For International Students

Career Guidance for International Students

The University of Michigan’s diverse, global community is one of its greatest assets. Because so many students and faculty come to Michigan from abroad, there are many networks and resources for those new to the United States.

We have some good news for international students: The Master of Landscape Architecture degree is STEM-designated, joining the already designated Master of Science degrees. The STEM designation allows international graduates to apply for the Department of Homeland Security’s optional practical training (OPT) extension program for F-1 students.

The International Center (IC) is a great place to start. As a part of the Division of Student Life, the IC serves the international population, facilitates intercultural and international education, and fosters a global campus community at the University of Michigan and beyond. You will find information about…

• Immigration and visas
• Health insurance
• Taxes and social security
• Life in Ann Arbor
• And more

In addition, SEAS Career Services has developed some tips for our international students on how to conduct a successful job search in the United States.

• Understand your visa status and employment options
• Develop a job search plan, as job placement upon graduation is not customary in the U.S.
• Focus on organizations that hire international candidates – and if your goal is to work abroad in the future, focus on companies with offices in the U.S. country where you wish to live later
• View your international background as an asset that equips you with valuable skills, such as cross-cultural communication skills
• Seek career advice from second-year international students and international alumni
• Ask Career Services staff to help connect you with a mentor
• Participate in social events to build relationships and practice speaking English in an informal setting
• Hone your English language skills through U-M programs like Conversation Circles (through U-M's English Language Institute) and community programs like the Global Friendship Program (through the Ecumenical Center and International Residence)
• Follow SEAS’s suggested resume and cover letter formats, available for download on Canvas
• Emphasize your English language skills on your resume
• Take advantage of SEAS services like mock interviews and networking opportunities to gain a competitive advantage in your search

List of employers who have recently hired international SEAS graduates:

• Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
• Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, Ketura, Israel
• Bain & Company, Shanghai, China
• Black & Veatch, San Francisco, CA
• Calvert Investments, Washington, DC
• Centre for Environment Education, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
• China Beijing Environment Exchange, Beijing, China
• China Railway Eryuan Engieering Group co.ltd, Chengdu, Sichuan Province
• City of Hinesville, Hinesville, GA
• Clean Agency, Los Angeles, CA
• Columbia University, New York, NY
• ConocoPhillips, Houston, TX
• Cummins Inc., Charleston, SC
• Deloitte, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Ecological Restoration Institute, Flagstaff, AZ
• Energy & Environmental Economics, San Francisco,CA
• Equarius Risk Analytics, Ann Arbor, MI
• ExxonMobil, Clinton, NJ
• EY Advisory, Seattle, WA

• Feira de Santana State University, Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil
• Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
• Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, MI
• GA World Congress Center, Atlanta, MI
• Hagler Bailly Pakistan, Islamabad
• Hosei University, Tokyo, Japan
• INSIDEO, Lima, Peru
• Invenergy, Chicago, IL
• Korea Environment Institute, Seoul, South Korea
• Korea University, Seoul, Korea
• Lucida Science Communications, Tokyo, Japan
• Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
• Michigan Athletics, Ann Arbor, MI
• Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Lansing, MI
• National Institute of Development Administration, Bangkok, Thailand
• Newcomb Anderson McCormick, Los Angeles, CA
• Portland State University, Portland, OR
• Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
• Samsung, Seoul, Korea

• Sasaki Associates, Watertown, MA
• Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
• SmithGroupJJR, Ann Arbor, MI
• Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
• The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
• The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, MI
• The Mobility House, San Jose, CA
• The World Bank, Dhaka, Bangladesh; Washington, DC
• United Nations Environment Programme, Chemicals Branch, Geneva
• Universidad dle Valle, Cali, Valle, Colombia
• University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
• University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
• University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
• University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
• University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
• University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment, Ann Arbor, MI
• VITA landscape and planning, San Rafael, CA
• WH Canon, Inc., Romulus, MI