they participate in the Praxis program. Students are required to complete and submit all documentation by the appropriate deadlines in order to receive a passing mark. Once grades are submitted to the registrar they cannot be changed.

    EXPEDITED APPLICATIONS: Unfortunately, we cannot due to an increase in student applications (and understaffing). 

    WHEN CAN I EXPECT TO RECEIVE MY PROOF OF ENROLLMENT LETTER? Typically 7 FULL business days (EST). Business days are generally defined as 9am-5pm. No exceptions are possible at this time due to limited staffing.

  • End of the Semester & Grading

    Where is the old Employer Agreement portion? We eliminated it in October 2022 to improve student services and turnaround time. 

    Do I still need to complete a final packet?  As of March 14, 2023 Final Packets for SEAS Graduate students changed format to improve processing time. The new Final Packet survey can be found here.

    Can I extend my Praxis/internship? Extending an existing Praxis letter past the current semester requires another application.

    My Internship Never Started, What do I do?: Students may only drop the Professional Praxis course if they never received CPT authorization and/or did not participate in an internship for any length of time. If these criteria are met, you may send an email to gwseaspraxis@gwu.edu requesting to be dropped from the course.

  • Can I extend my internship for another semester?

    The Praxis course must be applied for one semester at a time. If your internship will span multiple semesters you must submit a new application each semester. Please review the updated application process above. If your employer extends the internship within the same semester, please complete another student application with the UPDATED offer letter (including extended dates).

  • Eligibility

    To apply for CPT you must meet the eligibility requirements and submit the SEAS Graduate Student Proof of Enrollment Letter, issued by our office, to the ISO Gateway. If you have any questions about CPT and your eligibility, please email iso@gwu.edu or schedule an appointment with your ISO Advisor.

      • A proposal letter from you
      • An offer letter from the employer
      • A letter from your academic advisor
      • Proof of enrollment
      • A photocopy of your I-94
The SEAS Career Center processes and approves Professional Praxis for SEAS graduate students only. Undergraduate students should visit the Professional Praxis page from the GW Center for Career Services or contact ccsproprax@gwu.edu.