This week, Dean Madhav Rajan announced that Chicago Booth’s MBA program is now fully STEM certified for Optional Practical Training (OPT) purposes, expanding eligibility from two concentrations to the entire degree.
Today more than ever, it’s essential our future leaders to have backgrounds in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to help solve the world’s most challenging issues.
This certification opens the door for Booth graduates on F-1 student visas to apply for an additional 24 months of training through work experience after finishing their MBA. Ultimately, it offers the potential for international students to work in the US for two more years to get additional experience, possibly a promotion, and to pay off part of their student debt.
At this time, we are also working closely with our Office of International Affairs (OIA) and partner organizations to monitor conditions across the world, especially as it pertains to visas for admitted international students. While we certainly hope that the situation stabilizes soon, our team is dedicated to working with each student on a one-on-one basis to address individual circumstances. We do allow one-year deferment requests in the event that admitted students cannot enroll at Booth due to military obligations and/or health or visa issues.
Chicago Booth provides additional support to our global MBA students through International Programs, which offers an International Student Orientation and advises throughout the year on a variety of issues, including assistance with language, networking, and cultural adjustment. Resources through International Programs help ensure Booth students from other countries are able to meet their professional, academic, and personal goals. On the student experience side, first- and second-year peers are extremely involved with the day-to-day at Booth. Regional student groups and Country Captains welcome students from all nations and backgrounds, providing a way to connect not only with others from your home country but with the entire Booth community.
These resources fall in line with the University of Chicago’s longstanding commitment to its international community. Efforts regarding scholarship awards, such as the Global Innovator Fellowship, reflect the greater University’s viewpoint on global support for students. As President Zimmer stated in a letter to the community, “We are committed to continued deep engagement and active exchange with students, scholars, and visitors from across the globe. This has been an important part of the University’s stance since its inception, and in the past decade we have actively sought to increase the presence on campus of those from around the world.”
The fact that Chicago Booth attracts so many students and faculty members from around the globe is essential to our school’s vitality. We believe this diverse community adds an extra dimension to your business education as instructors and classmates alike share their unique experiences and knowledge. Becoming a STEM-certified MBA has far-reaching benefits to both the professional and personal lives of our international students at Booth, as well as for the health of our entire global network of more than 54,000 alumni in over 120 countries around the world.
