The United States offers a wide variety of program options for F and M students.  The term program of study refers to the academic or vocational education an F or M student receives while studying in the United States.

After a Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified school accepts an F or M student’s admissions application, a designated school official will send the prospective student a Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status” that lists the specific program of study.

Completing a program of study at an SEVP-certified school is the primary purpose for all F and M students studying in the United States. Completion of such a program is usually marked by receiving a diploma, degree or other type of certification.

Eligible F and M students may enroll in several different types of schools that offer SEVP-certified programs of study; these include kindergarten through grade 12 schools, community colleges and undergraduate and graduate schools.  If you are a prospective student interested in studying in the United States, you may see the terms “college” and “university” used interchangeably.  Please note, that both refer to schools that offer post-secondary (i.e., after high school) educational instruction to students. However, a college usually refers to a single institution of higher education.  A university usually is a system with many post-secondary schools that may offer both undergraduate and graduate level degrees. 

To learn more about the program options available to international students in the United States, visit the Study in the States’ new programs of study resource page.

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