Northwestern MSLOC Designated as STEM Optional Practical Training Program for International Students
In January 2022, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that 22 new fields of study, including industrial and organizational psychology, have been added to the STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) program. This program allows international students (on F-1 visas) earning bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees in certain science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields of study to remain in the United States for up to three years post-graduation to work in their field of study.
Northwestern MSLOC is categorized by the US Department of Education as a program in industrial and organizational psychology, or “I/O psych,” as the program draws heavily on I/O psych in its curriculum, among other research foundations including learning sciences, applied cognition, design thinking, and management and leadership theories that may be found in MBA programs. This STEM designation will take effect for Northwestern MSLOC students in September, at the start of the 2022-2023 academic year.
Kimberly Scott, PhD, assistant professor and executive director of the Master’s and Executive Programs in Learning & Organizational Change (MSLOC/ELOC) at Northwestern shared, “our international MSLOC students add tremendous value to our learning community, in addition to their talent as developing practitioners in learning and organizational change and I/O psychology. We are glad to see this STEM designation made official and excited to maximize the benefits this will bring to our current and future students and organizational partners.”
Northwestern MSLOC has welcomed students from more than 15 countries and currently has an active alumni network spanning six continents.
For more information about how Northwestern advises and supports international students, faculty, staff and scholars, visit the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (OISS) at https://www.northwestern.edu/international/index.html.