Is My Field STEM? How AAUW Classifies Programmes for 2027–28
For 2027–28 AAUW funds only science, technology, engineering and mathematics — including medicine. Its two-page list is generous in some places and narrow in others. Here is how to read it.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
3 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
The 2027–28 International Fellowship supports graduate study “in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines”. AAUW publishes the accepted fields in a two-page STEM fields PDF uploaded in August 2026, and repeats the list on the official page. If your programme is not on it, the official page points you to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s STEM Designated Degree Program List.
If you read a blog post that lists humanities, social science, law or a postdoctoral category, it describes an earlier cycle. The 2027–28 official page lists only master’s and doctoral awards, in STEM.
The ten categories on AAUW’s list
| Category | Examples from the official list |
|---|---|
| Life & Biological Sciences | Agricultural sciences, biochemistry, bioinformatics, biotechnology, ecology, genetics, immunology, microbiology, neuroscience, nutrition science, zoology |
| Physical Sciences | Astronomy, astrophysics, chemistry (analytical, inorganic, organic, materials), materials science, physics, space science |
| Earth, Environmental & Space Sciences | Atmospheric science, climatology, environmental science, forestry, geology, hydrology, marine science, oceanography, soil science |
| Health & Medical Sciences (STEM-based) | Biomedical science, epidemiology, pharmaceutical sciences, toxicology; psychology/psychiatry and public health on quantitative or scientific tracks only |
| Computer, Data & Information Sciences | AI, computer science, cybersecurity, data science, data analytics, GIS, information systems, machine learning, robotics, software engineering |
| Core Engineering | Chemical, civil, electrical, electronic, industrial, manufacturing, materials, mechanical, systems engineering |
| Specialised & Interdisciplinary Engineering | Aerospace, biomedical, environmental, nuclear, petroleum, renewable energy, structural, transportation engineering; architecture (technical tracks); urban planning (quantitative focus) |
| Mathematics | Applied, computational and pure mathematics; mathematical modelling |
| Statistics & Quantitative Fields | Actuarial science, econometrics (quantitative STEM track), financial mathematics, probability, statistics |
| Professional doctorates in medicine | MD, DO, DDS, DMD, OD, DC, DPM, PharmD, DVM |
Examples abridged from the AAUW STEM fields PDF and, for the medicine row, the official page; the full list is longer.
The “quantitative track” caveat
Several fields appear with a qualifier in brackets. That qualifier matters more than the field name:
- Psychology/psychiatry and public health count only on “quantitative/scientific tracks”. A Master of Public Health in biostatistics or epidemiology is an easy case; an MPH in health policy or community health is not.
- Econometrics is listed as a “quantitative STEM track”. A general economics MA is not on the list.
- Geography counts on “quantitative/technical tracks”; architecture on “technical tracks”; urban planning with a “quantitative/engineering focus”.
AAUW does not define these tracks further. The safest evidence is your university’s own STEM designation: many U.S. programmes publish a CIP code, and F-1 students in STEM-designated programmes see it on the I-20. If your programme carries a CIP code on the DHS list, say so in the application.
If your exact field is not listed
- 1Find your programme’s CIP code
Ask the department or check the I-20. Six-digit codes look like 26.0503 or 14.0901.
- 2Look it up on the DHS STEM list
AAUW names the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List as the reference for programmes not on its own list.
- 3Explain any mismatch in the application
The FAQ says that if your degree title differs from the field you select, you must explain it — for example selecting Ecology when the admission letter says Environmental Biology.
One field, one degree type
You must pick a single field. The FAQ example: you may apply for a master’s in biochemistry, biotechnology or bioengineering under the broad biology umbrella, but not for a master’s in biology and one in physics, and not for a master’s and a doctorate at once. If you list several admitted programmes (up to five), keep them in the same field.
Grey areas we would not risk
Business analytics, MBA programmes with a STEM concentration, science policy, science communication and STEM education degrees are not named on AAUW’s list. Some of them hold DHS STEM codes; some do not. If your programme is in this grey zone, write to AAUW through the contact page before the window opens and keep the reply. We have not seen an official ruling on these programmes.
Your field is fine — now show STEM impact
Essays →Being eligible is only the floor. Reviewers score “clear and achievable long-term STEM career objectives”. Your narrative should name the STEM problem you will work on after the degree, not just the subject you are studying.