STEM and OPT
The M.S. degrees offered by the School of Engineering at the University of Bridgeport are classified by ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) degrees. Therefore, all International Students who earn an M.S. degree are eligible for twelve (12) months of OPT (Optional Practical Training) and at the end of the twelve months of OPT, the student and the company the student works for, can apply for an extension of seventeen (17) additional months of work, as long as the company is an E-verify company. In summary, a graduate with an M.S. degree can work under OPT in the U.S.A. for a total of twenty-nine (29) months.