Please note: On May 10, 2016, DHS replaced the 17-month STEM OPT extension with a new 24-month STEM OPT extension. All existing 17-month STEM OPT EADs will remain valid until the EAD expires, is terminated or revoked. For more information about the new STEM OPT rule, please visit the STEM OPT Hub. 

If you have ever taken a class related to science, technology, engineering or math (STEM), you may be familiar with the term “Pi.” According to the U.S. Department of Education, “Pi is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter, and it’s an irrational number, so it can’t be expressed as a simple fraction of two integers.” While it goes on for an infinite amount of numbers, the most commonly known are the first three: 3.14.

Today, March 14, is also “3.14” so students and schools across the country are celebrating this unofficial holiday of Pi Day to discuss and promote STEM programs. STEM is a priority for the United States and according to the Open Doors report last year:

• 77,560 international students studied math and computer science
• 69,152 studied physical and life science
• 31,222 studied health professions
• 154,186 studied engineering

If you want to study in a STEM program in the United States, check the Department of Homeland Security STEM Designated Degree Programs list. To qualify for a 17-Month STEM optional practical training extension, your program must have a CIP code on this list. You can study at any Student and Exchange Visitor Program-certified school and can find one on the School Search page. To learn more, read the STEM resource page.

Sources:

• Five Excellent Ways to Celebrate Pi Day on 3/14; U.S. Department of Education
• International Students: Fields of Study; Open Doors Data; Institute of International Education