Requirements: For information on admission requirements and much more, please review the Graduate School website at www.grad.sunysb.edu. At this site you will find a link to the on-line Application for Admission. Additional specific application instructions may be found here.
The Graduate School now requires on-line applications, and even letters of recommendation may now be submitted electronically. Only official transcripts (two copies of each) need to be sent by mail, to the address indicated below. Letters of recommendation may also be mailed to this address, if not submitted on-line.
Graduate Program in Genetics - Admissions
Stony Brook University
130 Life Sciences Building
Stony Brook, NY 11794-5222
Deadlines and Required Examinations: Students are accepted only for the Fall semester. The application deadline each year is January 15th, though applications received after this date may be considered on a rolling basis. Prospective students should take the GRE examination, and international candidates whose native or primary language is other than English must also take the TOEFL or IELTS exam. International candidates are not required to take the TSE examination prior to admission, but should refer to the Graduate School website for additional information on English proficiency requirements and minimum scores. Subject-specific GRE's are not required, but are very helpful to the Admissions committee. Test scores should be reported electronically to the Graduate School, Stony Brook University, code 2548. A "department code" is not needed. Note that scores must be reported electronically, as the Graduate School will not accept photocopies of score reports.
"Should I apply?" We are sometimes asked to review qualifications or evaluate test scores to help prospective students decide if they should apply for admission. Regrettably we cannot evaluate your qualifications without a complete application. The Admissions committee considers each candidate individually, weighing the entire application. Test scores are considered, but academic interests and performance, research experience and interests, letters of recommendation, and personal statements are just as important. If you have a sincere interest in research in Genetics, we strongly encourage you to apply!
International Students: International candidates sometimes ask if we accept students from specific countries and, if so, how many. We evaluate potential students on the strength of their qualifications - not on their country of origin. We actively recruit from around the world and select the most qualified candidates, regardless of where they are from. Just as the numbers of applications we receive will change from year to year, so too will the numbers of incoming students and the countries they represent. The demographics fluctuate as degrees are awarded, but approximately thirty-five to forty percent of our Genetics students are from countries other than the United States. There is wonderful cultural and international diversity at Stony Brook, which is reflected in this excellent graduate degree program.
Interviews: Clearly it is not possible to interview every applicant, though the Genetics Program does invite some candidates to Stony Brook each year, typically in February or March. Since it is especially difficult to meet international candidates, the Graduate School sends teams of faculty, representing different departments and degrees, to various foreign cities each year. A very small number of Genetics candidates may be interviewed during these visits, depending upon the size of the faculty delegation and duration of each visit. Sometimes interviews are conducted by telephone, and in other cases students are offered admission solely on the strength of the application, without a formal interview.
Financial Aid and Support: Every student - foreign or domestic - accepted into the Genetics doctoral degree program receives an annual stipend (presently greater than $25,000), health insurance benefits and a tuition scholarship. Students eligible for New York State residency are expected to establish residency by the end of the Fall semester of their first year of study, as scholarships thereafter are paid at the "in-state" tuition rate. The Graduate Program will advise and assist you in establishing residency. International students with F-1 visas are ineligible for residency status, so full scholarships at the "out of state" rate are provided.
Additional Questions? Click here to contact the Genetics Program administrative office.