The University of Mississippi's Office of International Programs would need to give the permission. Those in J-2 status can apply for work authorization through INS, which may take 90 days to process. Students in F-2 or B status have no work authorization and therefore cannot accept assistantships. It may be possible to change their status to one that would allow work authorization, but this can take time. A change of status application can take eight months to be processed by INS and work cannot begin until the change is formally approved.
Some graduate programs accommodate opportunities for off-campus internships.
To be eligible for CPT it is necessary for the academic advisor of the international student to be able to stipulate that the training is designed to enhance the student's overall educational experience, that the advisor will provide a degree of remote supervision of this training experience, and that the training is a course requirement or is required for completion of the degree. Training may be for up to 40 hours per week. While there is no limit to the amount of time spent on CPT, it is important for the student to understand that time spent on a full-time CPT internship will be deducted from the 12 months of Optional Practical Training time that many international graduate students try to reserve for the period just after they complete their degrees. Training that is for 20 hours a week or less is considered part time and requires concurrent course work in order to maintain full-time status. See the Appendix for a form to be used for setting up a Curricular Practical Training experience for a student.