SSP 101: Introduction to Stony Brook

This course is designed to enhance your first-year experience at Stony Brook University. You will be provided with a supportive and structured environment to assist you in making your transition from high school to college through academic advice, learning about campus resources, group discussion, and collaborative teaching. You will be encouraged to use critical thinking skills to set goals and make responsible decisions regarding academics, major and career planning, and social relationships. Core topics include student success, diversity and inclusion, health and wellness. A special emphasis on the practice of mindfulness will also be explored to support student success and academic wellness.

Prerequisite: Admission to the Simons STEM Program; first-semester freshman

1 credit, S/U grading

SSP 105: Opportunities in STEM & Beyond

A course composed of discussions and explorations of various science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) career paths, and worldwide relevance. Guest speakers, STEM PhDs will describe their STEM work in a global context. Students will reflect upon their interests, values, talents, and skills, such as resourcefulness, curiosity, and emotional intelligence, needed to tackle future global STEM challenges. The interdisciplinary, universality and civic values of STEM are emphasized through projects that link STEM to other disciplines including global issues, humanities and the arts.

Prerequisite: SSP 101

Partially fulfills: GLO

1 credit

SSP 205: Pathway to STEM PhD I

A course which focuses on tackling subjects such as intersectionality, systemic racism and individuality and its application to a professional research career. In addition to these topics, students will be instructed on research dynamics, finding a research mentor, hidden curriculum of the lab space and the general operations of working as an undergraduate researcher, and basics of developing a research proposal/project plan. This course will analyze these topics in a global context covering issues like Eurocentrism in STEM across the LatinX and African Diasporas, as well as exploring careers in STEM at an international scale. The intention of this course is to lay the groundwork for research to be conducted in the coming summer/semester. Students will produce a reflective essay on the course as part of their preparation for lab work. This course is intended for Simons STEM students.

Prerequisite: SSP 105

SBC:     DIV Partially fulfills: GLO

1 credit

SSP 305: Pathways to the STEM PhD II

An active learning course that builds upon the awareness of self and knowledge of career fields, focusing on preparation for experiential learning and PhD programs/graduate school. Students will gather and organize knowledge, skills, strengths, and artifacts of their collegiate accomplishments, and design a strategy for their professional brand with CV, personal statement, LinkedIn profile and elevator pitch. Students will actively apply for experiences on and off campus as part of the course. In addition, the course uses a proactive approach to career and life design with a focus on careers for STEM PhDs. Students will build a network of professionals in a variety of STEM PhD career pathways, practicing elevated communication and outreach skills. A financial module will incorporate budgeting and personal fiscal planning with a focus on transition to graduate school.

Prerequisite: SSP 205

1 credit

SSP 380: Research and Discovery in STEM

This course consists of a combination of theory and practice. The theoretical component involves an overview of research methodologies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, including literature reviews, research design, data collection, and quantitative analyses. In addition, there is hands-on experience in doing research in STEM disciplines. Students may perform research in a laboratory of their choice under the supervision of a faculty member and prior approval of a research plan by the course coordinator, or may select among some offered research experiences. Within the research settings, students are given background literature, instructed in the problem to be studied, learn the necessary technical tools, jointly make a research plan and carry out experiments related to the problem, and discuss the social implications of the research problem. Students prepare papers and/or make presentations related to the projects in which they participate.

Prerequisite: SSP 105

3 credits

SSP 475: Teaching Practicum

Students assist the faculty in teaching courses and outreach experiences by conducting recitation or laboratory sections that supplement a lecture course or outreach. Permission to register requires an outlined teaching assistantship plan for a course under the supervision of a faculty member or for an outreach plan with the appropriate supervisor, which will be approved by the SSP Honors Director. The student receives regularly scheduled supervision from the faculty instructor. A final report and possibly a presentation are required. May be repeated, but only two credits of teaching practicum may be counted toward the SSP Honors requirement.

Pre or corequisite: SSP 305; Permission of instructor and department.

SBC:     EXP+

3 credits

SSP 477: Mentoring/Leadership Practicum

Students with the appropriate background and mentoring skills participate in mentoring opportunities for undergraduate or pre-college students. Permission to register requires an outlined mentorship plan for an activity or group of students under the supervision of a faculty member or professional, which will be approved by the SSP Honors Director. The student receives regular mentoring and supervision for their mentoring experiences. A final report and possibly a presentation are required. May be repeated but only two credits of practicum may be counted toward the SSP Honors requirement.

Pre or corequisite: SSP 305; Permission of instructor and department.

0-3 credits

SSP 487: Research Practicum

An independent research project with faculty supervision. Permission to register requires a research plan, the agreement of a faculty member to supervise the research and the approval from the SSP Honors Director. A final report and presentation are required. May be repeated but only two credits of internship may be counted toward the SSP Honors requirement.

Pre or corequisite: SSP 305; Permission of instructor and department.

SBC:     EXP+

0-3 credits

SSP 488: Internship Practicum

An independent off-campus STEM project under faculty and/or STEM professional supervision. Permission to register requires a project plan, the agreement of a supervisor and the approval from the SSP Honors Director. A work plan and final report are required. May be repeated but only two credits of internship may be counted toward the SSP Honors requirement.

Pre or corequisite: SSP 305; Permission of instructor and department.

SBC:     EXP+

0-3 credits