Annual Vacation Eligibility for MBA/MSCS and DBA Students Engaged in CPT
F-1 visa students at Sofia University are eligible for one Annual Vacation quarter per calendar year after they have successfully completed the equivalent of one academic year. One academic year is defined as three full-time quarters, and the student must also earn the minimum credits required during those three quarters. The student’s first annual vacation would depend on which quarter they commenced their program (for example if you start in Winter, your first opportunity to take an annual vacation will be in Fall).
Eligible students must submit their annual vacation request by completing the online Annual Vacation Request Form during the application window. The student must satisfy the following requirements to be approved for an annual vacation
Complete three consecutive full-time quarters prior to the vacation quarter
Students must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (“SAP”) to be approved for a vacation quarter. A student is not maintaining SAP if a student has a CGPA that is below 3.0 and/or they have received a non- passing grade for any previously attempted courses. Students not maintaining SAP will not be eligible for a vacation quarter. They will be required to repeat the necessary course/s at the earliest available opportunity and increase their CGPA before they can be approved for a vacation term.
Intend to register full-time following the vacation quarter (unless the student qualifies for a different part-time exception, such as for medical reasons, final quarter, etc.)
Students should not be scheduled to be in their final quarter.
Students who are eligible and participating in the Work Integrated Learning course or Business Integration Practicum during their vacation quarter must submit a CPT application and receive approval.
Students who are not enrolling in any courses during the vacation term must sign a Leave of Absence form with the Office of the Registrar.
MBA/MSCS Students: MBA and MSCS students who meet the Annual Vacation criteria may apply for CPT authorization during vacation; they must be enrolled in the WIL course and may participate in the WIL course during Annual Vacation if they are in the US. The SEVIS record will remain active while on an authorized Annual Vacation.
DBA Students: Please note the following about CPT: DBA students who meet the Annual Vacation criteria must participate in the BIP course each quarter.