Frequently Asked Questions

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Application deadline dates for each semester can be found at How to Apply.

In your personal statement please address the following questions: Explain why you are interested in our program and how you see it fitting in with your long term professional ambitions. Try, if possible, to comment in your statement on what one or more of the terms “compassionate care,” “medical humanities,” and “bioethics” mean to you. How do these areas of study mesh with where you see your career plans developing at this point in your life?

Official Transcripts are required for any college coursework completed at academic institutions outside of Stony Brook. Applicants who have completed coursework at Stony Brook University do not need to send their official Stony Brook transcripts, as these can be retrieved internally. You can find detailed information regarding official transcript requirements at Stony Brook University Graduate Admissions.

Ideally at least two of your letters should be from professors/instructors whom you have worked with. If you have earned a degree in the past 5 years then two of your letters must come from professors at the degree granting program.

• Applications with international credentials (Non-US Institutions) can find detailed information regarding official transcripts requirements at Stony Brook University Graduate Admissions.
• Official English Proficiency Scores (If applicable). For more comprehensive information on the language proficiency requirements for admissions, please refer to the Graduate Catalog.

You may defer your offer of admission for one or two semesters (e.g., if you applied for fall admission, you can defer to any term up to fall of the following year). After this time you must reapply.

The Graduate School policy does not allow us to accept transfer credits that have counted toward a degree or certificate at another institution. If no degree was received, then the student may petition the graduate admissions committee to have up to 12 credits transferred. The courses must have been taken in the previous 5 years. Determination of acceptability and relevance is made at the sole discretion of the graduate admissions committee.

The Center does not have any graduate teaching or research assistantships to offer at this time. Advising on grants, scholarships and loans is available through various offices on campus. General inquiries may be directed to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship Services on West Campus.

The MA is not a professional degree in the sense that there are prescribed steps individuals follow after graduating. The diversity of our student body is reflected in their diverse goals and aspirations. Students at comparable programs go on to complete terminal medical degrees and PhD programs. They hold diverse positions in such fields as clinical ethics, hospital administration, patient advocacy, hospice care and the chaplaincy. Many current working professionals use the education they receive in this program to enhance and complement their skills and knowledge in their current profession. For additional information please contact Dr. Stephen Post.

Many of our students are working professionals. We understand such commitments and do everything we can to accommodate. All of our required courses during the Fall and Spring semesters meet in the evenings (as do most of our electives). Students can complete the program in one to five years.

We count the range of experiences and voices found in our student body as one of our great strengths. Students in our program come from a wide variety of professional backgrounds and are diverse in age and ethnicity.

There are often very early deadlines to apply for on campus housing. For the most up to date information about campus housing please visit Campus Residences.

Please visit The Graduate School's Graduation Information for answers to all questions about graduation.