About the course

The Department of Physics and Astronomy in the College of Arts and Sciences offers courses of study and research that normally lead to the Ph.D. degree. The M.A degree is awarded either as a terminal degree, or to students on the way to the Ph.D. degree. The Master of Science in Scientific Instrumentation program is provided for those interested in instrumentation for physical research. A Master of Arts in Teaching program, from the School of Professional Development, is available for students seeking to teach physics in high schools. Students may find opportunities in various areas of physics not found in the department or in related disciplines at Stony Brook in such programs as Medical Physics, Chemical Physics, Atmospheric and Climate Modeling, Materials Science and at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. The entire faculty participates in teaching a rich curriculum of undergraduate, graduate, and professional development courses, including many courses on special topics of current interest. Graduate students must fulfill one year of teaching. Course requirements are kept at a minimum to allow the student to set up a flexible program. Students are encouraged to participate in research as early as possible and to begin their thesis research no later than the beginning of their third year. The typical length of time to the Ph.D. is four to six years, whereas the Master's in Scientific Instrumentation is a two-year program that involves a thesis project in instrumentation design or development, and the work for an M.A. degree can be completed in two semesters and one Summer. Scholarships - View all scholarships Internships

　　

Start dates and prices

Course fees are indicative and should be used as a guide. Speak to a counsellor to get an accurate price.

　　Duration: 8 Semester(s)Fees: Not available

Intake	Location
Spring (January), 2024	Stony Brook
Fall (August), 2024	Stony Brook
Spring (January), 2025	Stony Brook
Fall (August), 2025	Stony Brook

　　

How to apply

Entry requirements for SUNY Stony Brook University

For admission to PhD program of the Department of Physics and Astronomy the following, in addition to the minimum Graduate School requirements, are required:

　　A bachelor degree in physics or related field from an accredited institution,

　　A minimum grade average of B in all undergraduate coursework, and B or better in the sciences and mathematics,

　　Submission of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test and Physics GRE subject test. The GRE submission code of the graduate school is 2548. Note that GRE scores are collected by the graduate school and not by the department. In exceptional circumstances, waivers for the Physics GRE can be granted. Please contact the graduate program director.

　　A statement of purpose, decribing interests and motivation to pursue a PhD degree.Note that your statement will be read by physicists outside your own field, and the level should be such that anyone with a Bachelor degree in physics can understand it. One thing we try to distill from your statement is how excited you are about physics and your research. So do not put in too many details because this easily may make it boring to someone who is not in the field. Also do no make it longer than one page. Remind that we have to read hundreds of statements, and we really appreciate if a statement is interesting and exciting.

　　Please do not cut and paste your personal statement from Microsoft Word because this may become unreadable on Macintosh computers which we alluse.

　　Transcripts from all colleges and univeristies you attended as well as additional materials such as your CV, should be uploaded electronically.

　　Three recommendation letters which should be submitted electronically. Please tell the faculty not to cut and paste from Microsoft Word.

　　All applicants are required to take the GRE General Test as well as the Physics GRE subject test. In exceptional circumstances, waivers for the Physics GRE subject test can be granted. Please contact the graduate program director. All applicants will be evluated on all their merits and we do not use a lower cut-off for the Physics GRE.

　　Applicants whose native language is not English must take the TOEFL test.

　　Have the ETS send the GRE and TOEFL score to the graduate school (paper copies of you score will not be accepted. Please use the following code: Stony Brook University Institution Code: 2548 (According to the ETS our name is SUNY Center Stony Brook) Please enter the GRE and TOEFL scores (and date, percentile, etc.) in the online application of ApplyYourself. These scores will be used in the admission decision. Your official scores may have been received but not yet entered in Applyyourself by the administrative staff: they typically suffer a backlog of several weeks at this time of year. Only if and when you are accepted and admitted, the official test scores will required and cross-checked.

　　If you English has been your most used language for many years, please fill out that English is your native or primary language. Otherwise you will have to do a Toefl test. Having been in an English speaking country for a couple of years is not sufficient.

　　An applicant must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 point scale.

　　IELTS: Overall score of 6.5, with no subsection recommended to be below 6

　　TOEFL: 90 for admission to a doctoral program and to be eligible for consideration for TA/GA support

　　

English language requirements

　　6.5

　　Overall IELTS band score

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　　About IELTS

　　Practice and prepare

　　TOEFL Internet based overall score: 90.0

　　

Application deadline:

This date isn’t available – speak to an IDP counsellor to get detailed information.

　　

Further information

Career outcomes

　　

Reviews and rankings

World ranking

　　251st / 1250

　　THE World ranking

　　

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