Yale SOM MBA Program Designated STEM-Eligible
The new designation will enable international students to apply for a two-year extension of work authorization in the U.S.
Yale SOM has designated its MBA degree to be to be a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) program under the U.S. Department of Education’s classification of management science. With this classification, which will take effect with the Class of 2026, MBA students who come to Yale on a student visa will be able to apply for a 24-month extension of their post-completion optional practical training (OPT) if they meet the eligibility criteria.
“This change in classification recognizes the widespread application of management science in our MBA core curriculum,” said Anjani Jain, deputy dean for academic programs and professor in the practice of management. “All of our MBA students gain facility with statistics, operations management, mathematical modeling, optimization, game theory, and other important concepts of management science. Indeed, these skills are foundational for leaders who want to have impact across industries, regions, and sectors.”
The SOM integrated core curriculum, which all MBA students take, uses stakeholder perspectives to teach key management concepts in the context of leadership decisions that affect organizations and society. Rigorous utilization of management science is integral to the core curriculum, and classes such as Probability Modeling and Statistics, Modeling Managerial Decisions, and Operations Engine give students in-depth instruction in technical fields. In addition, MBA students may choose from STEM-based elective courses across the school and the broader university, including Large Language Models: Technology and Applications, Advanced Business Analytics, Quantitative Investing, and Game Theory and Market Design.
Previously, only the Management Science major within the MBA program was designated as STEM-eligible.
The Master’s in Systemic Risk and Master’s in Asset Management at SOM are also designated as STEM programs. Students in the Master of Advanced Management and Master’s in Global Business and Society programs can elect to pursue a Management Science major, which is also STEM-eligible.
