US Designates 8 New STEM Fields: Developmental Psychology, Landscape Architecture, and More Make the Cut

发布时间：Date: 2023-07-20 返回新鲜资讯Back to News

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have jointly announced the addition of 8 new STEM fields, including landscape architecture, developmental psychology, and linguistics combined with computer science. This move follows last year's expansion that incorporated data science and certain social sciences into STEM, further broadening the definition. For international students, more previously non-STEM majors may now gain STEM certification, allowing them to benefit from extended post-graduation work authorization in the U.S. The key advantage is that STEM graduates can apply for 12 months of initial OPT plus a 24-month extension, totaling 36 months of work experience, while non-STEM majors only receive one year of OPT and face tougher H-1B lottery pressure. The new policy gives universities greater flexibility to designate more programs as STEM, a significant boon for students planning to work in the U.S. after graduation. CheersYou（清柚教育） will continue to monitor implementation at individual institutions and provide timely updates.

U.S. ICE and DHS have jointly announced the addition of 8 new STEM fields!

The details are as follows:

- Landscape Architecture
- Institutional Research
- Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering Technology/Technician
- Composite Materials Technology/Technician
- Linguistics and Computer Science
- Developmental and Adolescent Psychology
- Geospatial Intelligence
- Demography and Population Studies

Last year, the U.S. government added 22 new STEM fields, including popular majors like data science, data analytics, and financial analysis, as well as traditionally liberal arts fields such as social sciences.

U.S. universities typically designate individual programs as STEM within the approved categories, entitling graduates to three years of OPT (12+24 months).

Non-STEM students, on the other hand, only qualify for one year of OPT and must leave the U.S. if they fail to secure an H-1B visa during that period.

This policy gives universities greater leeway, and more programs will likely apply for STEM designation—great news for international students aiming to work in the U.S. post-graduation.

The specifics depend on each university's implementation. CheersYou（清柚教育） will continue to bring you the latest updates~