Stony Brook University is one of several university campuses that make up the State University of New York school system. Its official name is actually the State University of New York at Stony Brook, but many call it either SUNY Stony Brook or Stony Brook University. When founded in 1957, it was officially the State University College on Long Island. It later moved to Stony Brook and took on its current name. Most of its early programs were day programs that required students to take classes on its campus in the early hours. The university later added some evening classes and weekend classes to meet the needs of its growing student base, and the school added an online campus later too. This online campus offers graduate degree programs for students who do not want to enroll in a traditional program that meets on its campus.
The university also expanded to include campuses in other parts of New York as well. There is a campus in Manhattan for those who live and work in the city and a campus in Southampton. Students can also sign up to take classes on a campus that the university operates in South Korea. The Graduate School is one of the oldest department at this university, but it also opened other colleges and departments that include the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, School of Nursing and a School of Journalism. According to both Washington Monthly and U.S. News & World Report, Stony Brook University ranks among the top 100 of colleges operating in the United States.
Stony Brook University Accreditation Details
All the programs that Stony Brook University offers have accreditation. This is a form called regional accreditation that is important for two reasons. The first is because it allows students to transfer any of the credits that they earn, but regional accreditation is also important because it's one of the requirements for getting federal financial aid. Regional accreditation comes from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The university also sought program accreditation for some of its degree programs. That form of accreditation comes from different organizations that include the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education, American Dental Association, American Physical Therapy Association and American Occupational Therapy Association. Its psychology, nursing, public health and teaching programs all have accreditation too.
Stony Brook University Application Requirements
The university offers an online application for prospective graduate students that they can fill out and submit at any point in the year. Students will need to pick the semester when they want to start because the school allows students to start in the fall, spring or summer semester. There is a $100 application fee that goes along with the application. Students can pay this fee when they decide to submit their applications. Stony Brook University also allows prospective students to create their own unique accounts with the site. This gives them the chance to save their work as they progress through the application.
Though the application goes directly to the university, all the required documents that students submit must go to the department responsible for offering the programs they want to study. Students need to submit a personal essay, which is a short essay of around 500 to 1,000 words that lets them explain why they chose this school, what they want to study, the experience they have with the subject and any other information they think is relevant. They must also submit an official college transcript, an official score from the GRE and three letters of recommendation.
Tuition and Financial Aid
As Stony Brook University is part of the SUNY system, it keeps costs down and offers programs that are more affordable than other schools. The cost for a graduate student who is also a New York resident is around $6,300 a semester for most graduate programs. Its Masters's of Business in Administration and Master's of Social Work programs charge higher costs of between $7,400 and $8,200 a semester. Residents of states other than New York are subject to a nonresident fee that will increase their costs each semester. Though online students pay the same tuition rates, they do not pay as many fees as traditional students do.
The university offers fellowships for students studying on its campus, and those students can also apply to work as a teaching or research assistant on the campus. Those enrolled in an online graduate program have access to less programs and financial aid options. Many of those students use loans to cover their costs. The federal government allows graduate students to borrow a little over $20,000 a year, but those students must enroll on a full-time basis. Part-time students and full-time students who need more help can look at private student loans or alternative loans that usually require a co-signer with a good credit history.
Online Programs Available
Students hoping to attend a graduate program through Stony Brook University's online system will find that this virtual campus offers more options for undergrads than graduate students. It offers a Bachelor's of Science in Electrical Engineering that features a number of upper division courses that students typically take in their junior or senior years. The system also offers undergrad courses in biology.
The School of Professional Development offers a few programs for those who want to work as teachers or in school administration positions. One of those programs is a Master's of Science in Human Resource Management. It includes courses like employee learning and professional/career development, human relations and workforce planning, employment law and policy and diversity and global issues in the workplace. There is also a Master's of Arts in Higher Education Administration degree program available online. This program is available as an entirely online program or as a hybrid program that lets students take classes on the Stony Brook campus.
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Students can also earn a Master's of Science in Nutrition online, which is a program that consists of 36 credit hours of graduate courses. It features courses like issues and trends in nutrition, nutrition management and leadership, survey of nutrition concepts and practical applications. Students can take 15 credits of work at the graduate level to earn an advanced certificate in nutrition too. This Stony Brook University program has some prerequisites that students will need to take before starting the full program.