OPT
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Optional Practical Training |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Education & Academia, Writing & Everyday |
| Also written | opt. |
OPT has two meanings. It stands for Optional Practical Training (academic) or Optional (everyday).
Meanings of OPT at a glance
| # | OPT stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Optional Practical Training | Education & Academia › Academic |
| 2 | Optional | Writing & Everyday › Everyday |
1. Optional Practical Training
Education & Academia · Academic Abbreviations · also used in government
US work authorization for F-1 students that allows up to 12 months of employment related to their field of study, usually after graduation. Graduates of STEM-designated programs can apply for a 24-month extension, for up to three years in total.
Example: He started his job in Seattle on OPT and later applied for the STEM extension.
Students apply to US Citizenship and Immigration Services with Form I-765 after a designated school official recommends OPT. Unemployment is capped at 90 days, or 150 days with the STEM extension. Many international graduates use OPT while entering the H-1B visa lottery.
2. Optional (opt.)
Writing & Everyday · Everyday Abbreviations
Marks a field, feature or item as not required, as in "Phone (opt.)" on forms or "opt. accessories" in catalogs.
Example: Middle name (opt.) and phone number (opt.) may be left blank on the form.
Many web forms instead mark required fields with an asterisk and leave optional ones unlabeled. Car brochures use "opt." for extra-cost options. "Opt" is also an ordinary verb, as in "opt out," which is not an abbreviation.
Related abbreviations
More academic abbreviations
- NWCCU – Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
- OA – Open access
- OER – Open educational resources
- OOS – Out-of-state
- ORCID – Open Researcher and Contributor ID
- P&T – Promotion and tenure
- P/F – Pass/fail
- PG – Postgraduate
See all 124 academic abbreviations →