Three additional PennDesign master’s programs have earned approval for STEM designation from Penn Provost Vincent Price. The Master of Architecture, the Master of Environmental Building Design, and the Master of Science in Design programs join the Master of Science in Historic Preservation and the Master of Urban Spatial Analytics for the designation. As a result, international students in these programs are now eligible to work in the United States for three years after graduation. In addition, 2015-2016 graduates from these programs currently working in the U.S. are eligible for an extension.
“Science and technology are empowering designers in new ways,” said Frederick Steiner, Dean and Paley Professor at PennDesign. “STEM helps American institutions and businesses remain on the leading edge of this trend.”
“STEM” refers to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, an acronym popularized by the National Science Foundation. A STEM field of study is included in the U.S. Department of Education’s Classification of Instructional Programs taxonomy for engineering, biological sciences, mathematics, and physical sciences, or a related field that involves research, innovation, or the development of new technologies using engineering, mathematics, computer science, or natural sciences (including physical, biological, and agricultural sciences).
Graduates from the MArch, MEBD and MSD currently working in the U.S. are encouraged to seek guidance from Penn’s office of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) to determine the impact of this change on their individual circumstances. Students graduating in May of 2017 from these programs should also seek guidance from ISSS on the impact of the STEM designation on their OPT eligibility.
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