Choosing a STEM-Designated Major for OPT Eligibility Before You Enroll

Why the CIP code matters more than the major name

Every degree program in the US carries a Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code, a six-digit number the Department of Education uses to categorize academic programs. Your school assigns this code when it registers the program, and it decides whether you qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension after your first year of standard Optional Practical Training. Two programs called Data Science at two different universities can carry different CIP codes if one classifies the program as statistics-heavy and the other as a general business analytics track. Read your program title on your official transcript or I-20, then confirm its CIP code with your school, because you cannot tell from the major name alone.

How to check the official list

The Department of Homeland Security publishes the STEM Designated Degree Program List through ICE's Student and Exchange Visitor Program. The list was last updated in July 2024, when DHS added Environmental and Natural Resource Economics under CIP code 03.0204. Search the PDF for your program's exact six-digit CIP code, not just the general category. Study in the States , the DHS resource hub for international students, explains how the list works and how schools nominate new codes for addition.

What the list currently covers

The list groups codes into four main two-digit CIP series plus additional related six-digit codes: Engineering, Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics, and Physical Sciences, along with select codes in computer science, engineering technology, and a handful of interdisciplinary fields like econometrics and cognitive science. A program can sit outside these broad categories and still make the list if its specific six-digit code appears there, so search by code, not by category name.

Ask your school these questions before you enroll

• What CIP code will my transcript and SEVIS record show for this exact program?

• Is that code currently on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List?

• If the code is not listed, has the department applied to add it, and what is the expected timeline?

• Does a dual-degree or interdisciplinary program get one combined CIP code or two separate codes?

If your program is not on the list

You still qualify for the standard 12-month OPT period regardless of your CIP code. You lose access only to the additional 24-month STEM extension. Some students switch into a STEM-coded minor, certificate, or second major to gain eligibility, though this depends on your school's rules for combining CIP codes on one SEVIS record. Talk to your international student office early, since changing your program of record later in your studies takes time to process.

Why this matters for your career plan

The STEM OPT extension gives you up to 36 months of work authorization after graduation instead of 12, which matters most if you are counting on multiple entries into the H-1B lottery while employed on OPT. Confirm your CIP code before you commit to a program, not after you arrive, since changing majors later can mean losing STEM eligibility or restarting parts of your OPT clock.

Two ways schools list the same program differently

Some universities register a single graduate program under one CIP code for the whole cohort. Others let you select a concentration or track within one program, then assign different CIP codes to different tracks, which means classmates finishing what looks like the same degree can end up with different STEM OPT outcomes. Ask specifically whether your concentration or track changes your assigned CIP code, not just your overall program name.

What happens if you change majors or add a second major

Switching majors after your first term generally means your school updates your SEVIS record with a new CIP code, which can change your STEM OPT eligibility along with it. If you are adding a second major or a formal minor, ask whether your school records one primary CIP code for OPT purposes or considers both, since practice varies and international offices apply their own internal rules within DHS guidance. Get this in writing from your international student advisor rather than relying on general program descriptions.

Where to find your CIP code on your own paperwork

Your Form I-20 lists your program of study and, on many versions issued by DHS-compliant schools, the associated CIP code directly. If you cannot locate it there, your registrar's office or your school's Student and Exchange Visitor Information System coordinator can confirm the exact code tied to your enrollment. Keep a copy of this confirmation, since you will need to show it again when you apply for the STEM OPT extension itself, alongside your employer's completed Form I-983 training plan.

Questions to ask before you accept an offer

• Can the admissions or international office confirm the exact CIP code in writing before I enroll, not just describe the program as STEM in marketing materials?

• Has this program's CIP code changed in recent years, and if so, does that affect students who enrolled under the earlier code?

• If I later add a certificate or second major, will the school combine CIP codes or keep my original code for OPT purposes?