1. Transfer courses are evaluated individually.

• Courses taken at institutions in the United States: Credits for all courses passed with a letter grade of C or higher at regionally accredited institutions or recognized by the Program on Noncollegiate Sponsored Instruction of the State of New York and recorded on official transcripts will be evaluated and may be accepted for applicability to specific Stony Brook University degree requirements. Credits for successfully completed courses from these institutions for which a grade equivalent to “P” or “S” was assigned may also be accepted. Credits for courses from institutions with other than regional accreditation are evaluated for transfer purposes on a case-by-case basis.
• Courses taken at institutions outside the United States: College-level courses  passed with a letter grade of C or higher  completed outside the United States and recorded on official transcripts will be evaluated for transfer credit, provided that the institution where the courses were taken is accredited by the Ministry of Education in that country. International transfer students who have completed college level courses outside the United States may be requested to submit proof of accreditation by the Ministry of Education or provide a WES (World Education Service) evaluation.

2. All academic courses successfully completed  with a grade of C or higher  at a fully accredited college or university are transferable; however, the University reserves the right to determine what constitutes an academic course.  Most baccalaureate degrees at Stony Brook require 120 credits.  After earning 57 credits, the student must complete 36 credit hours at Stony Brook. The University will, therefore, accept a maximum of 84 transfer credits including test credits. All official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended must be submitted by  August 15 if the student enters the University in the fall semester or by January 15  if the student enters the University in the spring semester. 

3. Graduates of SUNY or CUNY colleges who earned an Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree prior to matriculation at Stony Brook University receive transfer credit for all credits successfully completed as part of their associate degree requirements (with grades of C or higher). Official proof of an AA or AS degree must be submitted by August 15 if the student enters the University in the fall semester or by January 15 if the student enters the University in the spring semester.

4. Transfer credit is entered on the official University transcript. Although grades received for transferred courses are shown on the SBU transcript, they are not included in the calculation of the student’s cumulative grade point average at Stony Brook University.

5. Almost all credits earned at community and technical colleges are considered to be lower-division credit.

6. Transfer courses are reviewed individually by the Academic and Transfer Advising Services office for their applicability toward fulfillment of general education requirements. Applicants who have completed college-level study at an institution outside of the United States will have their credits evaluated for application to the University’s general education requirements by the Transfer Office. WRT 102 may not be transferred to the University from an international school.

7. Courses satisfactorily completed elsewhere toward the intended major or needed to fulfill the 39 upper-division credits requirement must be evaluated by the appropriate academic department for specific applicability. No transferred course with a grade lower than C may be counted among the 39 upper-division credits required for graduation. Forms for requesting the evaluation of specific courses for major and upper-division credit are available in the Academic and Transfer Advising Services office and in the Engineering and Applied Sciences Undergraduate Student Office. Students may begin the evaluation process as soon as they accept the offer of admission.

8. Courses taken at other universities and colleges in a technology curriculum will normally not be transferred as equivalents to engineering or applied sciences courses.

9. Courses offered by regionally accredited colleges and completed while the student was in high school will be evaluated for transfer credit according to the guidelines in the Application of Transfer Credits to General Education Requirements of the Undergraduate Bulletin.

10. International Baccalaureate: With its origins in Europe, the International Baccalaureate Program—now offered by some American high schools— leads to a diploma or certificates of examination. Stony Brook University will award six credits for International Baccalaureate higher-level exams with scores of 5 or better for yearlong courses.

11. General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (A-Level): With its origins in the United Kingdom, the General Certificate of Education or GCE is a secondary-level academic qualification that continues to be a popular measure of academic aptitude in other countries, including China, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Singapore, and Sri Lanka. Stony Brook University will award up to eight credits per subject for A-level (Advanced) exams in yearlong courses with grade equivalents of C or better.

12. Students will receive transfer credit for a maximum of four credits of 100-level physical education courses.

13. Advanced placement credit is granted to students who have taken the appropriate CEEB advanced placement examination and scored a 3 or higher.  Click here for a table listing of available AP exams, the relevant scores, and Stony Brook University equivalency and applicability to degree requirements. Students must request that their test scores be forwarded to Stony Brook University’s Undergraduate Admissions Office from  AP Services. Visit College Board at: apscore.org (school code 2548).  

14. Students must list on their application for admission all institutions attended after high school graduation. Those who fail to do so will not receive this transfer credit and may be subject to a range of possible disciplinary actions, including admission revocation and expulsion. 

Students who would like additional information should consult the Academic and Transfer Advising Services office.

Stony Brook accepts the recommended American Council on Education (ACE) credits for military courses on the Joint Service Transcript (JST). Credit is not given for military experience. The Academic and Transfer Advising Services Office (ATAS) reviews the JST for credit and general education requirements (SBCs) only. Students can request consideration for major or concentration credits from the academic departments. Official JST transcripts should be sent to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. After a student is admitted and decides to enroll, ATAS will evaluate credits based on the ACE recommendations on the JST. The maximum number of credits accepted is 84 from all previous institutions, including military credit.

See Undergraduate Bulletin

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