FAQ / What are the eligible STEM degrees?

* To be eligible for the 17-month OPT extension, a student must have received a degree included in the STEM Designated Degree Program List. This list sets forth eligible courses of study according to Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes developed by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
* The STEM Designated Degree Program List includes the following courses of study:

o Computer Science Applications


o Biological and Biomedical Sciences

o Actuarial Science


o Mathematics and Statistics

o Engineering


o Military Technologies

o Engineering Technologies


o Physical Sciences

o Science Technologies


o Medical Scientist

* The STEM degree list is included in the preamble to the interim final rule and will be posted on the ICE website.
* Note that to be eligible for an OPT extension the student must currently be in an approved post-completion OPT period based on a designated STEM degree. Thus, for example, a student with an undergraduate degree in a designated STEM field, but currently in OPT based on a subsequent MBA degree, would not be eligible for an OPT extension.


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