Graduate School Bulletin

Primary Application:

Primary applications are accepted through SOPHAS, the centralized application service for schools and programs of public health.

• For Admissions Deadlines, visit https://publichealth.stonybrookmedicine.edu/admissions.  
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a 3.0 GPA or better. Admitted students usually have GPAs that are higher than 3.0.
• Official transcripts from all post-secondary schools. Transcripts for all degrees earned in schools outside the U.S. or Canada must be evaluated by an agency accredited by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. See section on International applicants for more information about this process. The requirement for evaluation of transcripts is waived for graduates of foreign medical schools with a current license to practice in the U.S.
• Three references from persons who can address the applicant's capacity to complete a course of graduate study.
• A Cover Letter is required for the primary application. It should be no more than 500 words and should be submitted with your application in SOPHAS (under Research Statement).
o Your Cover Letter should describe your research interest area(s).
• Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the available funding opportunities.
• Completion of the on-line application.

Interview:

A personal interview, if requested by the Research Mentor Matching committee, will be scheduled.

Additional information for international applicants:

International applicants who trained in non-English speaking schools and do not reside in an English speaking country are required to take either the TOEFL or IELTS exam. Students who fail to meet this requirement must enroll in a course at the Intensive English Center and achieve satisfactory grades before admission to graduate study. Students whose scores on either of these exams are more than two years old must retake the test. The expected minimum score is for the IELTS exam is 7, with no subsection below 6. The expected minimum score on the TOEFL Internet Based Test is 90.

International students are required to have a course-by- course educational credential evaluation completed by an agency accredited by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (http://www.naces.org).  We require using World Education Services (http://www.wes.org).  This evaluation provides a U.S. course equivalent including semester hours earned, course content, and corresponding letter grade for all courses listed on the international applicant’s transcript.  This evaluation must be completed before the application can be considered. 

For more information about international students services, see: http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/visa/

Financial Support:

Research stipends are available on a competitive basis, contingent upon an available research mentor.  Visit our website for current information regarding available funding.

Transfer Information:

Transfer of Credit

A candidate for the doctoral degree may transfer those graduate credits that are approved by the appropriate PHCOR course director(s), the concentration director, and the Graduate Program Director. All courses transferred must be documented to be directly substitutable with a B or better grade attained. Moreover, transferred courses should have been completed within the past 5 years. If transferred courses are older than 5 years, additional documentation of the current relevancy of the course content must be documented by the appropriate PHCOR course director(s). Thus, courses older than five years will be accepted only in rare circumstances.

Transfer from Non-Matriculated Status

There is not a limit to the doctoral student course credits for students transferring from non- matriculated status. However, a limit on credits transferred may be set by the academic advisor, concentration director, and/or Graduate Program Director to assure that the student meets all of the core and concentration requirements but retains elective course flexibility to coordinate advance course work to support the student’s research project experience optimally. Transfer of course credits will be proactively coordinated as part of the academic advising and course planning PHCOR Program processes.

Before the petition to transfer course credits will be submitted, students must be formally matriculated into a degree program at least one full semester and their PHCOR academic course plan approved. All graduate courses completed in non-matriculated status will be counted as part of the total graduate grade point average (GPA).

Transfer from Other Institutions

A candidate for a degree may petition to transfer graduate credits from another institution toward their degree requirements. These credits must be from an institution authorized to grant graduate degrees by recognized accredited commissions and meet the following guidelines:

• Credits must not have been used to fulfill the requirements for either a baccalaureate or another advanced degree or certificate.
• Credits must not be more than five years old at the time the student is admitted to graduate study at Stony Brook. Courses older than five years will be accepted only in rare circumstances.
• A course listed as both graduate and/or undergraduate level will not be considered for transfer.
• Credits must carry the grades of A or B. “Pass” or “Satisfactory” grades are not transferable unless these grades can be substantiated by the former institution as B (3.0) or better.
• Grades earned in transferred courses are not counted as part of the overall GPA at Stony Brook.

Transfer Between Primary and Secondary Programs

A maximum of 12 graduate credits from Stony Brook, which were earned in a primary program prior to a student being accepted into a secondary program, can be applied to the secondary program. Credits applied to the degree requirements of a primary program cannot be applied toward the degree requirements of a secondary program.

Note: Please see any additional distributed PHCOR Program policies regarding Transfer Credits. Questions should be directed to the PHCOR Program Director.

Special Circumstances

Readmission

Graduate students who have interrupted their attendance at Stony Brook by withdrawing from the University or by taking a leave of absence must be readmitted to reactivate their graduate career. The student initiates the process by submitting a completed “Readmission” form to their program. The form is available at the Graduate School or may be downloaded at www.gradsunysb.edu.

• Students returning from a currently approved Leave of Absence are generally guaranteed readmission.
• Students not on an official leave of absence must pay a $500 readmission fee.
• International students must also submit a new financial affidavit and be cleared by an international student advisor before the readmission process can be concluded.

If the program approves the request, the readmission form is submitted to the Graduate School for final approval. The program or the Graduate School may set specific requirements to be fulfilled by the readmitted student during the first year of their readmission.

Conditional Admission

In exceptional cases where certain admission requirements are not met or the prior education preparation is inadequate, an applicant may be admitted conditionally. Such applicants will be considered on probation during the first semester. PHCOR Program recommendation and Graduate School approval are required for conditional admission.

• Students admitted conditionally for a low cumulative GPA must earn an overall graduate average of at least a B (3.0) during the first semester of enrollment to be permitted to continue. In this case, the student is considered to have achieved regular status.
• A student admitted conditionally because of a low cumulative GPA who fails to earn a B (3.0) average in the first semester will not be permitted to reenroll. Both the student’s program and the Graduate School may set conditions that the student must satisfy during the early period of graduate work.

Secondary Program

Should a PHCOR student wish to add a secondary program to his or her primary program of study, a Permission to Enroll in a Secondary Degree or Certificate Program form must be submitted to the Graduate School with original signatures by both prior and new department or program chairs. Final approval rests with the Graduate School. International students are also required to obtain approval of an international student advisor.