How to Apply to Life Sciences and Health-Related Undergraduate Programs at Stony Brook University: Biology and Biochemistry Are Non-Restricted, Neuroscience Is a Biology B.S. Specialization, and Nursing Is Upper-Division After 57 Credits, for Domestic and International (Including Chinese) Applicants and Transfer Students

Stony Brook University, a member of the State University of New York (SUNY), places its life-science and health programs in the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Health Professions, the School of Nursing and the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS). “Pre-med” is advising and coursework, not a major. This guide follows Stony Brook’s website and is organised for U.S. domestic applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students; Biomedical Engineering sits in CEAS and gets only a mention.

1. Which undergraduate programs are relevant

• Related degrees on the majors list: Biochemistry (B.S.), Biology (B.A. and B.S.), Human Evolutionary Biology (B.S.), Marine Vertebrate Biology (B.S.), Health Science (B.S.), Nursing (B.S., and a B.S.-M.S.), Clinical Laboratory Sciences (B.S.), Respiratory Care (B.S.), Social Work (B.S.) and, in engineering, Biomedical Engineering (B.E.). The list we read has no stand-alone Neuroscience or Public Health bachelor’s degree.
• Biology: the admissions page says you can complete a B.A. or a B.S., with tracks, faculty-sponsored independent research and honors programs in Biology or in Biology and Society. The department page lists B.S. specializations — Interdisciplinary Biology, Neuroscience, Developmental Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Environmental Biology, Quantitative Biology and Bioinformatics, and Bioengineering — and says every Biology B.S. student must declare exactly one before graduation using the Undergraduate Major/Minor form in SOLAR, which typically opens a week before registration and closes at the end of the first week of classes. The admissions page lists only four “areas of study” (Developmental Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Environmental Biology, Neuroscience), which does not fully match the department page; follow the department page.
• Biochemistry (B.S.): the department says the major prepares students for graduate study, health-related professional schools, secondary teaching, and entry-level laboratory or pharmaceutical and biotechnology jobs. The admissions page says students can earn credit for research with faculty who collaborate with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory and other labs.
• Health Science (B.S.): housed in the School of Health Professions and described as serving three groups — pre-health students heading to clinical graduate programs (DPT, OTD, medical school, PA, SLP and others), students in a five-year pathway for radiation therapy, radiologic technology or medical dosimetry, and students working in entry-level healthcare while studying part time in non-clinical graduate programs. Listed areas of study include Disability Studies & Human Development, Emergency and Critical Care, Exercise Science and Health Care Informatics.
• Nursing (B.S.): three upper-division paths — Accelerated Baccalaureate (ABP, 12 months), Basic Baccalaureate (BBP, two years) and RN to Baccalaureate — see section 2.
• Whether the degrees are STEM-designated: the pages we read do not say; ask the visa and immigration services office or the program.
• Biology B.S. plus Master of Arts in Teaching (BS/MAT): a five-year (ten-semester) route to NYS Initial Teacher Certification for grades 7–12; students apply in junior year with a cumulative and science GPA of at least 3.0, at least four science lab courses and three recommendations.

2. How admission works: the university first, upper-division majors separately

• Biology and Biochemistry: the admissions pages state these are “non-restricted” majors with no additional admission requirements; review follows the general criteria for how you apply (first-year or transfer). You may also apply without a major, in which case you are considered for admission to the university rather than to a particular major.
• Restricted majors: the website lists majors with extra requirements, including all CEAS majors (Biomedical Engineering among them), for which successful applicants generally have 4 units of math including calculus and 4 units of science including physics. First-year students admitted to the university but not to their preferred major may apply to the major after meeting the requirements in the catalog description.
• Nursing, Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Respiratory Care and Social Work: these are upper-division majors requiring at least 57 college credits and specific courses and grades. The website says first-year students apply to the College of Arts and Sciences in a major of their choice, take the prerequisites there, and submit the upper-division application in the year they expect to complete all prerequisites — for nursing, normally at the end of the second year. It states plainly that this is not a direct admission program but gives all the prerequisites for the Basic Baccalaureate Program.
• School of Nursing Scholars Program: the honors page says to select “Pre-Nursing” on the Common App; admitted students are reviewed after admission to the university. Selected students get early assurance of a seat in the nursing program on completing core requirements and foundation courses, with lower-division nursing seminars and activities in the first two years.
• Honors programs: Honors College, WISE (for students interested in math, science or engineering, including life sciences) and University Scholars; fall only. You apply to the university first, then fill out the Honors Program Interest Form in the StartSBU Portal, with an honors statement of about 250 words and two recommendations (at least one from a science or math teacher for WISE). The priority deadline is November 1 and the final deadline January 15. Simons STEM Scholars has its own application, due November 1.
• Scholars for Medicine / Scholars for Dental Medicine: an integrated eight-year bachelor’s/MD course of study for selected students in the Honors College, WISE or University Scholars, reserving a seat in the School of Medicine on graduation if requirements are met: complete the honors program and recommended pre-med courses, keep at least a 3.2 science GPA and 3.4 cumulative GPA, and complete the MCAT (minimum set by the School of Medicine admissions committee). Applicants must submit SAT or ACT scores and an additional essay of up to 650 words. The website gives the historical middle 50% range as a 98–99 high school GPA and 1490–1590 SAT or 35–36 ACT, and requires documentation of U.S. citizenship or permanent residency. You may apply to only one of Medicine or Dental Medicine.

3. Prerequisites

• High school coursework: the admissions pages we read do not list required high school courses for Biology, Biochemistry and similar majors; not stated. They state only the 4 units of math and 4 of science typical for CEAS majors. Ask undergraduate admissions (enroll@stonybrook.edu).
• First- and second-year course sequence: the biology department page mentions core courses BIO 201, 202 and 203 and required labs; the chemistry, physics and math requirements are in the course catalog, which is third-party hosted and was not accessed, so we do not list them; see the department’s degree checklists and suggested semester schedules.
• AP / IB credit and math or chemistry placement: the pages we read do not say; not stated.
• Nursing Basic Baccalaureate prerequisites (at least 57 credits, each with a C or higher; minimum cumulative GPA 2.8; three prerequisite sciences completed by the application deadline): English Composition 3 credits (WRT 102), Sociology 3, Psychology 3 (PSY 103), Lifespan Development 3 (PSY 220), Microbiology with lab 4 (BIO 299), Anatomy and Physiology I with lab 4 (HAN 200), Anatomy and Physiology II with lab 4 (HAN 202), Chemistry 3, Statistics 3, Humanities 6, Fine Arts 3, US History 3, Global Issues 3, second semester of an elementary foreign language 3, and 9 credits of electives.

4. “Pre-med” (pre-health)

• The pre-professional programs page says Stony Brook is a place to prepare for medicine, dental medicine, optometry and veterinary studies, and that students from any undergraduate major can talk to their advisors about pre-med and take the required courses for medical school. The page lists no pre-med major; it only says any major can take these courses.
• The pages we read say nothing about the pre-health office’s policy for international students, committee letters or medical school acceptance statistics; not stated.
• The Scholars for Medicine program above is the integrated pathway the website describes, and it requires U.S. citizenship or permanent residency, so international students do not qualify.

5. Rounds, materials and fees

• First-year deadlines: fall 2027 — early action November 1, regular decision January 15; spring 2027 — November 1. These are completion deadlines: the application, recommendation and transcripts must all be received by then. Early action decisions come December 11 and January 29 (a complete application by November 1 is guaranteed a January 29 decision); regular decision February 26 and March 26. Honors decisions follow admission, typically starting in mid to late March.
• Platforms and fee: Common App or SUNY App (the international page lists these two; the domestic page also lists Coalition); application fee $50.
• Materials: an essay on a topic of your choice; high school transcript; one letter of recommendation (a teacher, counselor, coach, clergy or community member, not a family member); two teacher letters for honors programs. Counselors can upload transcripts or email ugprocessing@stonybrook.edu; matching documents to accounts can take up to five business days.
• Testing: test-optional, with a holistic review of the academic record (grades and strength of curriculum) and factors such as co-curricular involvement, leadership and special talents. SAT code 2548, ACT code 2952. Scholars for Medicine and Dental Medicine require an SAT or ACT score.
• Interview: the nursing page says interviews may be required of qualified applicants; for other majors the pages we read do not mention one; not stated.

6. U.S. domestic applicants

• Costs (2026–2027 estimate, full time): tuition is $7,070 for New York State residents and $31,050 for out-of-state students; fees $3,860; housing $12,291; meal plan $7,450. Direct costs for on-campus students total $30,671 in-state and $54,651 out-of-state; books $900, transportation $840 and personal expenses $2,408 add $4,148 of indirect costs; the estimated yearly cost of attendance is $34,819 in-state and $58,799 out-of-state. The website says these are estimates as of February 20, 2026, that SUNY sets tuition each June, and that tuition and fees may vary by program of study. Full-time students are billed for university health insurance, which can be waived with proof of coverage.
• Scholarships: all admitted, academically qualified first-year students are automatically reviewed for most first-year merit scholarships with no separate application; transfer students may be eligible for transfer scholarships; the website suggests filing the FAFSA early each January.
• In-state admission preference: apart from the tuition difference, the pages we read state none.
• EOP/AIM: New York State’s Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Program serves students who show promise but might not otherwise be admitted; it considers fall only, depends on state funding and needs a separate application.

7. International applicants

• Process: there is no separate international application: you complete the first-year or transfer application, and your citizenship and intended visa mark you as international. International students need an F-1 visa or hold an F-1, F-2, J-1 or J-2 visa.
• English proficiency: official scores for the TOEFL, Duolingo, SAT, ACT, IELTS, AP, IB, A-level or PTE Academic. Minimums: TOEFL iBT 80 for exams before January 21, 2026 and 4 for exams after; IELTS 6.5; Duolingo 105; ACT English 19; SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 480; IB English HL 5; AP English Language or Literature 3; A-level English C; PTE Academic 53; gaokao 125 (out of 150); Korean CSAT rank 1. Applicants from native English-speaking countries and international applicants who attend English-medium schools are exempt.
• Conditional admission: students who meet academic criteria but lack English may be admitted conditionally to the University Preparation (UP) program through the Intensive English Center (IEC), studying English plus one or two academic classes before full-time study; below the UP minimums, a TOEFL iBT of 55+, IELTS 4.5+ or Duolingo 80+ allows IEC English-only study. The site adds that admission to restricted majors may need higher course grades.
• Transcripts: grades for the three most recently completed years of secondary school in English (four years if already graduated), sent directly from the school.
• Proof of funds and the I-20: admitted students must document the ability to meet one year of educational and living expenses before an I-20 is issued; accessVIS login instructions arrive after March 1 for fall and October 1 for spring; financial documents are not needed for the admission decision.
• Nursing (upper-division) for international applicants: foreign credentials, including university work outside the U.S., must be evaluated for transfer equivalency by a NACES-accredited evaluator such as WES; applicants whose primary language is not English must submit a TOEFL score of at least 90 for exams before January 21, 2026 or 4.5 for exams on or after that date. The pages we read state no other limit on international students in nursing clinical placements; not stated.
• International scholarships: the pages we read do not say; not stated.

8. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the English-proficiency table on the international first-year page includes a row “GaoKao 125 (out of 150)” without saying which subject or score it refers to; not stated, so ask undergraduate admissions. The pages do not say whether the gaokao is otherwise used in academic review.
• Transcripts and senior-year exams: transcripts for the last three years of secondary school in English, sent by the school; the pages we read do not mention the senior-year exams or a credential-evaluation service for first-year applicants.
• English: see section 7; the website exempts applicants from native English-speaking countries and international applicants who attend English-medium schools.
• China-specific guidance: none on the pages we read; not stated.

9. Transfer students

• Eligibility: anyone who has enrolled in university-level courses after high school. The website says applicants typically have completed at least 24 college credits with a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher by the time they apply, and restricted majors may differ. Transfers with more than 56 credits must name a major to be eligible for financial aid. Offers are conditional on receipt of all official transcripts.
• Deadlines: fall 2027 May 1, spring 2027 November 1. The fee is $50, and graduates of SUNY or CUNY two-year colleges get the fee waived for up to four SUNY choices. Decisions begin in mid-February for fall and mid-November for spring. Applicants with fewer than 24 credits also send a final high school transcript; SAT/ACT is optional.
• Biology and Biochemistry: not restricted, and the transfer page states no extra courses or GPA for them.
• Nursing and other upper-division majors: complete the required prerequisites before applying. Nursing deadlines: Basic Baccalaureate January 8, 2027 (fall 2027 start), Accelerated Baccalaureate October 8, 2026 (summer 2027 start) and RN to Baccalaureate March 15, 2027 (fall 2027 start). The application needs a personal statement, all transcripts, three recommendations through the portal, a résumé and meeting the technical standards.
• Biomedical Engineering: a restricted CEAS major; transfer applicants typically have two semesters of calculus-based physics and Calculus I and II, a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, B grades in the prerequisites and no retakes (Chemical and Molecular Engineering also asks for a 3.2 GPA and Chemistry I and II).
• International transfer students: the same deadlines; English may be shown by TOEFL and similar tests, or by a C or above in a college-level writing course at a U.S. college.

Checklist

U.S. domestic applicants:

• By November 1 (early action) or January 15 (regular), submit the application, transcript and one recommendation with the $50 fee; test scores are optional
• Biology and Biochemistry are non-restricted; for Nursing and other upper-division majors, enter the College of Arts and Sciences, take the prerequisites and apply separately
• For honors programs, submit the interest form and statement by November 1 with two teacher recommendations

International applicants (including those from China):

• Same deadlines; show English with a TOEFL iBT of 80, IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 105, gaokao 125 and the other listed options; send English-language transcripts
• After admission, document one year of funds to get the I-20; Scholars for Medicine requires U.S. citizenship or permanent residency
• Upper-division nursing needs a TOEFL of 90 (4.5 after January 21, 2026) and a NACES evaluation of foreign credentials

Transfer students:

• About 24 credits with a GPA near 2.8; fall deadline May 1; Biology and Biochemistry are non-restricted; finish nursing prerequisites before applying

Sources: Stony Brook University, How to apply; First-year applicants; International first-year applicants; Honors programs; Transfer applicants; International transfer applicants; Upper-division nursing application; Cost of attendance; Scholarships; Pre-professional programs; Majors and minors; Biology; Biochemistry; Health Science; Nursing; Biology department: Biology B.S.; Biology department: Biochemistry B.S.; Biology department: special programs. Admission and cost pages name the entry term, but the nursing page and parts of the transfer page do not print a year for each date; check Stony Brook’s website to confirm the dates are for fall 2027 entry. The course catalog (catalog.stonybrook.edu) is third-party hosted and was not accessed.