New Transfer Students

When do I register and prepare my course schedule?
At Orientation, you will have the opportunity to discuss your academic and career goals and plan your class schedule for the upcoming semester. You'll meet with advisors from the Undergraduate Transfer Office, your major department, and the Academic Advising Center. Whether you have questions about selecting classes, choosing a major, or reviewing degree requirements, there will be advisors ready to assist you.

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As a new transfer student, how will my credits be evaluated?
All course work completed with a grade of C or higher from a regionally accredited college will be applied toward the total credit hour requirement for a Stony Brook B.A., B.S., or B.E. degree.  Courses for which grades of P or S are earned are also accepted.  Graduates of SUNY or CUNY colleges who earn an A.A. or an A.S. degree prior to matriculation at Stony Brook will receive credit for all course work completed as part of the associates degree requirements.  Evaluation of your previous work towards other degree requirements involves different processes depending on which Stony Brook requirement you are looking to satisfy.  You will get credit for all work only when Stony Brook has received an official transcript from your previous school showing the grades of all completed coursework. 

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Do I need to provide Stony Brook with transcripts from all my previous schools?
Yes. You must have official transcripts sent from every college or university you have attended, regardless of credit earned. A notation of transfer credits from one school on the transcript of another is not sufficient.

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Are all of my classes and grades on the transcript that I requested?
If you sent Stony Brook a transcript while you were still taking courses at your previous school, those courses will not show as earned credits. You must request a final transcript after all of your grades are recorded. If you have earned an Associate's Degree, be sure that it's posted on the transcript. Have transcripts sent to:

Undergraduate Transfer Office
134 Administration Building
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY 11794-1909

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Will my g.p.a. transfer over with my credit?
Grades received for transferred courses will not be shown on your transcript or included in the calculation of your cumulative grade point average at Stony Brook.

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Have I met any requirements through Regents or AP exams?
You may have already satisfied Entry Skill 1: Basic Mathematics Competence with Regents exam scores, AP exam scores, SAT I, SAT II, or PSAT exam scores. Click here for details.

You may have already satisfied Entry Skill 3: Elementary Foreign Language Competence with Regents exam scores, AP exam scores, or SAT II exam scores. Students whose high schools do not offer Regents exams and students who attended a high school where the language of instruction was other than English may also have already satisfied this requirement. Click here for details.

Some AP exams will meet DEC requirements and count towards graduation credit. To see which AP exams will meet graduation and DEC requirements, please click here.

You will need to have your high school send a copy of your transcript to the Transfer Office. You may need to have the Educational Testing Service; Princeton, NJ 08541; (609) 771-7300 send your AP scores to the Transfer Office. Stony Brook's school code is 2548.

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Does Stony Brook accept Credit from College-Level Examination Programs (CLEP)
Stony Brook accepts up to 30 credits by examination in partial fulfillment of the bachelor’s degree. Included in this total may be credit based on standardized external examinations such as AP, CLEP, Regents College Examinations, and Stony Brook’s own Challenge Program. Credit by examination may not be used to satisfy most Diversified Education Curriculum requirements; however, they may be used to satisfy one course in each of categories E, F, and G.

The University awards credit for the CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) subject examinations only. Credit is not awarded for the CLEP general examinations. The scores received must be equivalent to a grade of C. A maximum of 30 credits by examination may be applied toward the degree.

Credit requested for examinations or programs (e.g., military) not specifically mentioned above must be substantiated by the appropriate documentation. Requests for reviews of students’ qualifications must be submitted in writing to the Undergraduate Admissions Office.

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How do I get my transfer work evaluated for D.E.C. requirements?
The Transfer Office automatically will evaluate all previous work towards Stony Brook's D.E.C. categories and total credit hours. Transfer credit will be entered on the official University transcript. Grades received for transferred courses are not shown nor are they included in the calculation of your cumulative g.p.a. at Stony Brook.

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How do I get my transfer work evaluated for major, minor, or upper-division credit?
Comprehensive transfer equivalency guides are available for University at Albany, Farmingdale State, FIT, Queens College, College of Staten Island, Kingsborough CC, Nassau CC, Queensborough CC, Rockland CC, Suffolk CCC, and Westchester CC. If a course is listed in these guides, an equivalency has already been determined.

If a course isn't listed in one of these guides or you went to a school for which we do not have a guide, you may initiate evaluations for upper-division, major, or minor credit:

  • Fill out a transfer credit evaluation form (available at the Transfer Office) and attach an official description of the course from the previous school's course catalog. Some departments may require a course syllabus as well.

  • Take the completed form, along with an attached course description, to the corresponding academic department at Stony Brook. For example, a psychology course should be evaluated by Stony Brook's Department of Psychology.

  • Take the completed form (described above) to the major or minor department. Make sure that the Undergraduate Director for your major or minor has a copy of your transfer transcript(s) and has confirmed relevant course equivalencies. The Transfer Office can provide you with a list of Undergraduate Directors.

  • You need a grade of C or higher to receive upper-division credit for transferred course work. Course work must be completed at a four-year institution to receive upper-division credit. Take the completed form (described above) to the Stony Brook department that would teach the course.

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What are Living Learning Centers?
As a new transfer student, you have the option to join one of our Living Learning Centers. Every Center focuses on an academic theme of common interest, combining both academic and social elements. Students who choose to participate may elect to complete an academic minor designed around their Living Learning Center’s theme.

To join a Center, be sure to indicate your interest when submitting your New Student Preferences. Both resident and commuter students are invited to participate in one of Stony Brook’s Living Learning Centers:

• Community Service Learning (H Quad)
• Environmental Studies (Roth Quad)
• Health and Wellness (Kelly Quad)
• Human Sexual and Gender Development (Kelly Quad)
• Interdisciplinary Arts (Tabler Quad)
• International Studies (Roosevelt Quad)
• Leadership Development (H Quad)
• Media Arts (Tabler Quad)
• Science and Engineering (Mendelsohn Quad)

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What are the math expectations for new transfer students?
Please review this PDF document for information regarding math expectations and requirements.

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