OPT and the geography of employment : understanding the post-graduation work mobilities of Missouri's international students

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] This thesis looks at the geographic distribution of employment for Missouri's international students following graduation, as well as their employment location preferences before graduation. An analysis of Optional Practical Training (OPT) employment address data reveals intriguing distribution patterns--at the local, state, and national levels--that are influenced by variables such as degree level, field of study, and graduating-institution location, among others. This paper also compares the historical OPT data with the results of a 2019 survey of international students in their final semester at three universities in Missouri in which respondents were asked about their work location preferences before graduation. The survey includes a novel map-based questionnaire to spatially identify migration destination preferences. Survey results suggest Missouri's international students are already focused on out-of-state work destinations prior to graduating, but hints that prior work experience could help retain students. The paper ends with a discussion of the OPT program and ideas for the future.