On January 21, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the addition of 22 fields to the STEM Designated Degree Program List. Students whose degree falls under these degree programs are eligible to apply for a 24-month extension of Optional Practice Training (OPT), which allows international students to gain hands-on practical work experience that is directly related to their area of study.
Additional qualifying fields of study:
- Anthrozoology
- Bioenergy
- Business Analytics
- Climate Science
- Cloud Computing
- Data Analytics, General
- Data Analytics, Other
- Data Science, General
- Data Visualization
- Earth Systems Science
- Economics and Computer Science
- Environmental Geosciences
- Financial Analytics
- Forest Resources Production and Management
- Forestry, General
- Geobiology
- Geography and Environmental Studies
- Human-Centered Technology Design
- Industrial and Organizational Psychology
- Mathematical Economics
- Mathematics and Atmospheric/Oceanic Science
- Social Sciences, Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods
View the full list of STEM-designated degree programs and visit studyinthestates.dhs.gov for additional information.