Students with bachelor’s degrees can apply directly to the M.A., M.S. or Ph.D. programs.
Students with M.S. degrees can also apply to the Ph.D. program, but an M.S. is not
required for entry to the Ph.D. program.
Students with backgrounds in math and the sciences, particularly those with strong
quantitative backgrounds, are encouraged to apply. We help students apply the tools
of math and science to solve complex environmental issues.
Qualifications for Admission
All Programs
Completion of a B.A. or B.S. with a cumulative G.P.A. of at least 3.0 (a B)
International students without English as their native language will probably be required
to submit acceptable scores on the TOEFL/IELTS; pleasesee official Graduate School policy.
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required; however, we will accept and
consider scores for applicants who feel it strengthens their application.
M.A. in Marine Conservation Policy
At least 4 semesters of college courses in math or science, including at least one
course in biology.
M.S. and Ph.D. in Marine, Atmospheric, and Sustainability Sciences
A B.A. or B.S. degree in a discipline related to the intended field of study, or coursework
equivalent to such a degree.
At least 8 semesters total of some combination of introductory coursework in mathematics,
biology, chemistry, geology, physics, sustainability, and/or related disciplines,
with more advanced coursework in at least one of these disciplines.
To ensure full consideration for scholarships and fellowships for Fall 2025 admission,
applications should be received by January 15th 2025. The final deadline for application is March 15th 2025.
Applications for Fall 2025 admission received by December 15th 2024 will receive full consideration for scholarships and fellowships. Applications received
before January 5th 2025 will be reviewed, but full consideration for financial assistance is not guaranteed. For Spring 2025, applications must be received by October 18th 2024; please note that admission to begin in spring is rare and financial support is generally only available for students beginning study in the
fall semester.
To Apply
Fill out the online application to the Stony Brook University Graduate School.
Prepare your personal statement.Tell us why you want to earn a graduate degree (MS
or PhD) in Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. How would your time in our program help
to get you from your previous experiences to where you hope to be in 10 years? If
relevant, describe how any prior research experience has prepared you for graduate
school. Additionally, tell us about other life experiences that have prepared you
for graduate work by building transferable skills (e.g., project management, coding,
budgeting, work ethic, ability to work in a team, ability to work independently, etc.).
Describe your research interests as specifically as you can, including which SoMAS faculty you would like to work with to pursue those interests. Although contact with potential advisors is not required before applying, it is very strongly encouraged. Our program embraces
and supports diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI); please describe if and how your experiences and goals are connected to DEI.
Finally, tell us anything else you would like the Admissions Committee to know in
evaluating your application. Aim to be concise; an effective personal statement is
often less than two pages. Please note that you will be prompted to upload your personal statement from the 'checklist'
page that will appear after you have submitted your application (and paid the application fee) in Slate.
Identify 3 people to provide letters of reference, and make sure they submit them
when prompted by Slate.
If you wish to submit GRE scores, have ETS send Stony Brook University your official
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (Stony Brook’s code for score reporting is
2548).
For International students who must submit TOEFL/IELTS scores: submit score to Stony
Brook (code 2548). Please refer to the Graduate School's Admissions FAQ for more information.
Provide transcripts from previous undergraduate and graduate coursework (unofficial
is acceptable) as required by the Graduate School; note that if accepted, you will
also need to provide official transcripts. Please refer to theGraduate School's Admissions FAQfor more information.
All of our degrees require a minimum GPA of 3.0 in undergraduate and graduate (if applicable) coursework.
The M.S. and Ph.D. in the Marine, Atmospheric, and Sustainability Sciences requires at least 8 semesters total of some combination of introductory coursework
in mathematics, biology, chemistry, geology, physics, sustainability, and/or related
disciplines, with more advanced coursework in at least one of these disciplines.
The M.A. in Marine Conservation and Policy requires one semester of college-level biology, three additional semesters of college-level
science and/or math, and advanced coursework in your major.
It depends on the field you wish to pursue – we want to see that you have a strong
foundation in your area of interest.
For those interested in Atmospheric Sciences (M.S. and Ph.D.), well-prepared students may have taken classes in areas such as
mechanics, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, partial differential equations, linear
algebra, vector calculus, probability and statistics, for example.
For those interested in Sustainability (M.S. and Ph.D.) or Marine Conservation and Policy (M.A.), advanced coursework spans a large number of disciplines because of the breadth
of the degree. Appropriate advanced coursework could include (but is certainly not
limited to) communications, economics, education, geography, health science, journalism,
political science, sociology, socio-environmental systems, any of the basic sciences,
and much more.
For those interested in Marine Sciences (M.S. and Ph.D.), well-prepared students may have taken classes in areas such as,
for example:
If you plan to pursue biological oceanography – genetics, molecular biology, invertebrate or vertebrate zoology, organic chemistry
(with lab), ecology, cell biology, physiology, evolutionary biology.
If you plan to pursue chemical oceanography – organic chemistry (with lab), physical chemistry, biochemistry, chemical thermodynamics,
nuclear chemistry, environmental chemistry, advanced inorganic chemistry.
If you plan to pursue studies in marine fisheries – statistics, quantitative modeling, biology, ecology, environmental science, management,
social science.
If you plan to pursue geological oceanography – mineralogy, sedimentology, stratigraphy, petrology, paleontology, structural geology,
marine geology, field geology, geophysics, geochemistry, hydrogeology.
If you plan to pursue physical oceanography – thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, partial differential equations, linear algebra,
mechanics, scientific computing, complex variables, signal processing
Contacting potential advisors is always a good idea, but not required. Reaching out
to faculty shows your interest and initiative. You can also learn whether or not someone
you would like to work with is looking for new graduate students.
You can email the SoMAS Graduate Student Club at somasgradclub@gmail.com to connect with active graduate students in our program.
M.A. in Marine Conservation Policy
To ensure full consideration for scholarships and fellowships, applications should
be received by January 15th. The final deadline for international applicants is March 1st and the final deadline for domestic students is April 10th.
M.S. and Ph.D. in Marine, Atmospheric, and Sustainability Sciences
To ensure full consideration for scholarships and fellowships, applications should
be received by December 15th for the Fall semester. Applications received before January 5th will still be reviewed but full consideration for financial assistance is not guaranteed.
We strongly discourage spring admissions because of first-year course sequences. Please
contact the SoMAS Graduate Program Director if you have questions about Spring admissions.
Unfortunately, we cannot consider applications received after January 5th.
We will not make an admissions decision until your application is complete. Please
be aware that there are a limited number of admission offers and the more delayed
your application, the less likely it is that you will receive an offer of admission.
No; unofficial transcripts are sufficient for us to make admission decisions, though
you will have to provide an official transcript before you matriculate. Please refer
to the Graduate School's Admissions FAQ for more information.
The GRE is not required; however, we will accept and consider scores for applicants
who feel it strengthens their application.
No. The GRE itself is not required, although GRE scores in the 75th percentile or
better may strengthen your application. We look at your application as a whole, and
strengths in some areas can offset weaknesses in other areas of your application.
It depends on the degree program. We generally support M.S. and Ph.D. students on
either teaching- and/or research-assistantships (TA/RA). TAs and RAs usually come with a full graduate tuition scholarship, although
the tuition scholarship does not cover university fees or health insurance. The M.A. program is a pay-as-you-go program, although there is limited financial assistance for field
courses.