/College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Ecology & Evolution

Admissions & Financial Support

Funding your graduate journey in Ecology & Evolution

Admissions & Financial Support

Welcome to the Graduate Program in Ecology & Evolution at Stony Brook University. We are committed to fully supporting our PhD students through a combination of teaching assistantships, research fellowships, and departmental awards.

👉 Are you a current student looking for funding?

💰 Graduate Funding Overview

All full-time PhD students in good academic standing are guaranteed up to five years of financial support. This comprehensive funding package generally includes:

  • Full Tuition Scholarships: Covering the cost of your required graduate coursework.

  • Subsidized Health Insurance: Comprehensive medical benefits through the university network.

  • Stipend Support: Provided through one of the internal funding mechanisms listed below.

Standard Internal Funding Streams

1. Teaching Assistantships (TA)

Most first-year graduate students are supported by departmental Teaching Assistantships. TAs assist faculty with undergraduate biology and ecology courses, lead laboratory sections, and grade coursework. These lines are allocated internally by the graduate program.

2. Graduate Research Assistantships (RA)

As students progress into their dissertation work, they are frequently supported as Research Assistants directly through external research grants held by their faculty advisors' labs.

3. University Fellowships

Exceptional incoming applicants are automatically nominated by the department admissions committee for competitive, university-wide awards such as the Graduate Council Fellowships (GCF) and Turner Fellowships.

🚀 How to Apply for Admissions

Admission to our PhD and M.A. programs is highly competitive and managed entirely through the Stony Brook University Graduate School's centralized application portal.

Prospective Student Check-list:

  1. Review Faculty Labs: We strongly recommend contacting potential faculty advisors in the Department of Ecology & Evolution whose research aligns with your interests before submitting your application.

  2. Prepare Your Materials: Applications require a statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, transcripts, and your CV.

  3. Submit Online: All applications must be submitted digitally through the main SBU Graduate School application portal.

👉 Visit the Stony Brook Graduate School Admissions Portal to start your application.

🏛️ University-Wide & Diversity Awards

While the Department of Ecology & Evolution offers specialized research funding, our graduate students are also highly encouraged to apply for broader institutional awards across the Stony Brook campus.

Central SBU Award Registries

Rather than tracking changing dates internally, we recommend monitoring the primary university hubs for current deadlines, application portals, and nomination forms: