The short answer
- STEM OPT is a 24-month extension of the 12-month post-study work period (OPT), so up to three years of US work experience in total. You qualify only if your degree's CIP code is on the DHS STEM list.
- For business analytics, the CIP code on your I-20 decides it, not the program's name. Codes on the list include 30.7102 Business Analytics, 52.1301 Management Science, 52.1302 Business Statistics and 52.1399. Management Information Systems (52.1201) is not on it.
- Business analytics Master's whose official pages say they are STEM-designated include MIT, Carnegie Mellon, UT Austin, USC, UCLA, Purdue, Arizona State, Emory, Illinois, UC Davis, Boston University, Duke and Rochester. Georgia Tech's MS in Analytics publishes its code: 52.1399.
- Read the small print. NYU Stern's MS in Business Analytics and AI is STEM-designated, but its part-time format means students are not eligible for OPT.
- Rules are moving. In October 2026, DHS proposed OPT fees of $70,000 for a student's first OPT and $30,000 for a later one, including STEM OPT, paid by the school. As of 31 October 2026 it is a proposal, not law.
Business analytics is one of the most popular US Master's for Indian students, and the reason is usually the same: STEM OPT. With the extension, a one-year Master's can lead to three years of work in the US. But "business" degrees are not automatically STEM. Whether yours qualifies comes down to a six-digit code your university assigns to the program.
Here is how the rules work, which programs say they qualify, and what changed in 2026. Everything below is from US government sources and each university's own program page, checked in October 2026.
What STEM OPT gives you
After an F-1 degree you can get 12 months of post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT). If your degree is in an eligible STEM field, you can then apply for a 24-month extension. USCIS sets these conditions:
| Rule | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Length | 24 months on top of the initial 12 months of OPT |
| Employer | Must be enrolled in E-Verify. You must work at least 20 hours a week, and you and your employer complete Form I-983, a training plan. |
| When to apply | Up to 90 days before your current OPT card expires, and within 60 days of your school's DSO recommending you in SEVIS |
| Waiting for a decision | If you file on time, you can keep working for up to 180 days after your OPT card expires while USCIS decides |
| Unemployment allowed | 90 days during initial OPT, plus 60 more on STEM OPT: 150 days in total |
| Reporting | Check in with your DSO every 6 months, submit a self-evaluation at 12 months and a final evaluation when training ends |
| How often | Up to twice in a lifetime, once per degree level |
The USCIS filing fee for the application (Form I-765) is $470 online or $520 on paper, about ₹44,800 or ₹49,500 at ₹95.25 = $1 (FBIL reference rate, 30 October 2026). Optional premium processing costs $1,780.
The CIP codes that matter for business analytics
Every US degree program carries a Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code. DHS keeps a list of codes that count as STEM. The current list is dated 22 July 2024. These are the codes a business analytics student is most likely to see:
| CIP code | Title | On the STEM list? |
|---|---|---|
| 30.7102 | Business Analytics | Yes |
| 30.7101 | Data Analytics, General | Yes |
| 30.7001 | Data Science, General | Yes |
| 30.7104 | Financial Analytics | Yes |
| 52.1301 | Management Science | Yes |
| 52.1302 | Business Statistics | Yes |
| 52.1399 | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other | Yes |
| 14.3701 | Operations Research | Yes |
| 27.0501 | Statistics, General | Yes |
| 52.1201 | Management Information Systems, General | No |
The data analytics codes (30.70 and 30.71) were added to the list in January 2022. From the business (52) series, only four codes are on the list: the three above and 52.1304, Actuarial Science. So an MS in Business Analytics coded 52.1201, or a general business code, does not qualify, however much analytics it contains.
Business analytics programs that say they are STEM-designated
Each of these universities states on its official program page that the program is STEM-designated (or, for Georgia Tech, gives the CIP code). Program names and lengths are as published in October 2026.
| University | Program | Length (full-time) |
|---|---|---|
| MIT (Sloan) | Master of Business Analytics | 12 months |
| Carnegie Mellon (Tepper) | MS in Business Analytics | 9 months |
| UT Austin (McCombs) | MS Business Analytics and AI Formerly the MSBA | 10 months |
| USC (Marshall) | MS Business Analytics | See program page |
| UCLA (Anderson) | Master of Science in Business Analytics | 15 months |
| Purdue (Daniels) | MS Business Analytics and Information Management | 12 months |
| Arizona State (W. P. Carey) | MS in Business Analytics ASU says ASU Online students do not qualify | 9 to 16 months |
| Emory (Goizueta) | MS in Business Analytics | 10 to 16 months |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Gies) | MS in Business Analytics The online MSBAi is a separate program | 9 to 15 months |
| UC Davis | MS in Business Analytics | 1 year |
| Boston University (Questrom) | MS in Business Analytics | 9, 12 or 16 months |
| Duke (Fuqua) | MQM: Business Analytics | 10 months |
| University of Rochester (Simon) | MS in Business Analytics | About 1 year |
| Georgia Tech | MS in Analytics CIP 52.1399; on-campus Atlanta F-1 students qualify for OPT | 1 year |
Only Georgia Tech published its CIP code on the pages we checked. For the others, the STEM designation is the university's own statement, so confirm the code on your I-20.
Several business schools also offer STEM-designated MBAs. Arizona State's full-time MBA is one. At Bentley, students qualify only if they complete the STEM MBA's required curriculum. If you are weighing an MBA against an MS, our GRE vs GMAT guide covers the tests each one asks for.
Read the small print
- Format matters as much as the code. NYU Stern says its MS in Business Analytics and AI is STEM-designated but, because of its part-time, modular format, its students are not eligible for OPT. OPT is for F-1 students, so online programs generally won't lead to it either.
- Program names change. UT Austin renamed its MSBA to the MS Business Analytics and AI. Check that the program you apply to is the one carrying the STEM designation.
- Marketing pages can be loose. One university page we read called the extension "up to 36 months". The extension itself is 24 months. The 36 months is the total including your first 12.
- A past STEM degree can count. If your current degree isn't STEM, a previous STEM degree (bachelor's or higher) from an accredited, SEVP-certified US school, earned in the last 10 years, may still qualify you if the job is directly related to it.
What changed in 2026
A proposed OPT fee. On 8 October 2026, DHS published a proposed rule to charge $70,000 for a student's first period of OPT and $30,000 for any later OPT, which includes the STEM extension. Schools would pay before recommending a student, and the proposal says they could pass the cost on to students or employers. Comments close on 9 November 2026. A final rule would start 60 days after publication. It would not apply to students who already have OPT approved or recommended before then.
A fixed period of stay. A final rule that took effect on 15 September 2026 admits F-1 students for the length of their program, up to four years, and cuts the grace period after studies or OPT from 60 days to 30. Students applying for OPT or STEM OPT get a temporary reprieve from filing a separate extension of stay for the first six months after the rule took effect. Your international student office will tell you what to file.
More to come. DHS's regulatory agenda lists a separate "Practical Training" rule at the proposed rule stage. Nothing has been published under it yet.
How to use this list
Start with the program, not the STEM label: curriculum, employment reports and cost matter more. Then confirm three things in writing: the CIP code, that it is on the DHS list, and that the format (full-time, on campus) makes you OPT-eligible. You can search US business analytics programs, browse our business and data analytics course pages, or read studying in the USA for the bigger picture.
Sources
- USCIS, Optional Practical Training Extension for STEM Students (STEM OPT) (checked Oct 2026)
- DHS, STEM Designated Degree Program List (last updated 22 July 2024) (checked Oct 2026)
- Federal Register, Update to the STEM Designated Degree Program List (21 January 2022) (checked Oct 2026)
- Study in the States, Determining STEM OPT extension eligibility and STEM OPT reporting requirements (checked Oct 2026)
- USCIS, Fee schedule (Form G-1055) (checked Oct 2026)
- Federal Register, Optional Practical Training Fees, proposed rule (8 October 2026) and Study in the States, DHS publishes proposed rule establishing fees for OPT (checked Oct 2026)
- Federal Register, Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission, final rule (17 July 2026) (checked Oct 2026)
- Reginfo.gov, Practical Training (RIN 1653-AA97) (checked Oct 2026)
- University of Illinois ISSS, F-1 STEM OPT (CIP code on the I-20) (checked Oct 2026)
- Program pages: MIT Sloan, Carnegie Mellon Tepper, UT Austin McCombs, USC Marshall, UCLA Anderson, Purdue Daniels, ASU W. P. Carey, Emory Goizueta, Illinois Gies, UC Davis, BU Questrom, Duke Fuqua, Rochester Simon, Georgia Tech MS Analytics (all checked Oct 2026)
- NYU Stern, MS in Business Analytics and AI FAQ, ASU W. P. Carey STEM programs and Bentley STEM MBA (checked Oct 2026)
- Reserve Bank of India, FBIL reference rates for 30 October 2026 (checked Oct 2026)
