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Which specific degrees were reclassified and when did the change take effect?
Executive summary
James Madison University reported that Economics degrees (B.A. and B.S.) were reclassified as STEM in an announcement dated January 24, 2025, a change the university frames as enabling international students to pursue OPT benefits [1]. Separate reclassification activity for high-school athletic classifications (GHSA) concerns the 2026–2028 cycle and sets appeal deadlines in November 2025, but that is a different use of “reclassification” and does not list academic degree changes [2].
1. What the phrase “reclassified” refers to in the available reporting
“Reclassified” is used in different contexts across your search results. James Madison University (JMU) uses it to mean an academic major—Economics—has been redesignated as a STEM field for the purposes of institutional description and student opportunities [1]. The Georgia High School Association (GHSA) uses “reclassification” to mean moving schools between athletic classifications for 2026–2028; that process has appeal windows and timelines but is unrelated to academic degree taxonomy [2]. Other results list popular or rising degrees in 2025 but do not describe any formal reclassification of academic majors [3] [4] [5] [6] [7].
2. Which specific degrees were reclassified, according to reporting
The specific academic change documented in the results is that Economics degrees—the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Economics at James Madison University—were reclassified as STEM majors in JMU’s announcement dated January 24, 2025 [1]. Available sources do not mention other named majors being reclassified as STEM beyond this JMU example [1].
3. When the change took effect (what sources state and what they omit)
JMU’s news item is dated January 24, 2025 and discusses the new designation; that date is the clearest timestamp in the available reporting for when JMU publicized the STEM reclassification of Economics [1]. The GHSA material sets timelines for the 2026–2028 athletic reclassification cycle and an appeal cutoff of November 9, 2025, with appeal meetings on November 10, 2025—relevant to athletic classifications but not academic degrees [2]. Available sources do not provide a university-system-wide or federal effective date for Economics as a STEM field, nor do they state whether the JMU change required external approval or was immediately effective for immigration-related benefits; those details are not found in current reporting [1].
4. Why the reclassification matters — competing perspectives in the sources
JMU frames the Economics-as-STEM change as consequential for students’ post-graduation options: the story highlights an international student hoping to use Optional Practical Training (OPT) provisions to extend employment in the U.S., implying STEM designation can affect visa-related work benefits [1]. The reporting emphasizes alignment with the job market and scholarship opportunities [1]. The broader listings of “best” or “in-demand” degrees (National University, educations.com, Visual Capitalist, Hanover Research) underscore that STEM and healthcare fields are favored by employers in 2025, which supports the institutional logic of moving Economics into a STEM category but does not document formal policy changes beyond JMU’s announcement [3] [4] [5] [7].
5. Limits, unanswered questions and where reporting diverges
Sources do not explain whether JMU’s reclassification required or received approval from a federal agency, accreditor, or other external body, nor do they say if the change immediately alters federal OPT rules for Economics graduates across institutions—those specifics are not found in current reporting [1]. The GHSA piece confirms a formal process and effective cycles for athletic reclassification with concrete deadlines [2], which contrasts with the academic example where institutional announcement appears to be the primary record. Some outlets analyze which degrees are “best” or “on the rise” in 2025 but do not report formal reclassifications; these are market/ranking pieces rather than policy notices [3] [4] [5] [6] [7].
6. Bottom line for readers seeking a definitive list and effective dates
Based on the available reporting, the only explicit academic reclassification documented is JMU’s reclassification of its B.A. and B.S. Economics degrees as STEM, publicized January 24, 2025 [1]. The GHSA’s reclassification information applies to school athletic classifications for the 2026–2028 cycle with appeal deadlines in November 2025 [2]. If you need a comprehensive list of degree reclassifications, official effective dates, or confirmation about visa/OPT implications beyond JMU’s statement, that information is not found in the current results and would require checking institutional notices, federal guidance, or accreditor records.