Undergraduate Advising
Academic advisors help you select courses you need to graduate on time and launch your dream career.
You should talk to an advisor when:
- Selecting courses in your major for next semester (explore Fall 2025 SoCJ classes)
- Planning your academic career
- Contemplating changes to your major, minor or concentration
- Dropping or withdrawing from courses in your major
- Considering the G/P/NC option
- Exploring career paths to see how we can help you achieve your goals
- Facing major academic, personal, family or medical issues, including Academic Judiciary proceedings
Things to know about advising:
- All courses must be completed with a grade of C or higher to count toward your major or minor.
- Beware of the G/P/NC option. Always check with an advisor first. Even if you earn a passing “P” grade in a major or minor course, you’ll have to repeat it. No exceptions.
- JRN 106, JRN 208 and JRN 305 run as COM 106, COM 208 and COM 305.
- COM 415: Data Analysis and Storytelling is no longer required for journalism majors and may be taken as an elective.
Advising Appointments & Enrollment Info
All SoCJ undergraduate programs are overseen by undergraduate director Irene Virag, who also does most of the undergraduate student advising. She, or another member of the advising team, will work with you every semester to help you stay on track to graduate on time.
The SoCJ works closely with Stony Brook's Academic Transfer and Advising Services (ATAS) to ensure a seamless advising experience from admission to graduation. A designated ATAS advisor, Meghan Sweeney, also works with our majors and minors.
You should book an advising appointment every semester before your registration date.
Meet with the SoCJ Advisor
Irene Virag
Program Director
Irene Virag is the associate dean for student affairs and undergraduate program director at the Stony Brook School of Communication and Journalism.
Contact Irene Virag
Meet with an ATAS advisor
Meghan Sweeney, M.S. Ed
ATAS Lead Academic Advisor
Plan your academic career and select courses for the upcoming semester.
Consider changes to your major, minor, or concentration.
Drop or withdraw from courses.
Seek assistance when facing major academic, personal, family, or medical issues, including Academic Judiciary proceedings.
Degree Requirements Checklists
Keep track of your progress toward your degree. It will help you and your advisor when you talk about what you should take next semester.
Communication
(Major, Minor)
Journalism
(Major , Minor)
Mass Communication
(Major, Minor)
Communication & Innovation
(Minor Only)
Graduating Senior?
You should request a major credit check at the start of your final semester, preferablybefore the end of the drop/add period.
Transferring Credits to SBU
To find out if courses you took at another institution can count toward your Stony Brook degree, you first must work with Academic and Transfer Advising Services (ATAS).
Only courses that have been accepted by the university can be evaluated for credit in your major or minor.
If you would like the SoCJ to evaluate a course to see if it can be applied to your major or minor, you must:
- Submit the course syllabus to the SoCJ
- Make sure the final course grade appears on the previous institution's transcript.
With that information, an SoCJ advisor will determine if those credits can count toward your major or minor, and how they will be applied.
Helpful Links