How to Apply to Mathematics at Stony Brook University: A College of Arts and Sciences Major Not on the Restricted-Major List, With Honors and Advanced Track Options, for US Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

Stony Brook University (SBU), part of the State University of New York (SUNY), offers its undergraduate mathematics program through the Department of Mathematics in the College of Arts and Sciences. This guide follows the admissions office and department websites, with sections for US domestic applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, and a final section for transfer students. Computer science is not covered here, and neither are the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences majors such as Applied Mathematics and Statistics and Data Science. This site has a separate article on Stony Brook computer science.

1. Degrees and options in mathematics

• The mathematics major: the department says its undergraduate offerings let students set up individualized programs consistent with their interests and career plans, and that double majors (the examples given are physics, computer science, applied mathematics and statistics, and economics) are common and encouraged. Besides the major, its pages list an honors program, an Advanced Track, a secondary teacher education program, a minor and a combined bachelor’s and master’s program.
• Degree title: the department pages read do not say whether the mathematics major leads to a B.A. or a B.S. (the catalog was not read), so please check the catalog or ask the department.
• Major courses (the department’s checklist, revised October 2021, not for secondary education majors): a calculus sequence (MAT 125/126/127, MAT 131/132 or AMS 151/161); multivariable calculus (MAT 203, AMS 261 or MAT 307); introductory linear algebra (MAT 211 or AMS 210); MAT 303, AMS 361 or MAT 308; an introduction to proofs (MAT 200, MAT 250 or the MAT 200 challenge exam); one programming or computing course (MAT 331, CSE 101, CSE 114 and others); MAT 310 or 315 (linear algebra); MAT 312/AMS 351 or MAT 313 (algebra); MAT 319 or 320 (analysis); MAT 342 (applied complex analysis); one of MAT 322, 324 or 341; and either three more MAT courses numbered 310 or above or four acceptable math-related courses. All courses must be taken for a letter grade with a C or higher, and the Stony Brook Curriculum (SBC) requirements must be met. The checklist notes that MAT 336 fulfils WRTD, SPK and STAS and that MAT 331 satisfies TECH.
• Acceptable upper-division courses: a separate department page lists courses that count toward the major electives, including MAT courses numbered 310 or above (except 475) and certain AMS, CSE, physics, chemistry and economics courses; other courses must be proposed by the student and approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. The page refers to the 2013 Undergraduate Bulletin, so check the current rules.
• Honors program: the department’s honors checklist says the program is for students with a high standard of achievement who want to study mathematics at an advanced level, for example for graduate study or mathematics-intensive sciences such as theoretical physics. It is open to junior and senior mathematics majors who have completed at least two upper-division MAT courses with grades of B or higher and have a 3.0 overall GPA, and who tell the director of undergraduate studies before registering for the senior year. It consists of six MAT courses, at least three of them not used for the major, including MAT 322, MAT 401 or 402, an algebra course other than MAT 310 or 318, and MAT 495; honors are conferred with a GPA of at least 3.5 in these courses and approval from the MAT 495 supervisor. The checklist is marked as revised in August 2013.
• Advanced Track: the department says this option starts not with calculus but with two analysis courses (MAT 141 and 142) with full proofs and MAT 150, which replaces MAT 200; completing MAT 141 and 142 gives equivalency for MAT 320. Students with AP calculus credit are welcome, but the credit does not let them skip MAT 141 or 142. The page describes course plans for 2016–2018 and calls the program “under development”, so ask the department what is offered now.

2. How admission works: you apply to the University, and mathematics is not on the restricted list

• At application: the admissions office says applicants who do not specify a major are considered for admission to the University rather than to a particular major, and that admission does not guarantee a place in a restricted major. The restricted majors it lists are those of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (including Applied Mathematics and Statistics), the College of Business’s accounting and business management, creative writing and music in the College of Arts and Sciences, and health science majors such as nursing and social work. Mathematics in the College of Arts and Sciences is not on the list.
• Declaring the major: the admissions office says students admitted to the University but not initially accepted into their major can apply to the major after meeting the requirements in the Undergraduate Catalog. When math majors declare, and whether there is a GPA or capacity limit, is not stated on the department pages read (the catalog was not read); contact the department’s undergraduate office (Math Tower P-143).
• High school preparation: the admissions pages do not state a high-school course requirement for mathematics. The “4 units of math including calculus” requirement is stated under the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences majors. The department has a placement exam, but its site (placement.math.stonybrook.edu) disallows crawlers, so it was not read; please visit it directly.
• AP, IB and A-Level credit (admissions office): AP Calculus AB with 4 or 5 earns MAT 131 (4 credits) and placement 7; BC with 4 or 5 earns MAT 131 and 132 (8 credits) and placement 9; AB or BC with 3 earns 3 credits with no specific course. AP Statistics with 3, 4 or 5 earns AMS 102 (3 credits). AP credit needs a 3 or higher, and up to 30 credits by examination may count toward the bachelor’s degree. IB higher-level exams with a score of 5 or better earn six credits for year-long courses; A-Level exams in year-long courses with a grade of C or better earn up to eight credits per subject.
• Support: the department runs a Mathematics Learning Center that tutors 100-level courses, and faculty hold advising hours in the Undergraduate Office.

3. Rounds, materials and testing (fall 2027 entry)

• Deadlines: Early Action 1 November, Regular Decision 15 January; spring 2027 entry 1 November. These are completion deadlines: the application, recommendation(s) and transcript(s) must all be received by then.
• Decision dates: Early Action 11 December and 29 January (applicants complete by 1 November are guaranteed a decision by 29 January); Regular Decision 26 February and 26 March.
• How to apply: Common App or the SUNY application (the international page says choose one; the first-year page also lists the Coalition application); $50 fee; one essay on a topic of your choice.
• Recommendations: one letter is required (the domestic page says it can come from a teacher, counselor, coach, clergy member or community member, but not a family member; the international page says a teacher or counselor). Honors programs need two, and WISE needs at least one from a science or math teacher. The website does not say whether mathematics applicants need a math teacher’s letter.
• Testing: SAT and ACT are optional (test optional), and review is holistic, covering the academic record, strength of curriculum, co-curricular involvement, leadership and special talents. The website does not say how math competitions are viewed.
• Honors programs: Honors College, WISE and University Scholars consider fall applicants only; the priority deadline is 1 November and the final deadline 15 January. Honors decisions come after admission, typically in mid to late March, and an honors interest form and a statement of about 250 words are needed.

4. US domestic applicants

• Tuition: 2026-27 estimates (as of 20 February 2026): New York State residents pay $7,070 tuition and $3,860 in fees; out-of-state students pay $31,050 tuition and the same $3,860 fees. Housing is $12,291 and the meal plan $7,450. For residents living on campus, direct costs are $30,671 and the estimated yearly cost of attendance is $34,819; for out-of-state students they are $54,651 and $58,799 (including books $900, transportation $840 and personal expenses $2,408). SUNY sets tuition each year, historically in June, and tuition and fees may vary by program.
• Aid: the website encourages submitting the FAFSA as early as possible in January of the year before enrollment; all incoming first-year applicants are considered for merit scholarships, most of which need no separate application. It states no priority or guaranteed admission for New York residents.
• Testing: optional, as above.

5. International applicants

• Application: students who need an F-1 visa apply as first-year or transfer applicants; there is no separate international application.
• Transcripts: grades for the three most recently completed years of secondary school (which may include middle school) must be submitted in English, sent directly from the school; those who have graduated submit the last four years. The website also has a Secondary School Documentation Guide, which was not read.
• English proficiency: applicants from native English-speaking countries and international applicants who attend an English-medium school are exempt. Others submit one of (minimum score): TOEFL iBT 80 for exams before 21 January 2026 or 4 for exams after; IELTS 6.5; Duolingo 105; PTE Academic 53; ACT English 19; SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 480; IB English HL 5; AP English Language or Literature 3; A-Level English C; Gaokao 125 (out of 150); CSAT rank 1. Students who meet the academic criteria but not the English criteria may be considered for conditional admission through the Intensive English Center.
• Financial documentation: admitted students must document the ability to meet one year of educational and living expenses so that an I-20 can be issued; financial documentation is not needed for the admission decision. The website does not say whether international students can receive need-based aid or international-student scholarships.

6. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the website lists the Gaokao English score (125 out of 150) as one way to show English proficiency. Whether total Gaokao results are considered, and how, is not published; ask the admissions office.
• Transcripts and school-leaving materials: three years of English transcripts sent by the school are required. The pages read do not describe the huikao or other Chinese school-leaving documents; see the Secondary School Documentation Guide and contact admissions.
• International curricula: AP, IB and A-Level credit rules are in section 2.

7. Costs, scholarships and department support

• Costs: see section 4. Full-time students are billed for University health insurance and can waive it with proof of coverage.
• Department scholarship: the department’s website describes a Summer Math Scholarship (supported by the Summer Math Foundation, the Department of Mathematics and URECA). The 2026 version is for sophomore or junior mathematics majors with a math GPA of 3.5 or above and at least three 300-level math courses, who take MAT 402 in spring; it funds a 10-week summer research programme, covering on-campus housing, a meal plan and University fees. Funding is limited, so not everyone is supported. This is the 2026 edition; check the department for later years. The department also lists a Directed Reading Program, which was not read.
• Outcomes: the department’s overview says a mathematics major can be a foundation for law, graduate health professions and business, and is particularly appropriate for computer applications, operations research and actuarial science, as well as secondary school teaching. It prints no employment data.

8. Transfer students

• Requirements: applicants have typically completed at least 24 college credits with a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher; restricted majors may have different criteria. Those with fewer than 24 credits submit the final high school transcript. Testing is optional. Transfer students with more than 56 credits must indicate a major to be eligible for financial aid.
• Deadlines: fall 2027 1 May, spring 1 November; decisions begin in mid-February (fall) and mid-November (spring). The fee is $50, applications go through Common App or SUNY, and graduates of SUNY or CUNY two-year colleges can have the fee waived for up to four SUNY choices.
• Mathematics: the transfer page lists prerequisites only for College of Engineering and Applied Sciences majors (for example, Applied Mathematics and Statistics asks for MAT 211 and MAT 203 with a 3.0 GPA). No separate conditions are listed for arts-and-sciences mathematics, and the pages read do not say how many transfer credits can count for the major; confirm with the department and the transfer office.
• Credit transfer: courses with a C or higher from regionally accredited US institutions are evaluated individually. Most bachelor’s degrees need 120 credits; after earning 57 credits a student must complete 36 credit hours at Stony Brook, so at most 84 transfer credits (including test credits) are accepted. Graduation requires 39 upper-division credits, no transferred course below C counts among them, and courses used toward the major or upper-division credit must be evaluated by the appropriate department. All official transcripts are due by 15 August for fall entry (15 January for spring). Transferred grades appear on the transcript but are not included in the Stony Brook GPA. SUNY and CUNY associate-degree graduates receive credit for all associate coursework. International transfer applicants need English results unless they completed a college writing course at a US college with a C or above.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• EA 1 November or RD 15 January; $50 fee; one essay and one recommendation; testing optional
• FAFSA early; ask the department’s undergraduate office how and when to declare the major

International applicants (including China):

• Same deadlines; three years of English transcripts; English results (TOEFL new scale 4, IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 105, or Gaokao English 125) unless exempt
• After admission, document one year of expenses for the I-20; check the department’s placement exam site directly

Transfer students:

• Fall 1 May; typically 24+ credits and a 2.8+ GPA; keep course syllabi for credit evaluation

Sources: Stony Brook University, Mathematics: undergraduate overview; Mathematics: major checklist (PDF); Mathematics: honors checklist (PDF); Mathematics: Advanced Track; Mathematics: acceptable upper-division courses; Mathematics: program checklists; Mathematics: Summer Math Scholarship; Mathematics: undergraduate advising; Admissions: first-year; Admissions: international first-year; Admissions: transfer; Admissions: international transfer; Admissions: transfer and test-based credit; 2026-27 costs; Scholarships. The admissions deadlines are for fall 2027 entry. The department’s major checklist is marked as revised October 2021, the honors checklist August 2013, and the Advanced Track page describes course plans for 2016–2018, so check Stony Brook and the Department of Mathematics for the latest.