/College of Engineering and Applied Sciences
CEAS Undergraduate Student Office

Declaring a Major or Minor in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences

All programs in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS) currently limit the number of students accepted. Admission to the University does not guarantee either immediate or future acceptance into the major for which the student applied.

Qualified freshman and transfer students who indicated their interest in a CEAS major when applying for admission to Stony Brook University may be admitted directly as a degree major or as a pre-major.

Intellectual honesty and academic integrity are cornerstones of academic and scholarly work. The department may table any applications for major/minor admission until academic judiciary matters are resolved. An academic judiciary matter will be identified by a grade of “Q” in the instance of a first offense.

How to Apply for a CEAS Major

Pre-majors are placed into the Area of Interest (AOI) program and to be eligible for the degree, they must be admitted to and declare the major. AOI students are guaranteed admission to their official pre-major program provided they have met the stated major acceptance criteria in the Undergraduate Catalog for the term in which they were admitted to the University.

CEAS AOI students pursuing admission to a CEAS major outside their official AOI pre-major are encouraged to carefully review the major acceptance criteria in the Undergraduate Catalog for additional stipulations (if any).

CEAS students pursuing admission to a different CEAS major, those pursuing a double major with a CEAS program and those pursuing admission to CEAS minors are encouraged to carefully review the entry criteria in the Undergraduate Catalog for additional admission conditions (if any).

Students whose declared major fall outside CEAS (i.e., College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, School of Communication and Journalism, School of Health Professions) and are seeking to change their primary major or pursue a double major with a CEAS program or pursuing admission to CEAS minors are encouraged to carefully review the major acceptance criteria in the Undergraduate Catalog for additional stipulations (if any).

 

CEAS Major/Minor Application

Applications for major admission from AOI and other CEAS students are reviewed twice per year and must be received by January 5 for Spring admission and June 5 for Fall admission. Please review the major entry requirements in the Undergraduate Catalog prior to completing your application.

If you are currently completing major entry requirements, or will be completing them during intersession (winter/summer), you must submit your application on or before January/June 5. On the application form, you may indicate when you will be completing requirements.

PROCESS/TIMELINE

  • Complete the CEAS Major/Minor Declaration/Drop Form by the above deadlines.
  • Students will be notified of the status of their application via their Stony Brook email address within 1-2 weeks of submission.
  • Students whose applications have been approved will have their records updated automatically.

For any additional questions, please review the Frequently Asked Questions, or visit the CEAS Undergraduate Student Office.

Frequently Asked Questions

The process for major entry is dependent upon when you matriculated into the University, or the term/year in which you enrolled in the first course that applied towards major entry.   Entry requirements vary from major to major. For the specific major entry requirements for your intended major, visit the Undergraduate Catalog. Please note that these requirements may change, and you are encouraged to speak with a CEAS Advisor about your goals.

First, speak with a CEAS advisor to review the major entry requirements for your intended CEAS major. Students may only apply to CEAS majors after completion of all necessary pre-requisites.

Applications for major admission from AOI and other CEAS students are reviewed twice per year, and must be received by January 5 for Spring admission and June 5 for Fall admission. To apply, complete the CEAS Major/Minor Declaration/Drop Form.

The CEAS Undergraduate Student Office and your intended major department will review your application.  If you are approved, you will receive an email notification and your record will automatically be updated to reflect your new major.  If you are not accepted, you will receive an email and will be strongly encouraged to meet with an advisor in the Undergraduate Student Office to discuss other major options.  Please note, admission to CEAS majors is competitive and not guaranteed.  All admissions decisions are final and are not open to appeal.

After admission to the University, students may only apply to a major within the College of Engineering & Applied Sciences after completing the major acceptance criteria in the Undergraduate Catalog. Admission to CEAS majors is competitive and not guaranteed.

Yes. Even though you may already have one major, to declare a CEAS major you still must complete the major acceptance criteria in the Undergraduate Catalog.

Note: Your CEAS major will always be listed as the primary major, and your other major as the second major.

**Students cannot double major in two programs that lead to BE degrees**

Some minors within the CEAS do have minor entry requirements, which can be found in the Undergraduate Catalog. To apply for a minor in CEAS, students must complete the CEAS Major/Minor Declaration/Drop Form. 

Important: Area-of-Interest students cannot declare a minor until they have officially declared a major.

Students must complete the CEAS Major/Minor Declaration/Drop Form and indicate they wish to “drop” their major, and add a minor on the same Form.

Please note, not all CEAS majors not offer their program as a minor. You can see available minors listed in the Undergraduate Catalog.

Important: Students must have a valid primary major on record to have a minor.

Please visit your Undergraduate Program Coordinator to discuss and declare your specialization.

No, all admissions decisions are final. Please visit the CEAS Undergraduate Student Office to discuss other major options with a CEAS advisor.

Applications to drop a CEAS major or minor will be reviewed and updated on an ongoing basis in accordance with Registrar policy. Students should complete the CEAS Major/Minor Declaration/Drop Form.