USC Marshall Undergraduate Programs receives STEM Designation

August 22, 2022 – The Marshall School of Business, the business school of the University of Southern California recently announced that its entire undergraduate program has been designated STEM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. The new designation is extremely beneficial to international students, who are looking to work in the United States.

The designation applies to business programs, such as Accounting, Business Administration (including all Emphases like Business Analytics, Communications, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Finance, International Relations, Leadership & Innovation, Marketing, Real Estate Finance, Risk Management), Business of Cinematic Arts and World Bachelor in Business.

Traditionally, using an F-1 visa, students were eligible for up to 12 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT). OPT allows students to work towards getting practical training to complement their field of studies in the U.S. once they have completed their program. STEM students are allowed to apply to extend that period of time even longer (up to 24 months).

“The STEM-designation is a recognition of the strong technical and quantitative focus of the Marshall School’s undergraduate curriculum,” said Ramandeep Randhawa, Vice Dean for Undergraduate Programs. “We think this designation will additionally differentiate the value of an undergraduate business education at Marshall, and will particularly stand out among employers and prospective students.”

Over the past decade, the Marshall undergraduate curriculum has steadily been adding coursework that emphasizes and builds technical, analytical, and quantitative skills among its students. These updates have been spread across all core courses, but most notably among the Introductory Business Statistics, Accounting, Economics, Finance, Operations Management, and Strategy courses. In fact, the business core includes an entire course devoted to Business Analytics. Further, several business core classes now offer advanced options, such as Data Science for Business and Advanced Business Finance, that are even more quantitatively focused.

The designation that Marshall undergraduate programs are STEM-designated has implications for international students studying on F-1 visas who will now be able to apply for a 24-month STEM-OPT extension, which will enable them to apply to a broader array of jobs in the U.S. after earning their degree.

The University of Southern California, located in the heart of Los Angeles, welcomes students from throughout the United States and around the world into its innovative and diverse community. The current student body includes representatives from 149 countries and regions.