Incoming student portal

Helpful Information for Incoming Ph.D. and Master's Students

This information was compiled by past and present graduate students to provide incoming students with information they believe will be helpful.

Academic Decisions and Success

There are many ways to succeed in the Stony Brook physics graduate program, and what you make of your degree really depends on your own background, your interests, and the kinds of research opportunities you are searching for. Collaboration, building a network of peers, and taking advantage of the opportunities that abound in the grad student community, broader department, and university can improve your likelihood of success, however you may define it.

Here, we have compiled suggested paths towards success based on our collective prior experience:

• Advice for students who did not take graduate courses during their undergrad (especially important for those who intend to do theory).

• Advice for students who did take graduate courses during their undergrad or already have Master’s degrees.

• Advice for students whose previous degrees are not in physics.

• Advice for students who want a terminal Master’s degree.

More General Resources

Additionally, there are a few resources to help you find your step at Stony Brook.

• Self-diagnostic Test: Evaluate your preparation for the core courses.

Note: Master’s students are not required to take these courses, and Ph.D. students are not required to take these courses immediately (these can be taken after remedial courses if necessary).

• Guide to Living on Long Island: Recommendations for living a balanced, healthy, and fulfilling life on Long Island and in New York.

• Students to Contact: Current graduate students whom you can contact for additional information and general advice.

• Research Groups: Current professors and research groups with brief descriptions and advice for joining and collaborating.

• Working Outside the Department: Research opportunities outside the physics department at Brookhaven, the Laufer Center, and Cold Spring Harbor.

Practical Information for SBU

Before You Arrive

The 2025 orientation schedule is not yet available. It will be linked here once it is. Alternatively, you should receive emails about your orientation schedule from the Graduate Program Director (Derek Teaney as of 2025) and/or the Graduate Program Coordinator (Donald Sheehan as of 2025).

• Getting to campus: For when you first arrive, especially if you're flying in.

• Acquiring Housing: If you don't know where you'll be living when you get to campus, or you're thinking of moving out of on-campus housing.

• Health Form Information: What you need to know about the health forms you'll have to bring.

• Things to Bring: What to pack before you leave.

• Course Placement: What to know about placing out of courses.

• Mentorship Program: The status of the mentorship program in 2025 has not yet been determined. You can likely find out more information by emailing sbupgsa@gmail.com, the Graduate Program Director, and/or the Graduate Program Coordinator. However, please note that these parties may also not have information about the mentorship program for a given year if it is quite early in the cycle.

• Getting an SBU Parking Pass: If you're coming with a car, how to get a permit to park.

Once You Arrive

• Methods of Transportation: Getting around the Stony Brook area once you've arrived.

• Fees & Finances: What you need to know about the financial situation of a new student.

• Taking the Comprehensive Exams: Tips on whether to take the comprehensive exams before the start of your first semester, and what you need to know if you decide to.

For International Students

• SIM Cards: Information about SIM cards for international students who will be arriving without working phones.

• Social Security Numbers (SSN): An essential part of living and working in the US.

For Master's Students

• Applying to Ph.D. Programs: Tips for Master's (or undergraduate) students who are planning to apply to Stony Brook and/or other Ph.D. programs in physics and astronomy.