Stony Brook University Transfer Credit Policies
- Courses must be completed with a grade of C or higher at a regionally accredited institution to be eligible for transfer.
- Students with an AA or AS degree from SUNY/CUNY may receive transfer credit for courses with a D grade toward the 60‑credit transfer
guarantee. These credits do not fulfill direct equivalencies, major requirements,
or SBC general education requirements.
- Transfer grades are recorded on the official Stony Brook transcript but are not included in the Stony Brook cumulative GPA. Once posted, transfer credit may not be removed from the transcript.
- Credits awarded with a “P” or “S” grade are accepted only when the granting institution confirms the grade is equivalent
to a C or higher.
- Students cannot receive credit twice for equivalent courses. If a student repeats a course at Stony Brook, previously
awarded transfer credit for that course will be removed.
- Students may apply up to 84 total credits of transfer coursework and test credit toward a bachelor’s degree.
- Of these, no more than 30 credits may come from exams such as AP, IB, CLEP, or A‑Levels.
- After reaching junior status (57 credits), students must complete at least 36 credits in residence at Stony Brook.
- Credits earned at community or technical colleges are considered lower-division, while upper-division courses (300-level+) are generally expected to be completed
at a four-year institution.
- A maximum of 4 credits of 100-level physical education coursework may be transferred.
- Students may earn a maximum of 8 Winter credits across all institutions. CEAS students are limited to 4 Winter credits.
- During the summer, students may earn up to 18 total credits, with no more than 9 per session.
- Students planning to take courses elsewhere during summer or winter should consult
their departmental advisor and the Academic & Transfer Advising Services Office.
- Transfer credit will be posted after Stony Brook receives an official transcript showing a grade of C or higher.
- The First-Year Composition (WRT 102) requirement may only be satisfied by transfer credit completed before matriculation at Stony Brook.
- After enrollment, students must complete WRT 102 on campus, as transfer credit from another institution is not accepted.
- Transfer courses intended to satisfy a major requirement must be evaluated and approved by the corresponding academic department.
- Courses with grades below C cannot count toward the 39-credit upper-division graduation requirement.
- Courses taken at other universities or colleges in a technology curriculum generally will not transfer as equivalents to Engineering or Applied Sciences courses. Students should consult
the department for guidance on acceptable transfer courses toward their major.
- Coursework completed outside the U.S. with a grade of C or higher may be evaluated
for transfer if the institution is accredited by a recognized Ministry of Education.
Some institutions may require a WES or similar evaluation.
- Students may earn Winter or Summer credit abroad only with prior approval from International
Academic Programs (IAP) for participation in IAP-approved partner programs. Courses
taken through any program not approved by IAP - including those offered by unaffiliated
U.S. institutions - are not eligible for approval and will not be transferred.
- Transcripts must include accreditation verification. Professional evaluations may
be required for some institutions.
- International coursework cannot satisfy WRT 102.
- Stony Brook accepts ACE-recommended credits from military courses documented on the Joint Service Transcript (JST).
- “Credit is not given for most military experience alone. Credit for the TECH SBC may
be awarded on a case-by-case basis.”
- Transfer evaluation for military courses and general education applicability is handled
by Credit Evaluation Services.
- Students may request departmental consideration for major/concentration credit.
- Official JSTs must be sent to the Undergraduate Admissions Office and are evaluated after enrollment.
- Total military plus other transfer credits count toward the 84-credit maximum.
- Credits from regionally accredited institutions, or those recognized by the Program on Noncollegiate Sponsored Instruction (NY State), will be evaluated for degree applicability.
- Recognized regional accrediting bodies include:
- Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), Western Association
of Schools and Colleges
- Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
- New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE)
- Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
- WASC Senior College and University Commission (WASC)
- Credits from institutions with other types of accreditation are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. For questions, contact transfer_office@stonybrook.edu.
Stony Brook University is committed to a fair, thorough, and transparent evaluation
of transfer credit. Our process aligns fully with the State University of New York
(SUNY) Transfer Pathways and Minimum Review Requirements, ensuring every student receives
an accurate assessment of previously earned academic work.
Process:
1- Initial (Unofficial) Transfer Credit Evaluation: Prospective students may preview
preliminary articulation outcomes using the Unofficial Transfer Credit Evaluation
Tool by EdVisorly, which increases transparency and sets expectations prior to enrollment.
2- Initial (Official) Transfer Credit Evaluation: Once a student is admitted and
deposits, Transfer Services Evaluation Specialists determine transferability based
on:
- Accreditation of the sending institution
- Course credit awarded by the sending institution
- The student’s earned grade meeting Stony Brook University’s minimum transfer grade
requirement
- Course content, learning outcomes, and level
- SUNY General Education alignment and Stony Brook Curriculum (SBC) applicability
- Potential equivalency to Stony Brook courses
3- Secondary Review: The secondary review is carried out by a different evaluator
or in collaboration with the initial evaluator, as permitted by SUNY.
Secondary review is conducted by:
- Academic departments
- Faculty evaluators
- A Transfer Evaluation Specialist
This process may include consultation between evaluators, review of syllabi or course
materials, and faculty input for discipline-specific determinations.
- Courses must be completed with a grade of C or higher at a regionally accredited institution to be eligible for transfer.
- Students with an AA or AS degree from SUNY/CUNY may receive transfer credit for courses with a D grade toward the 60‑credit transfer guarantee. These credits do not fulfill direct equivalencies, major requirements, or SBC general education requirements.
- Transfer grades are recorded on the official Stony Brook transcript but are not included in the Stony Brook cumulative GPA. Once posted, transfer credit may not be removed from the transcript.
- Credits awarded with a “P” or “S” grade are accepted only when the granting institution confirms the grade is equivalent to a C or higher.
- Students cannot receive credit twice for equivalent courses. If a student repeats a course at Stony Brook, previously awarded transfer credit for that course will be removed.
- Students may apply up to 84 total credits of transfer coursework and test credit toward a bachelor’s degree.
- Of these, no more than 30 credits may come from exams such as AP, IB, CLEP, or A‑Levels.
- After reaching junior status (57 credits), students must complete at least 36 credits in residence at Stony Brook.
- Credits earned at community or technical colleges are considered lower-division, while upper-division courses (300-level+) are generally expected to be completed at a four-year institution.
- A maximum of 4 credits of 100-level physical education coursework may be transferred.
- Students may earn a maximum of 8 Winter credits across all institutions. CEAS students are limited to 4 Winter credits.
- During the summer, students may earn up to 18 total credits, with no more than 9 per session.
- Students planning to take courses elsewhere during summer or winter should consult their departmental advisor and the Academic & Transfer Advising Services Office.
- Transfer credit will be posted after Stony Brook receives an official transcript showing a grade of C or higher.
- The First-Year Composition (WRT 102) requirement may only be satisfied by transfer credit completed before matriculation at Stony Brook.
- After enrollment, students must complete WRT 102 on campus, as transfer credit from another institution is not accepted.
- Transfer courses intended to satisfy a major requirement must be evaluated and approved by the corresponding academic department.
- Courses with grades below C cannot count toward the 39-credit upper-division graduation requirement.
- Courses taken at other universities or colleges in a technology curriculum generally will not transfer as equivalents to Engineering or Applied Sciences courses. Students should consult the department for guidance on acceptable transfer courses toward their major.
- Coursework completed outside the U.S. with a grade of C or higher may be evaluated for transfer if the institution is accredited by a recognized Ministry of Education. Some institutions may require a WES or similar evaluation.
- Students may earn Winter or Summer credit abroad only with prior approval from International Academic Programs (IAP) for participation in IAP-approved partner programs. Courses taken through any program not approved by IAP - including those offered by unaffiliated U.S. institutions - are not eligible for approval and will not be transferred.
- Transcripts must include accreditation verification. Professional evaluations may be required for some institutions.
- International coursework cannot satisfy WRT 102.
- Stony Brook accepts ACE-recommended credits from military courses documented on the Joint Service Transcript (JST).
- “Credit is not given for most military experience alone. Credit for the TECH SBC may be awarded on a case-by-case basis.”
- Transfer evaluation for military courses and general education applicability is handled by Credit Evaluation Services.
- Students may request departmental consideration for major/concentration credit.
- Official JSTs must be sent to the Undergraduate Admissions Office and are evaluated after enrollment.
- Total military plus other transfer credits count toward the 84-credit maximum.
- Credits from regionally accredited institutions, or those recognized by the Program on Noncollegiate Sponsored Instruction (NY State), will be evaluated for degree applicability.
- Recognized regional accrediting bodies include:
- Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), Western Association of Schools and Colleges
- Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
- New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE)
- Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
- WASC Senior College and University Commission (WASC)
- Credits from institutions with other types of accreditation are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. For questions, contact transfer_office@stonybrook.edu.
Stony Brook University is committed to a fair, thorough, and transparent evaluation of transfer credit. Our process aligns fully with the State University of New York (SUNY) Transfer Pathways and Minimum Review Requirements, ensuring every student receives an accurate assessment of previously earned academic work.
Process:
1- Initial (Unofficial) Transfer Credit Evaluation: Prospective students may preview preliminary articulation outcomes using the Unofficial Transfer Credit Evaluation Tool by EdVisorly, which increases transparency and sets expectations prior to enrollment.
2- Initial (Official) Transfer Credit Evaluation: Once a student is admitted and deposits, Transfer Services Evaluation Specialists determine transferability based on:
- Accreditation of the sending institution
- Course credit awarded by the sending institution
- The student’s earned grade meeting Stony Brook University’s minimum transfer grade requirement
- Course content, learning outcomes, and level
- SUNY General Education alignment and Stony Brook Curriculum (SBC) applicability
- Potential equivalency to Stony Brook courses
3- Secondary Review: The secondary review is carried out by a different evaluator or in collaboration with the initial evaluator, as permitted by SUNY.
Secondary review is conducted by:
- Academic departments
- Faculty evaluators
- A Transfer Evaluation Specialist
This process may include consultation between evaluators, review of syllabi or course materials, and faculty input for discipline-specific determinations.