PharmD Degree: A Case for STEM Designation

International students who pursue full-time academic studies in the United States require an F-1 visa. Students with F-1 visa status may apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT) up to 90 days prior to graduation. OPT is employment permission that allows graduates to gain temporary work experience in their field of study for 1 year postgraduation. Students graduating in a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) field are eligible to extend the standard OPT for 2 years. The Department of Education categorizes academic programs and defines STEM fields, and the Department of Homeland Security uses these designations to determine qualification for OPT extensions. Although pharmaceutical sciences degree programs are categorized by the Department of Education as STEM, the Doctor of Pharmacy degree is not, resulting in negative implications for both domestic and international graduates. The purpose of this commentary is to underscore these issues, offer potential pathways for extending OPT for international students, and to spur academic leaders and pharmacy associations to ignite positive, disruptive change.