UCLA Anderson School of Management has received STEM certification for its full-time, fully-employed, and executive MBA programs. The UCLA STEM MBA designation puts Anderson in league with a growing number of STEM-certified business schools.
The three UCLA Anderson MBA degree programs were changed from “Business Administration and Management, General,” to “Management Science,” which is considered a STEM program. (UCLA Anderson’s Master of Financial Engineering and Master of Science in Data Analytics are also STEM certified. )
UCLA Anderson Dean Antonio Bernardo said the new STEM certification reflects the increasingly quantitative focus of the school’s MBA curriculum. That shift has come in response to technological advances, employer needs, and student interests. He also noted it is retroactive to the class of 2019.
“Our MBA programs have always had significant quantitative elements, but as technology has advanced and more MBA students turn to tech careers, the number of data and quantitative courses in the MBA curriculum at Anderson has grown significantly,” Bernardo said. “This change is a reflection of that.”
The STEM MBA is also increasingly desirable among employers, the dean said. The technology and management skills that graduates acquire while earning their degrees have become essential in today’s workplace.
Recruiters seek graduates with an analytical and technological orientation, said the dean. Anderson’s STEM designation will underscore students’ abilities and interests in these areas.
UCLA STEM MBA and OPT
International graduates of the three programs typically are eligible to hold U.S. jobs for 12 months. The designation makes it possible to remain in the country for an additional 24 months after graduation and receive continued work experience.
The U.S. government established the STEM designation to address a shortage of qualified workers in scientific and technical fields. Since 2016, it has allowed eligible F1 visa students to apply for the STEM OPT (Optional Practical Training) extension.
All current UCLA Anderson international students with the F1 visa and enrolled in the three programs can apply for the extension under the designation.
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