List of valid degrees under the US OPT program for F-1 students

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A modification to the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program was announced in April 2008, extending the period of the program from 12 to 29 months for qualified international students in the US under an F-1 visa. The OPT program allows F-1 visa students to work in the US in occupations related to their field of study.

F-1 visa holders are eligible for the 17-month extension if they hold a degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM). They must also be employed by a business enrolled in the E-Verify program -- a computerized system which allows employers to quickly check a foreigner's status to work in the US.

One of the highlights of the rule is how it resolves a situation that some F-1 visa students faced who successfully applied for an H-1B visa. Previously, if some F-1 visa students were granted approval for an H-1B visa, their F-1 visa validity would end before they could begin employment under H-1B. As a result, the they would be required to leave the US until they were allowed to enter the US under the H-1B visa.

Under the new rule to the OPT program, F-1 students who have pending H-1B petitions have their period of work authorization automatically extended from 12 to 29 months if they are in a STEM degree program listed below and thus not have to leave the US:

STEM Degree Programs
Effective date: April 8, 2008; Updated April 18, 2008
FamilyCIP CODECIP Title
1111.0101Computer and Information Sciences, General.
1111.0102Artificial Intelligence and Robotics.
1111.0103Information Technology.
1111.0201Computer Programming/Programmer, General.
1111.0202Computer Programming, Specific Applications.
1111.0203Computer Programming, Vendor/Product Certification.
1111.0301Data Processing and Data Processing Technology/Technician.
1111.0401Information Science/Studies.
1111.0501Computer Systems Analysis/Analyst.
1111.0701Computer Science.
1111.0801Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design.
1111.0802Data Modeling/Warehousing and Database Administration.
1111.0803Computer Graphics.
1111.0901Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications.
1111.1001System Administration/Administrator.
1111.1002System, Networking, and LAN/WAN Management/Manager.
1111.1003Computer and Information Systems Security.
1111.1004Web/Multimedia Management and Webmaster.
1414.0101Engineering, General.
1414.0201Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering.
1414.0301Agricultural/Biological Engineering and Bioengineering.
1414.0401Architectural Engineering.
1414.0501Biomedical/Medical Engineering.
1414.0601Ceramic Sciences and Engineering.
1414.0801Civil Engineering, General.
1414.0802Geotechnical Engineering.
1414.0803Structural Engineering.
1414.0804Transportation and Highway Engineering.
1414.0805Water Resources Engineering.
1414.0901Computer Engineering, General.
1414.0902Computer Hardware Engineering.
1414.0903Computer Software Engineering.
1414.1001Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering.
1414.1101Engineering Mechanics.
1414.1201Engineering Physics.
1414.1301Engineering Science.
1414.1401Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering.
1414.1801Materials Engineering.
1414.1901Mechanical Engineering.
1414.2001Metallurgical Engineering.
1414.2101Mining and Mineral Engineering.
1414.2201Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.
1414.2301Nuclear Engineering.
1414.2401Ocean Engineering.
1414.2501Petroleum Engineering.
1414.2701Systems Engineering.
1414.2801Textile Sciences and Engineering.
1414.3101Materials Science.
1414.3201Polymer/Plastics Engineering.
1414.3301Construction Engineering.
1414.3401Forest Engineering.
1414.3501Industrial Engineering.
1414.3601Manufacturing Engineering.
1414.3701Operations Research.
1414.3801Surveying Engineering.
1414.3901Geological/Geophysical Engineering.
1515.0000Engineering Technology, General.
1515.0101Architectural Engineering Technology/Technician.
1515.0201Civil Engineering Technology/Technician.
1515.0303Electrical, Electronic and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician.
1515.0304Laser and Optical Technology/Technician.
1515.0305Telecommunications Technology/Technician.
1515.0401Biomedical Technology/Technician.
1515.0403Electromechanical Technology/Electromechanical Engineering Technology.
1515.0404Instrumentation Technology/Technician.
1515.0405Robotics Technology/Technician.
1515.0501Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology/Technician (ACH/ACR/ACHR/HRAC/HVAC/AC Technology).
1515.0503Energy Management and Systems Technology/Technician.
1515.0505Solar Energy Technology/Technician.
1515.0506Water Quality and Wastewater Treatment Management and Recycling Technology/Technician.
1515.0507Environmental Engineering Technology/Environmental Technology.
1515.0508Hazardous Materials Management and Waste Technology/Technician.
1515.0607Plastics Engineering Technology/Technician.
1515.0611Metallurgical Technology/Technician.
1515.0612Industrial Technology/Technician.
1515.0613Manufacturing Technology/Technician.
1515.0701Occupational Safety and Health Technology/Technician.
1515.0702Quality Control Technology/Technician.
1515.0703Industrial Safety Technology/Technician.
1515.0704Hazardous Materials Information Systems Technology/Technician.
1515.0801Aeronautical/Aerospace Engineering Technology/Technician.
1515.0803Automotive Engineering Technology/Technician.
1515.0805Mechanical Engineering/Mechanical Technology/Technician.
1515.0901Mining Technology/Technician.
1515.0903Petroleum Technology/Technician.
1515.1001Construction Engineering Technology/Technician.
1515.1102Surveying Technology/Surveying.
1515.1103Hydraulics and Fluid Power Technology/Technician.
1515.1201Computer Engineering Technology/Technician.
1515.1202Computer Technology/Computer Systems Technology.
1515.1203Computer Hardware Technology/Technician.
1515.1204Computer Software Technology/Technician.
1515.1301Drafting and Design Technology/Technician, General.
1515.1302CAD/CADD Drafting and/or Design Technology/Technician.
1515.1303Architectural Drafting and Architectural CAD/CADD.
1515.1304Civil Drafting and Civil Engineering CAD/CADD.
1515.1305Electrical/Electronics Drafting and Electrical/Electronics CAD/CADD.
1515.1306Mechanical Drafting and Mechanical Drafting CAD/CADD.
1515.1401Nuclear Engineering Technology/Technician.
1515.1501Engineering/Industrial Management.
2626.0101Biology/Biological Sciences, General.
2626.0102Biomedical Sciences, General.
2626.0202Biochemistry.
2626.0203Biophysics.
2626.0204Molecular Biology.
2626.0205Molecular Biochemistry.
2626.0206Molecular Biophysics.
2626.0207Structural Biology.
2626.0208Photobiology.
2626.0209Radiation Biology/Radiobiology.
2626.0210Biochemistry/Biophysics and Molecular Biology.
2626.0301Botany/Plant Biology.
2626.0305Plant Pathology/Phytopathology.
2626.0307Plant Physiology.
2626.0308Plant Molecular Biology.
2626.0401Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology.
2626.0403Anatomy.
2626.0404Developmental Biology and Embryology.
2626.0405Neuroanatomy.
2626.0406Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology.
2626.0407Cell Biology and Anatomy.
2626.0502Microbiology, General.
2626.0503Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology.
2626.0504Virology.
2626.0505Parasitology.
2626.0506Mycology.
2626.0507Immunology.
2626.0701Zoology/Animal Biology.
2626.0702Entomology.
2626.0707Animal Physiology.
2626.0708Animal Behavior and Ethology.
2626.0709Wildlife Biology.
2626.0801Genetics, General.
2626.0802Molecular Genetics.
2626.0803Microbial and Eukaryotic Genetics.
2626.0804Animal Genetics.
2626.0805Plant Genetics.
2626.0806Human/Medical Genetics.
2626.0901Physiology, General.
2626.0902Molecular Physiology.
2626.0903Cell Physiology.
2626.0904Endocrinology.
2626.0905Reproductive Biology.
2626.0906Neurobiology and Neurophysiology.
2626.0907Cardiovascular Science.
2626.0908Exercise Physiology.
2626.0909Vision Science/Physiological Optics.
2626.0910Pathology/Experimental Pathology.
2626.0911Oncology and Cancer Biology.
2626.1001Pharmacology.
2626.1002Molecular Pharmacology.
2626.1003Neuropharmacology.
2626.1004Toxicology.
2626.1005Molecular Toxicology.
2626.1006Environmental Toxicology.
2626.1007Pharmacology and Toxicology.
2626.1101Biometry/Biometrics.
2626.1102Biostatistics.
2626.1103Bioinformatics.
2626.1201Biotechnology.
2626.1301Ecology.
2626.1302Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography.
2626.1303Evolutionary Biology.
2626.1304Aquatic Biology/Limnology.
2626.1305Environmental Biology.
2626.1306Population Biology.
2626.1307Conservation Biology.
2626.1308Systematic Biology/Biological Systematics.
2626.1309Epidemiology.
2727.0101Mathematics, General.
2727.0102Algebra and Number Theory.
2727.0103Analysis and Functional Analysis.
2727.0104Geometry/Geometric Analysis.
2727.0105Topology and Foundations.
2727.0301Applied Mathematics.
2727.0303Computational Mathematics.
2727.0501Statistics, General.
2727.0502Mathematical Statistics and Probability.
2929.0101Military Technologies.
4040.0101Physical Sciences.
4040.0201Astronomy.
4040.0202Astrophysics.
4040.0203Planetary Astronomy and Science.
4040.0401Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, General.
4040.0402Atmospheric Chemistry and Climatology.
4040.0403Atmospheric Physics and Dynamics.
4040.0404Meteorology.
4040.0501Chemistry, General.
4040.0502Analytical Chemistry.
4040.0503Inorganic Chemistry.
4040.0504Organic Chemistry.
4040.0506Physical and Theoretical Chemistry.
4040.0507Polymer Chemistry.
4040.0508Chemical Physics.
4040.0601Geology/Earth Science, General.
4040.0602Geochemistry.
4040.0603Geophysics and Seismology.
4040.0604Paleontology.
4040.0605Hydrology and Water Resources Science.
4040.0606Geochemistry and Petrology.
4040.0607Oceanography, Chemical and Physical.
4040.0801Physics, General.
4040.0802Atomic/Molecular Physics.
4040.0804Elementary Particle Physics.
4040.0805Plasma and High-Temperature Physics.
4040.0806Nuclear Physics.
4040.0807Optics/Optical Sciences.
4040.0808Solid State and Low-Temperature Physics.
4040.0809Acoustics.
4040.0810Theoretical and Mathematical Physics.
4141.0101Biology Technician/Biotechnology Laboratory Technician.
4141.0204Industrial Radiologic Technology/Technician.
4141.0205Nuclear/Nuclear Power Technology/Technician.
4141.0301Chemical Technology/Technician.
5151.0101Chiropractic (DC).
5252.1304Actuarial Science.