Admitted Students

Monday, August 24 from 10:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The Graduate School requires all new students to participate in convocation, our signature celebration of welcome to the Vanderbilt community. This event will introduce students to leadership at the Graduate School, key campus support services, the Graduate Student Council, and other key offices. 

At the ceremony, you will hear remarks from academic leaders on campus. The welcome presentation will be followed by lunch and an information fair and celebration at Alumni Hall. The fair provides students with additional information about numerous services available to them at Vanderbilt. 

TRANSFER CREDIT:  If you intend to transfer graduate credit from a previously attended institution, your Vanderbilt department or program must submit a formal request to the Graduate School, as described in the Graduate School Catalog. Some departments do not process transfer credits until after the successful completion of at least one semester of coursework.  

View the Grad School Catalog. 

IMMUNIZATION AND TUBERCULOSIS COMPLIANCE:  All incoming students are required to provide state-mandated vaccination records and complete a Tuberculosis Assessment Survey, with testing if applicable, prior to course registration.  

Visit the Student Health Website and follow the New Student Checklist. The TB Assessment Survey link and the “Graduate Student Immunization Requirements Form” are on this page. You may also submit existing vaccination – or – titer records (laboratory blood test) from an official source instead of the Graduate Student Form, if you are unable to visit a provider to have this form completed. 

Please send your medical information as soon as possible.   

As noted on the Student Health website, these documents should be submitted to the Student Health Center by uploading to the Student Health Portal at http://vanderbilt.studenthealthportal.com/.  You will need your VUnet ID to log into the portal.  You will receive a message from Student Health about compliance or the next steps within 7 business days of uploading your documents.  

Questions: Contact studenthealth@vumc.org

HEALTH INSURANCE: All degree and non-degree-seeking students enrolled in 4+ credit hours, a 0-credit research/dissertation course, or any other course that is considered to equate to full-time enrollment are automatically enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP). Students must be covered by either (a) the Vanderbilt Student Injury and Sickness Insurance Plan or (b) a policy of the student’s choice that provides comparable coverage. Information about Vanderbilt’s 12-month student insurance policy is available at https://vanderbilt.myahpcare.com/.

Your student account will be automatically billed an insurance fee for the Vanderbilt policy (one-half of the premium will be billed along with your tuition and other fees at the beginning of each semester). 

If you already have comparable health coverage for the 2026-2027 academic year, you must request a waiver from SHIP no later than August 1, 2026, by going to https://vanderbilt.myahpcare.com/waiver. Once you have successfully submitted your waiver request you should receive an automated email to your Vanderbilt account confirming receipt of your request. Please keep the confirmation email for your records. Should there be any problems with your waiver, you will need this confirmation email and your waiver request code. This automated email does not constitute the granting of a waiver; all waiver requests will be reviewed to ensure waiver requirements are met. An email will be sent from Academic Health Plans within approximately one week with your waiver request results. It is your responsibility to follow up on your waiver status and to ensure that all information is received by AHP by the August 1, 2026 waiver deadline. If you successfully waive coverage, the fee for SHIP will be removed from your student account.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: If you take a leave of absence within the first 31 days of class, you will be automatically terminated from SHIP (and no longer have SHIP coverage).* After 31 days, if you withdraw or leave the University for any reason after enrolling in SHIP, you will still be covered and you will still be responsible for payment of the premium for the full 12 months of coverage. If you do not complete the online waiver by August 1, 2026, you will be automatically enrolled for a 12-month policy and you will be responsible for the insurance premium, which you must pay in two equal installments (in August and December). Students who graduate or obtain comparable coverage prior to January 31, 2027, may complete a termination/disenrollment request for the spring/summer semesters by visiting https://vanderbilt.myahpcare.com/.

*If you are on an approved leave of absence within the first 31 days of coverage, please contact ship@vanderbilt.edu to discuss your insurance options.

DISABILITY SERVICES: If you are a student with a disability and anticipate the need for an accommodation, please contact Student Access, 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Sarratt 216, 615-343-9727.  or studentaccess@vanderbilt.edu. Students with disabilities should contact Student Access as early as possible to begin the accommodation facilitation process. All accommodation requests are reviewed on an individual, case-by-case basis considering the student’s limitations and the barriers within the educational environment. You can find more information on the Student Access website. 

In May 2026, you will be added to an online Orientation course in Brightspace. This course is required for all incoming students. The course will take approximately 5 hours to complete and should be completed before August 31, 2026.

Admission deferrals are provided on a limited basis for specific circumstances. To learn more about this process please visit the Reapplication, Deferrals, and Non-Degree page.