New York's University of Rochester Simon Business School has received STEM designation for its MBA program, according to a news release from the school.
The new STEM designation applies to all of the Simon School's MBA specializations. Students can select from a range of MBA specializations, including Banking, Brand Management, Pricing, and Asset Management, among others.
STEM designation refers to the recognition by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that a degree program will help boost graduates' skills in the 'STEM' fields: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Graduates in the STEM fields are sought after by many US companies.
What this means practically for international students who complete a STEM-designated MBA program is that they'll get extra time to work in the US after graduation. In fact, when they apply for their optional practical training (OPT) visa, they'll automatically receive an additional 24 months on top of the normal 12 months, so that they'll be able to stay in the US for up to three years after their MBA. This can be especially useful for international students whose backgrounds are in one of the STEM fields—such as engineering—but who want to transition to a management job in the US.
The Simon School joins a growing list of business schools that are offering STEM-designated MBA programs and other business master's degrees. Earlier this month, the Massachusets-based Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Foisie Business School also announced that its MBA program is now STEM-designated.
For more information, please see the Simon School's news release announcing the STEM designation for its MBA program.
Image: Entrance to the graduate school of business administration at the River Campus of the University of Rochester, in Rochester, New York by Tomwsulcer (Public Domain)
