Degrees and Advanced Certificates

Overview

It is possible to learn without being educated. Learning merely implies the amassing of knowledge. An educated person is much more than a receptacle for facts. He or she is able to present those facts to others with grace and clarity and to manipulate and juxtapose them with a broader base of knowledge in order to gain new insights. Finally, an educated person never ceases to test his or her knowledge against the highest standards of scholarship and develop new ways of thinking about the facts that he or she encounters or uncovers in the course of a lifetime.

Education at the graduate level clearly implies the amassing of knowledge beyond that gained in an undergraduate degree, but the nature of the knowledge and the ways in which it is gained and used are also significantly different. It is expected that graduate students will gain detailed knowledge about a more specialized field than at the undergraduate level. The process of acquiring that knowledge is also much more independent and more reliant upon the initiative of the student. In spite of the necessarily specialized nature of the new knowledge, at Stony Brook graduate students are expected to maintain a broad perspective on their studies, such that they are able to take part in scholarly discourses in the broadest possible range of disciplines. Graduate students are, therefore, responsible for extracurricular self-education within and beyond their own fields of study; the mere satisfaction of the technical requirements for a degree is not sufficient to make one an educated person.

With education comes responsibility. Stony Brook demands the highest level of scholarly ethics from all members of the academic community. Graduate students must make themselves aware of the ethical issues of academia in general, and of their own fields in particular. No degree candidate can be considered fully educated who lacks an appreciation of these values and a dedication to upholding them.

The requirements in this section are the minimal ones mandated by the School of Professional Development; the individual graduate programs may set additional requirements. The School of Professional Development in conjunction with the Dean of the Graduate School in individual instances may choose to waive specified requirements. A petition for such a waiver must be submitted and endorsed by the Graduate Program Director, who shall append the reasons for believing that the requested waiver does not violate the spirit of the regulations.

Any changes in requirements will apply only to students who first matriculate in their particular program after the change is approved and communicated to students at the time of admission. The University reserves the right to alter these regulations without notice.

Advanced Graduate Certificates

The School of Professional Development offers a wide variety of Advanced Graduate Certificates. These can be taken after completing a bachelor’s, master’s, or other advanced degrees. Certificates are designed around specialized areas of focus for targeted study within a field. Certificate programs can be taken concurrently with another program or as stand-alone programs (see program page for details). A certificate is a good option for someone who may not want to complete the full credit requirements for a degree program but would like to develop a solid background and skills in a specialized field.

Master’s Degrees

Master’s degrees are advanced degrees implying the acquisition of knowledge and skills beyond those required for a baccalaureate.

• Some of these degrees may be taken en route to a doctoral degree, while others are terminal.
• All master’s degrees imply the recognition of their holders as skilled practitioners of their disciplines.
• In order to be awarded a master’s degree, it is necessary to demonstrate a grasp of advanced knowledge through coursework and the ability to learn independently and to communicate effectively with one’s peers.
• The granting of the master’s degree is based upon the completion of any special program requirements in addition to the items listed below.

Combined Bachelor’s/Master’s Programs Leading to NYS Teacher Certification

Five-year bachelor’s/master’s programs are available in several academic departments. Some are joint programs with the Graduate School while most are with the School of Professional Development. Students are allowed to take up to fifteen (15) graduate credits that will count towards both their undergraduate and graduate requirements; subsequently reducing the total time for completion of the master’s degree.

The University allows undergraduate students enrolled in a combined program to use a maximum of 15 graduate credits toward the undergraduate portion of the accelerated degree.

** Leads to two separate teaching licenses, Spanish/French/Italian Grades 7-12 and TESOL Pre-K-12)

Applying to a Combined Bachelor’s/Master’s Program

Students must apply and be admitted to a combined degree program. The minimum requirements to apply include completion of at least 60 credits of college coursework and a grade point average of 3.0 or higher as an undergraduate student. Additional requirements may vary by program; contact the Graduate program for more information. All applications require approval from the undergraduate department, the corresponding Graduate Program Director and the University Teacher Certification Officer.

Matriculation into the Graduate Career

When an accelerated student has completed a minimum of 105 undergraduate credits, has taken the maximum allotted number of graduate credits (15) as an undergraduate student, and has less than a full-time (12 credits) undergraduate course load needed to complete their Bachelor’s degree requirements, they should matriculate into their Graduate career. Matriculation requires submission of the “SPD Change of Status” form. Students should consult with both their Undergraduate Program Director and their Graduate Program Director for advising and guidance on matriculation.

Graduation from the Combined Bachelor’s/Master’s Program and Teacher Certification

Students enrolled in one of Stony Brook University’s combined teacher preparation programs will be eligible for graduation from both the BA or BS and MA or MAT degree at the same time. This includes completion of all degree requirements, including completion of all certification workshops (Child Abuse, School Violence, Substance Abuse and DASA). In addition, students must be awarded both their undergraduate and graduate degree programs in order to be eligible to receive an institutional recommendation on their NYSED TEACH account by the University Certification Officer and upon receipt of their FERPA release forms. All candidates must apply for their teaching license via their NYSED TEACH account and pass all the required NYS exams and complete the fingerprinting process in order for NYSED to issue their license.

Degrees with distinction are awarded at the undergraduate level only. Undergraduate coursework taken during the graduate career will calculate into the undergraduate GPA to determine distinction for Combined Degree Program students.

As per Graduate School policy, undergraduate courses DO NOT count towards graduate degree requirements. Also, per university policy, a student must spend at least one year in residency for the master’s portion of the program. Additionally, state regulation requires that students must earn a minimum of 30 graduate credits for the master’s portion of the program.

Glossary

Combined Degree - Students will be awarded both their undergraduate and graduate degrees concurrently upon successful completion of both programs. Students will only be recommended for their initial/professional teaching license after both their degrees have been awarded and the student has submitted their FERPA release forms and processing fee to the University Certification Office. This includes all five-year teacher preparation programs including the BA/BS MAT programs with School of Professional Development and the BA/MA in English, History, and TESOL with the Graduate School.

Accelerated Degree- Student will be awarded their undergraduate degree upon successful completion of their undergraduate degree requirements. Stony Brook University does not currently offer accelerated degree programs that lead to teacher certification.

Courses and Grade Point Average

A student must achieve a 3.0 overall GPA in all graduate courses taken at Stony Brook to receive a degree. A minimum of 30 to 60 credits of graduate work is required to receive a master’s degree.

Calculation of the grade point average (GPA) includes all courses numbered 500 and above taken at Stony Brook. Temporary grades (I and NR), missing grades and those grades for which no numerical equivalents are defined (P, S, U, and R) are excluded from the computation.

Grading System: See Academic Regulations/Grading System

A graduate student who has changed primary program may request a restart of GPA in considering possible waiver of academic probation.

The GPA for the new program will be calculated from the beginning of the semester in which the change of program became effective. A graduate student who has graduated and is readmitted into a new degree or certificate program may request a restart of GPA. Program approval is necessary before any restart request is submitted to the School of Professional Development (SPD). Courses taken before the restart of GPA cannot be used towards a second degree or certificate.

Language Proficiency

Although the School of Professional Development does not require proficiency in a foreign language for the master’s degree, programs oversee their own foreign language requirements and the evaluation of proficiency. Students must comply with program requirements.

Degree Application

Students must apply for graduation via SOLAR in accordance with published deadlines. If degree requirements are not met, students must reapply for any subsequent awarding periods using the Change of Graduation Date form found on the Graduation Information page on the School of Professional Development’s website.

Registration

Degree candidates must be registered in the semester they intend to graduate. Students who intend to graduate in the spring or fall must register for at least one graduate credit. Students who intend to graduate in the summer or winter can register for zero credits, but it still must be a graduate-level course.

Program Recommendation

When all program requirements are completed, the graduate program director may recommend to the School of Professional Development that the master’s degree be granted.

Time Limit

The following guidelines apply to all matriculated students enrolled in the School of Professional Development.

School of Professional Development students must complete all degree requirements within five years.

In exceptional cases where the program cannot be completed within these periods, students may petition for an extension of the time limit. Request for Waiver of Graduate Time Limit forms are available on the Forms and Publications page on the School of Professional Development website and require the approval of the student’s advisor and graduate program director. Requests for a time-limit extension must be filed before the limit is exceeded and must contain a significant justification. The ultimate decision rests with the Dean of the Graduate School, who may impose additional requirements.

These petitions require the approval of the student’s graduate program coordinator or graduate program director. Requests for a time limit extension must be filed before the limit is exceeded and must contain a significant justification. The ultimate decision rests with the Dean of the Graduate School, who may impose additional requirements.

Standards

Appreciation of the ethical questions and adherence to the highest ethical standards of the discipline are required.

Awarding Degrees

Degree candidates must be registered in the semester they intend to graduate. Students who intend to graduate in the spring, fall, or summer must register for at least one graduate credit.

When all requirements have been completed, the Graduate Program Director will certify to the School of Professional Development and recommend that the degree be awarded. Degrees are awarded three times a year: May, August, and December. A formal SPD ceremony, however, takes place only at the May commencement. To be eligible for a degree, a student must have completed all University requirements, all program degree requirements, satisfied any provisional admission requirements, submitted the appropriate manuscripts, obtained all University clearances, and have maintained matriculation according to the regulations outlined under the section “Maintaining Matriculated Status,” elsewhere in this Bulletin.

Degrees Awarded Posthumously

Upon request, the University may award a degree posthumously. Any such request requires the following for consideration:

• The parent, legal guardian, partner, relative or legal equivalent must provide a written request to the University Registrar.
• The student must have been enrolled and in good disciplinary and academic standing at the time of passing.
• Masters students must have been in their last semester.
• The graduate program director must provide a letter of recommendation in support of the request.

The Vice Provost of Graduate Education will have final authority for the approval and awarding of a posthumous degree.

Waiver of Regulations

The School of Professional Development in individual instances may waive specified requirements. A petition for such a waiver must be endorsed by the Graduate Program Director, who shall append the reasons for believing that requested waiver would not result in a breach of the spirit of the regulations.

Teacher Certification

The Master of Arts in Teaching is a New York State registered and approved program that qualifies students for license upon successful degree completion. Students must complete all courses required for the MAT and must receive a grade of B or better in all pedagogy and foundation courses as well as an overall GPA of 3.0 or better in all coursework attempted while matriculated in a graduate teacher preparation program.

In addition, all teacher preparation candidates must be fingerprinted and must also complete certification workshops in:

• Child Abuse
• Dignity for All Students Act (DASA)
• School Violence (Project Save
• Identification and Referral of Substance Abuse

See Certification and Licensing Workshops for details and schedules.

All students will have to complete the Educating All Students Test and the revised CST (Content Specialty Test) in the area of the Certificate. It is the student’s responsibility to monitor the TEACH website at http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/ to ensure that they are taking the appropriate examinations.

Note: As of April 27, 2022, the NYS Education Department eliminated the edTPA as a certification requirement. Effective September 1, 2023, in lieu of the edTPA, all students in teacher preparation programs will be required to complete a teacher performance assessment. This assessment will be developed, administered, and evaluated by Stony Brook University instructors.