Recruitment
Attracting highly-qualified applicants is of extreme importance. By increasing the size and quality of the applicant pool, the program can be assured of a sufficient number of students of high caliber to fill the available places. The DGS should be at the forefront of this effort. Students must have some means of learning about the program. Some of the things that might be considered are the following:
- Send letters/e-mails to programs at other institutions, particularly those departments that are considered the best in your program's area.
- Advertise in professional journals and at meetings.
- Participate in college fairs. Have faculty and students help recruit when visiting other institutions; former students and present students can also help recruit from their previous institutions.
- Create a brochure that describes the program – its faculty, research activities, and resources. Develop an internet site to describe program – requirements, faculty, coursework, etc.
- Subscribe to a service that provides names of potential applicants, such as the GRE Search Service, provided by ETS, which oversees the Graduate Record Examinations.
The Graduate School maintains that diversity among faculty and students is important and hopes that you will join in its efforts to increase the number of students from underrepresented populations entering into graduate studies at Vanderbilt University.
Registration
Transfer Credit
Many students will enter the Graduate School with previous graduate credit. At the time the program of studies is planned, transferring this work to the Vanderbilt record must be considered. With transfer students, one of the most important considerations is the assessment of previous graduate work for purposes of allocating Vanderbilt degree credit. Transfer is made on the recommendation of the department chair, program director or DGS and approval of the Graduate School. Transfer of credits should be accomplished before the end of the first month of enrollment. This early assessment is essential for planning the student’s program of study. The transfer credit worksheet and a copy of the transcript with these courses highlighted should be submitted to the Graduate School for approval.
The DGS should keep in mind that a maximum of 6 hours transfer credit may be applied toward the Master’s degree and 48 hours toward the Ph.D. degree, although the latter should be considered the upper limit in very special cases. It is important to note that transfer credit hours may count toward the required quality (didactic) hours as well as total earned hours. This can be noted on the transfer credit form. It is also important to note that a student admitted as a Special Non-Degree student and subsequently admitted to a degree program can transfer only six hours of credit while as a special non-degree student toward the degree program.
Funding Opportunities
The DGS should help seek external funding for graduate students. He/She should help the student explore the possibilities for outside funding to allow the program to accommodate more students. The DGS should encourage and be aware of proposals for grants to the department or individual faculty members. Principal investigators should be encouraged to put graduate student support in their research grant budget to the fullest extent possible. The DGS should also encourage students to seek external sources of support and should call to their attention any opportunities that are available. The stronger the student, the more he or she should be encouraged to enter external competitions.