In January 2022, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule updating the STEM Designated Degree Program List. This list is critically important as it is a complete list of fields of study that DHS considers to be science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) fields of study for purposes of the 24-month STEM optional practical training (OPT) extension.
New STEM Designated Degree Program List [1]
1. Bioenergy (03.0210) 2. Forestry, General (03.0501) 3. Forest Resources Production and Management (03.0510) 4. Human-Centered Technology Design (11.0105) 5. Cloud Computing (11.0902) 6. Anthrozoology (30.3401) 7. Climate Science (30.3501) 8. Earth Systems Science (30.3801) 9. Economics and Computer Science (30.3901) 10. Environmental Geosciences (30.4101) 11. Geobiology (30.4301) 12. Geography and Environmental Studies (30.4401) 13. Mathematical Economics (30.4901) 14. Mathematics and Atmospheric/Oceanic Science (30.5001) 15. Data Science, General (30.7001) 16. Data Analytics, General (30.7101) 17. Business Analytics (30.7102) 18. Data Visualization (30.7103) 19. Financial Analytics (30.7104) 20. Data Analytics, Other (30.7199) 21. Industrial and Organizational Psychology (42.2804) 22. Social Sciences, Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods (45.0102)
STEM OPT Extension Qualifications
To qualify for a 24-month STEM OPT extension, an F-1 student participating in an initial period of regular post-completion OPT must:
Have a degree in an eligible STEM field from a Student and Exchange Visitor Program-certified school that is accredited when the student submits their STEM OPT extension application to USCIS (see list above or link).
Pursue their STEM OPT extension through an employer that is enrolled in USCIS's E-Verify employment eligibility verification program.
Select a STEM OPT employer that provides the student with formal training and learning objectives.
Work a minimum of 20 hours per week per employer.
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