Graduate Program STEM Classification: Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia

The Graduate Program in the Department of Communication at UC Davis is now classified as a Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) program. The Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code is 090702: Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia. This is code is applied to programs that fit the following description:

"A program that focuses on the development, use, critical evaluation, and regulation of new electronic communication technologies using computer applications; and that prepares individuals to function as developers and managers of digital communications media. Includes instruction in computer and telecommunications technologies and processes; design and development of digital communications; marketing and distribution; digital communications regulation, law, and policy; the study of human interaction with, and use of, digital media; and emerging trends and issues."

The new classification corrects the program’s former classification as a program that focuses on rhetoric and writing.

This classification has important implications for international students looking to complete their graduate training in the Department of Communication at UC Davis. Previously, students on an F-1 visa were eligible to extend their time in the United States for 12-months post-graduation under the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program. With the new STEM classification, students on an F-1 visa now qualify for the Optional Practical Training Extension for STEM Students (STEM OPT), which adds an additional 24-month extension to the OPT. To learn more, contact the Graduate Advisor Dr. Drew Cingel (dcingel@ucdavis.edu) and visit the UC Davis Services for International Students and Scholars website.