The STEM-designated degree program list of undergraduate and graduate degree programs is determined by the United States Department of Homeland Security. F-1 students can apply for a 24-month OPT extension if they:
- Receive a degree designated as STEM by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
- Are employed by employers enrolled in the E-Verify system.
- Have received an initial approval of Post-Completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) employment authorization related to such a degree.
Find UWM’s STEM-designated degree program list below (note that this list may change at any time). The application can be received by USCIS up to 90 days prior to the current OPT end date and MUST BE received before the end date of current OPT.
UWM’s STEM-Designated Degree Program List
- All BS, MS, and PhD programs (including Computer Science) in the College of Engineering and Applied Science
- Actuarial Science BA
- Applied Mathematics & Computer Science BS
- Atmospheric Science BS, MS and PhD
- Biochemistry BS
- Biological Sciences BS, MS and PhD
- Biomedical Sciences BS and MS
- Biostatistics MS
- Chemistry BS, MS and PhD
- Conservation & Environmental Science BS
- Data Analytics BS
- Data Science BS
- Data Science MS
- Economics MA and PhD
- Epidemiology PhD
- Freshwater Sciences & Technology MS – Professional Science Track
- Freshwater Sciences & Technology MS – Thesis Track
- Freshwater Sciences BS
- Freshwater Sciences PhD
- Geosciences BS, MS and PhD
- Healthcare Informatics MS
- Information Science & Technology BS and MS
- Information Studies PhD
- Information Technology Management MS
- Management MS *for students entering Fall 2021 or after*
- Management Science PhD
- Master of Architecture (M.Arch)
- Master of Urban Design (MUD)
- Mathematics BS, MS and PhD
- MBA and Executive MBA *for students entering Fall 2021 or after*
- Microbiology BS
- Neuroscience BS
- Nutritional Sciences BS
- Physics BS, MS and PhD
If you are pursuing a STEM-designated degree at UWM, it is extremely important that you meet with a UWM Center for International Education immigration coordinator the semester before you are scheduled to graduate to obtain full information on the OPT application process. Email isss@uwm.edu to make an appointment or call (414) 229-4846.