Academic Advising

Students are encouraged to meet with undergraduate advisors every semester to stay on track for on-time graduation. The SoCJ partners with University Advising to give students a customized holistic advising experience. Students seeking advising should complete the SoCJ Advising and Registration form. Our team of advisors will assess your needs and reach out with next steps.

Advisors are here to help you with:

Selecting courses in your major for next semester
Planning your academic career
Contemplating changes to your major, minor or concentration
Dropping or withdrawing from courses in your major
Considering the G/P/NC option
Exploring career paths to see how we can help you achieve your goals
Facing major academic, personal, family or medical issues, including Academic Judiciary proceedings

How to Get Advising and Registration Assistance

Start by submitting your questions through the SoCJ Student Inquiry form.

Our advising team will use the information submitted through the form to understand your advising and registration needs, review your academic record and determine the appropriate next steps. Not all inquiries require an in-person or Zoom appointment and some will be handled via email.

If an advising appointment is needed, our team will direct you to make an appointment through Navigate with the appropriate advisor:

Mary Monsee
- Academic Advisor, Division of Undergraduate Education
- Services Offered: Advising for First and Second Year Communication, Mass Communication and Journalism majors and minors
Meghan Sweeney
- Assistant Director of Upperclass and Transfer Advising, Division of Undergraduate Education
- Services Offered: Advising for Upperclass and Transfer Students who are Communication, Mass Communication and Journalism majors and minors
Irene Virag
- Associate Dean and Undergraduate Programs Director, SoCJ
- Services Offered: Graduation Checks, Degree Clearance, Petitions/Exceptions, VIS Forms, Course Equivalency Evaluations, Class Permissions, and students requiring specialized assistance.

Helpful Information

Major & Minor Requirements

Stay on track with these helpful documents that detail the major requirements, electives and suggested curriculum maps for each SoCJ program.

All courses must be completed with a grade of C or higher to count toward your major or minor.
Beware of the G/P/NC option. Always check with an advisor first. Even if you earn a passing “P” grade in a major or minor course, you’ll have to repeat it. No exceptions.
JRN 106, JRN 208, and JRN 305 run as COM 106, COM 208, and COM 305.
COM 415: Data Analysis and Storytelling is no longer required for journalism majors and may be taken as an elective.
Remember to keep track of your progress toward your degree. It will help you and your advisor when you talk about what you should take next semester.

Graduating Seniors

We recommend all graduating seniors schedule a major credit check at the start of their final semester, preferably before the end of the drop/add period.

Schedule a Credit Check

Transferring Credits to SBU

To find out if courses you took at another institution can count toward your Stony Brook degree, you first must work with Undergraduate Advising Services. Only courses that have been accepted by the university can be evaluated for credit in your major or minor.

If you would like the SoCJ to evaluate a course to see if it can be applied to your major or minor, you must:

Submit the course syllabus to the SoCJ Student Inquiry Form
Make sure the final course grade appears on the previous institution's transcript

With that information, the Undergraduate Program Director will determine if those credits can count toward your major or minor, and how they will be applied.