Healthcare Policy & Research Program Receives STEM Designated Code From State Council For Higher Education
Earlier this week, the Department of Health Policy received some great news: the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia had reclassified the Department’s Healthcare Policy & Research Ph.D. program to reflect the program’s alignment with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields as designated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Department of Health Policy Professor & Interim Chair Peter Cunningham, Ph.D., sent out a memo informing all faculty, students, and staff within the department of the change. We reproduce that memo in full below.
The Department of Health Policy is pleased to announce a significant update to our PhD program classification. Effective immediately as approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), the Healthcare Policy & Research Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program at Virginia Commonwealth University will be updated to a new Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 45.0102- Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods. This change reflects the program’s alignment with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields as designated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
This CIP code update underscores our commitment to fostering innovation and equipping students with the knowledge and skills necessary for thriving in STEM-related disciplines. The new STEM designation provides additional benefits, including eligibility for certain federal programs and the potential for international students to qualify for up to twenty-four months extended Optional Practical Training (OPT) period.
The decision to update the CIP code was informed by a thorough review of the program’s curriculum and its focus on research methodologies and quantitative methods. The new designation better represents the academic and professional opportunities available to our students and graduates. Many thanks go out to Kellie Carlyle, Interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs; Askar Chukmaitov, Graduate Program Director; and Nerice Lochansky Luu, Education Administrator for their hard work and persistence in ensuring the success of this proposal.
We encourage students, faculty, and staff to review the implications of this change and reach out with any questions. For more information or assistance, please contact graduate program director Dr. Askar Chukmaitov at [email protected], or education administrator Nerice Lochansky Luu at [email protected].
This is an extremely exciting development and we look forward to continuing our mission of advancing excellence in education and research.
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