S3 Blog: Reading Your Admission Letter: Degree Status, Program, Concentration and STEM Codes

Your admission letter has arrived. You are happy, and a little confused. It says you are admitted "as a regular degree candidate." You applied for an MBA with a concentration, but you aren't sure how that appears. You have heard that some programs qualify for a STEM OPT extension and others do not, and you are not certain which category yours is in.

If that sounds familiar, you are in good company. In the student conversations that shaped this guide, an admitted student asked exactly what "regular degree candidate" meant, and what to look for to confirm the program. This article explains how to read your letter, what it does and does not prove, and the five details to confirm in writing before you pay or commit.

Important: This is general information, not legal advice. Terms and codes are set by each university and by the U.S. government, and they can change. Always verify with your admitting school and your DSO.

What your admission letter is, and what it is not
An admission letter (also called an offer letter) is the university's statement that it has admitted you to a particular program, usually with conditions and next steps.

It is not:

A Form I-20. The I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status) is a separate document issued by the school's DSO through SEVIS.
Proof of a visa, of SEVIS transfer, or of any immigration decision.
CPT authorization. CPT is a separate approval by a DSO for a specific employer and period, recorded on an updated I-20 before work begins (Study in the States).
A guarantee of employment authorization, a start date, or STEM eligibility.

"Regular degree candidate": what it might mean
Admission categories are defined by each university, not by a single national standard. Two examples show how the terms can differ:

The University of Connecticut's graduate catalog describes regular status, provisional status, and language-conditional status, and notes that regular (not provisional) status is required for degree conferral (UConn Graduate Catalog).
The University of Massachusetts Amherst describes degree status, provisional status, conditional admission (with a stipulation, such as proving a degree, to complete within a set period), and non-degree status (UMass Amherst catalog).

These are only illustrations of how categories vary. In general terms, a phrase such as "regular degree candidate" is often used for an applicant admitted to a degree program without special conditions, whereas conditional admission usually means a requirement must still be met. But you should not rely on this general reading. Ask your own university:

"My letter says I am admitted as a 'regular degree candidate.' Can you confirm in writing what that status means at your university, whether any conditions are outstanding, and whether it is different from conditional or provisional admission?"

Also check the letter itself for words like conditional, pending, subject to receipt of, or provisional, and for any deadline attached to them.

Find your program and concentration

Your letter should name:

The degree (for example, a Master of Business Administration, Master of Science, or Doctor of Business Administration)
The program or major
Sometimes a concentration or specialization

Read these carefully. In one call we reviewed, an admitted student said they had applied for an MBA with an AI-related concentration, but the letter simply referred to degree status, so they were unsure what to look for. If the program and concentration are not clearly stated, ask for them in writing.

Do not guess from the title. A program name that sounds technical does not tell you its official classification (see CIP codes below).

If you want to change programs
Students sometimes realize after applying, or after receiving an offer, that a different program fits better. In one call, an applicant mentioned changing from one program to another within the same application. Whether and how that can be done depends on the school.

Ask the admissions office:

Is a program change possible, and by what deadline?
Do I need a new application, new documents, or a new fee?
Will my admission decision, tuition, I-20, or start date change?
Will the CIP code and STEM eligibility change?

Immigration consideration. Changing your major or degree level can matter for F-1 purposes. A DHS rule that would restrict F-1 students from changing educational objectives and transferring was blocked by a federal court on September 14, 2026, and the current framework remains in place for now, though that may change (Yale OISS). Ask your DSO what applies to you before you change anything.

What is a CIP code?
The Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) is a system the U.S. Department of Education uses to categorize fields of study. Each degree program is assigned a six-digit code (for example, XX.XXXX). On your Form I-20, the CIP code appears next to your major or program of study.

How STEM designation connects to your program
Here is the part students most often misunderstand.

A 24-month STEM OPT extension is available only to eligible students whose degree is in a field on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List, which is based on CIP codes (Study in the States).
To check, find the Program of Study and CIP code printed on your I-20 and compare it with the DHS list. That is how many university international offices instruct students to verify eligibility.
The list is updated periodically. DHS updated it in 2021 to reflect the 2020 CIP revision (Study in the States), and the current list is available through ICE's SEVIS pages (ICE SEVIS) and the STEM OPT Hub.
The CIP code assigned to a degree can vary by school, and a school's own assignment is the one that appears on your I-20.

What this means for you:

A technology-related title or concentration does not, by itself, make a program STEM-eligible. An MBA with a concentration in data analytics, for example, might carry a general business CIP code rather than a code on the STEM list. Whether it does is a factual question about the I-20 code, not about the name.
Eligibility is verified against the official list at the time you apply for the extension, and other requirements apply as well. Do not rely on a marketing description, a consultant's summary, or a friend's experience.
Ask your DSO or the school's international student office which CIP code will be on your I-20 and whether it is on the current DHS list.

The five details to confirm in writing before you pay or commit
Print this list and send it to your admissions counselor. Ask for a written reply.

Exact degree and program name. The full official name, as it will appear on your transcript and I-20.
Concentration or specialization. The name, and whether it is part of the degree title or a separate designation.
Admission status and outstanding conditions. "Regular degree candidate," conditional, or something else, and what, if anything, you must still submit and by when.
Relevant CIP code and verified STEM eligibility, when applicable. The CIP code that will be on your I-20, and whether it is on the current DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List. Ask your DSO to confirm.
Next enrollment and international student documentation steps, and who to contact. The sequence (deposit, I-20 requirements, SEVIS transfer), the deadlines, and the name and email of the office or DSO who can answer questions.

Next steps

Before you pay or register, send your counselor the five questions above and wait for written answers. Ask your DSO to confirm the CIP code and its status on the current STEM list. If you would like help preparing your questions, our student support team can walk through your letter with you. We cannot promise STEM eligibility, work authorization, or any immigration outcome, but we can help you check the details before you commit.