Top Business Schools in the US Offering STEM-Designated Programs

For MBA aspirants looking to work in the U.S., an H-1B visa is an absolute necessity. However, securing one isn’t easy due to the H-1B cap, which is an annual limitation on the number of visas granted to individual applicants. The cap, which is set at 65,000 annually, makes available only 58,500 to accommodate nationals from Chile and Singapore. The 20,000 additional visas are set aside specifically for graduate students who have earned their master’s degree from certain higher education institutions in the U.S, also known as the ‘masters cap’, bringing the total number of visas issued annually to 85,000.

Optional Practical Training

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has now implemented a new electronic registration system for cap-subject H-1B candidates, where the employer will submit an electronic registration along with a $10 fee for each cap-subject prospective H-1B candidate the company wishes to sponsor. The registration period for H-1B petitions filed for the fiscal year 2021 will run from March 1, 2020 to March 20, 2020.

Students with an F-1 visa can remain in the US for upto 60 days post the completion of their optional practical training without a job. However, a student holding either a:

• Science
• Technology
• Engineering
• Math degree 

can apply for a STEM OPT (Optional Practical Training) extension for an additional 24 months as part of a temporary training that directly relates to the student’s field of study. 

STEM OPT Extension

To qualify for a STEM OPT Extension, a candidate must: 

• Hold an F-1 visa 
• Be currently working on post-completion OPT i.e. post-completion of their degree 
• Hold a bachelor’s degree or higher degree in an eligible STEM field
• Have a job offer from a company which is enrolled in USCIS’ e-verify program

Top Business Schools that Offer STEM Designated Programs

A number of top business schools in the U.S. offer STEM-designated programs, or majors, which would make students eligible to obtain a STEM OPT extension. 

1. The Wharton School’s MBA program offers 18 MBA majors. International students have the option of pursuing 5 majors that are eligible for STEM OPT extension. The eligible majors are: Actuarial Science, Business Analytics, Business Economics & Public Policy, Business Energy Environment & Sustainability, and Operations Information & Decisions,
   
   
2. Stanford GSB – Not applicable at the time of this publication.
   
   
3. Harvard Business School – Not applicable at the time of this publication.
   
   
4. MIT Sloan does not have a STEM-designation within its MBA program. However, it offers a Master in Business Analytics, which qualifies as a STEM-designated degree. The degree serves “the industry’s demand for a skilled pool of graduates who can apply data science to solve business challenges”, and equips graduates for a career in the data science industry. The MBA program in itself isn’t STEM-designated, however.
   
   
5. Chicago Booth offers two concentrations within its MBA program, namely Business Analytics and Analytic Finance. The former helps students gain insight on how to “manipulate, manage, and analyze data sets and models, and how to translate the derived knowledge and insight into business decision-making”, while the latter allows students to get a deeper and precise knowledge of finance theories.
   
   
6. Columbia Business School does not have a STEM-designation within its MBA program. However, it offers a number of Master of Science degrees, including Financial Economics, Accounting and Fundamental Analysis and Marketing Science. The duration of these programs ranges from two semesters to two years, and focuses on areas within finance and quantitative marketing.
   
   
7. Kellogg recently announced a Management Science major within their MBA curriculum as part of their newly STEM-designated program. The major would focus on classes including ‘Social Dynamics’, ‘Network Analysis’ and ‘Making Business Decisions with Big Data’, while preparing students for careers in consulting, technology, finance and entrepreneurship.
   
   
8. Berkeley Haas recently became one of the first business schools to receive a STEM designation for all its three MBA programs (Full time, Evening and weekend, and Executive MBA). The business school has also changed its MBA degree program from “Business Administration and Management, General,” to “Management Science,” which is considered a STEM program.
   
   
9. Yale School of Management has confirmed it is currently seeking STEM visa certification for Optional Practical Training extension from the Department of Homeland Security for this degree.
   
   
10. Duke Fuqua allows students to pursue a second major in Management Science and Technology Management, which allows you to “deepen your expertise in the tools, frameworks, and models that address managerial problems” and prepares you for roles in health, consulting, technology, manufacturing, finance and entrepreneurship.
    
    
11. (Update) Ross School of Business, University of Michigan announced a STEM-designated track for its full time MBA program designed for students interested in pursuing quantitative management and business analytics roles. The STEM-designated track will require the completion of 18 credit hours during the full time MBA, including electives across business disciplines such as accounting, finance, management and organizations, marketing, and technology and operations. 
    
    
12. Tuck School of Business – Not applicable at the time of this publication.
    
    
13. (Update) NYU Stern School of Business announced on 28th January that its two year full-time MBA program is now officially a STEM-designated program, and came into effect on the 2nd January. The business school also confirmed that the designation will cover all students graduating in May 2020 or later, as well as (retroactively) May 2019 graduates who are currently on post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT).
    
    
14. UVA Darden announced a new management degree earlier this year (April 2019) which will be offered on the core curriculum, allowing students to gain a deeper understanding of quantitative and analytical skills and capabilities.
    
    
15. Cornell offers a tech MBA which prepares students for a career in the digital economy. In addition to completing the core MBA courses, students will also allow students to work on and develop tech solutions for real company challenges.
    
    
16. (Update) UNC Kenan-Flagler announced a STEM-designated concentration in Business Analytics and Management Science for full time MBA students. The concentration, which is designed for students interested in developing their analytical skills, will provide a broader perspective of statistical modeling, data management and data visualization. The concentration will also prepare students for roles in industries including (but not restricted to) energy, retailing, consumer packaged goods, fintech, biotechnology and healthcare.

Besides the above-mentioned schools, the Tepper School of Business’ MBA program has become a STEM-designated program, with analytics and data-driven decision making being its strong point. University of Rochester’s Simon Business School became the first school in the U.S. to offer a STEM-designated MBA for all its specialization, allowing students to specialize in Finance, Marketing and Consulting. University of Northern Carolina also offers a number of STEM-designated programs including an MS in Data Science and Business Analytics, Economics and many others.