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Become a Tutor

The Academic Success and Tutoring Center (ASTC) and the Residential Tutoring Centers (RTCs) work together to provide seamless and standardized tutoring services. Students interested in becoming a tutor for the ASTC, RTCs, or both locations should apply using this single application. 

The qualifications, training requirements, and employee expectations are the same for both positions. However, the type of tutoring available at each location is different. Please see the chart below for more information.

Benefits

        • Hone your interpersonal skills
        • Stay connected to foundational course material that can help in upper division courses
        • Participate in professional development events and opportunities
        • Earn internationally recognized tutor training certification. All peer tutors for the ASTC and RTCs participate in paid weekly training sessions, allowing them to work towards earning tutor certification through the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA). For more information, visit here. 
        • Become a member of our supportive and friendly student staff community!

Academic Success and Tutoring Center

Types of Tutoring 

  • In-person and online appointments (scheduled in advance)
  • In-person, drop-in sessions
  • Study Jam events: large drop-in tutoring sessions leading up to large exams

 

Position Details

Tutors start with 5 hours of appointment availability per week with the option to add more availability after their first semester. Tutors are required to have at least 3 hours of in-person availability.

Students use Navigate to book appointments in advance. Tutors are paid for the appointments they hold each week and for weekly training.

Opportunities to host weekly drop-in tutoring sessions are also available based on demand. Drop-in tutors host 2 hour long, in-person sessions on a weekly basis.

Those who tutor high demand courses with evening exams are also given the opportunity to work our Study Jams.

Openings

We are currently accepting applications for fall 2025 peer tutor positions.  We accept applications on a rolling basis. 

While we will consider applications for most undergraduate courses, we have particular demand for STEM courses. Priority will be given to applications for high demand courses. 

Residential Tutoring Centers

Types of Tutoring

  • In-person, drop-in sessions

 

Position Details

RTC tutors are scheduled to hold in-person, drop-in tutoring hours based on tutor availability and course demand. Tutors may need to work with several students at the same time. The number of students a tutor will see during a shift varies. 

Tutors get paid for the shifts they work and for weekly training.
RTC tutoring is held in the evenings from 8-11pm.

Openings

We are currently accepting applications for fall 2025 peer tutor positions.  We accept applications on a rolling basis. 

 

Application Process

Step 1

  • Read through the position qualifications and responsibilities outlined below.

 

Step 2

Step 3

 

Qualifications and Responsibilities

Tutors help peers to succeed academically. They conduct tutoring sessions to clarify course content and provide study strategies. They are selected on the basis of academic skill, character, and the ability to communicate well with others.

Required Qualifications

  1. Must be currently enrolled as an undergraduate Stony Brook University studentOR a graduate student who completed the undergraduate course at SBU
  2. Have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0
  3. Must have attained a B+ or better in the course at Stony Brook
  4. Must be in good standing: No judicial or academic dishonesty charges
  5. Must possess strong interpersonal communication skills and a desire to assist fellow students
  6. Must provide a brief recommendation from the course instructor for each course that the student wishes to tutor. (A short recommendation form can be found here.)
  7. You cannot TA and tutor the same course during the same semester (Former TAs are welcome! You can be an active TA for a course you are not tutoring.)

Responsibilities

  1. Be willing to commit for the entire semester
  2. Attend and participate in tutor observations and one-on-one meetings with staff
  3. Attend mandatory weekly in-person training. We typically offer 2 or 3 training time options and tutors choose ONE weekly time slot to attend. 
  4. Maintain accurate, current, and complete records
  5. Actively participate in the ASTC/RTC evaluation process
  6. Adhere to ASTC and RTC policies and procedures
  7. Communicate in a timely fashion with students and ASTC/RTC staff

Pay Rate: Starting pay rate for ASTC/RTC tutors  is $17/hr. Pay increases are awarded based on earned tutor training certifications. 

Recommendations

Special Recommendation Requirements for BIO 203

  • Do not request a recommendation from your instructor. Instead, you need to meet the following requirements:

    Minimum academic criteria for BIO 203 tutors:

    • B+ or higher in BIO 203 and
    • B+ or higher in at least one of the 300-level BIO courses in the Neuroscience track (e.g., BIO 334, BIO 317, BIO 339, BIO 328)

 

Special Recommendation Requirements for CHEMISTRY


  • General Chemistry: You should request the recommendation from your course instructor. If your instructor is no longer at SBU, you can request a recommendation from your graduate TA. 
  • Organic Chemistry: All recommendations should come from Zachary Katsamanis.
  • Molecular Science Sequence (CHE 152, CHE 331, CHE 332): Students who took the molecular science sequence can submit recommendations from their specific course instructors.

Special Recommendation Requirements for MATH


  •  If you would like to tutor an introductory MAT course but were placed in a higher-level course, your recommendation needs to come from one of your math professors and must include a list of the introductory MAT courses the instructor feels you are qualified to tutor.