Mission Statement

The mission of the Graduate School at Vanderbilt University is to promote excellence in research and scholarship with the goal of training the next generation of leaders within and outside of the academy. We do so by recruiting the most promising pre- and post-doctoral scholars from a diverse set of backgrounds and by creating an inclusive and stimulating environment that fosters intellectual growth and development. We emphasize intensive, disciplinary-specific and interdisciplinary training, taking advantage of Vanderbilt’s uniquely collaborative and collegial culture. The Graduate School ensures the maintenance of the highest academic and professional standards and plays an important advocacy role for graduate students and postdoctoral trainees.