Vanderbilt Graduate School Admissions

Nashville

Nashville, known as “Music City,” is a thriving metropolis with rich cultural arts, award-wining dining, shopping and beautiful parks. Located a little more than a mile from downtown, Vanderbilt University allows students the unique opportunity to take in the history and hospitality of one of the South’s premier cities.

Learn more about Nashville

Find the Top 10 places to experience in Nashville

Volunteer as part of the community with Hands on Nashville

Housing

There are many close-to-campus housing options for graduate and professional students.

The Broadview at Vanderbilt is located just steps from campus in downtown Nashville and offers a community of collaboration and elevated living space. Choose from studio, one- and two-bedroom apartment homes with fully equipped upgraded kitchens, hardwood-inspired floors, and washer/dryer units. Amenities include a 24-hour fitness and wellness center, an on-site coffee shop and grocer, multiple study spaces, as well as outdoor BBQ areas and media room. While it is not university-owned and operated, our intent, through public-private partnership, is to support an additional choice for Vanderbilt graduate and professional students as they seek housing in the city.

An Off Campus Referral Service is provided by The Office of Housing and Residential Education to support the needs of new and continuing graduate students. Here you will find ads from landlords looking for Vanderbilt-affiliated tenants as well as a forum for students seeking Vanderbilt roommates or housemates.

At Nashville.gov, you can find utilities, update your driver’s license, and access information on living, working and playing in the metro area.

Through a partnership with the Vanderbilt Career Center, graduate students can receive robust career services that help them explore possibilities, feel supported and gain confidence while they pursue their future path. Services include development opportunities, advising on fellowships and career paths, and coaching.

The Russell G. Hamilton Graduate Leadership Institute (GLI) provides graduate students with the skills, learning tools and self-awareness that allow them to define their own unique leadership style, determine how they interact with others, and learn other practical and technical skills needed to develop business acumen to be used in the academy, industry or government work. With helpful programming and funding opportunities, this program helps graduate students better prepare for the world beyond graduate school.

The Graduate and Postdoc Academic Success (GPAS) Program assists graduate students in their academic and professional development during their time at Vanderbilt. This team supports students with individual coaching and group programming around effective time and stress management, resilience, conflict resolution, navigating academic relationships, and juggling work/life responsibilities.

To enrich the graduate student experience and support the mental, physical and emotional well-being of our students and their families, we partner with many campus organizations and networks to offer resources and services:

• Student Care Network (including cohesive mental and physical health support)
• Recreation & Wellness Center
• Project Safe
• Center for Spiritual & Religious Life
• Outdoor Recreation Center
• Student Organizations & Centers
• Card Services
  • Free public transportation to and from campus
  • Flex Meal plan
  • Commodore Cash
  • Library check out services for movies, umbrellas or iPads

General English for partners and spouses is a tuition-free course designed to teach listening, speaking, reading and writing to Vanderbilt employees and VU community spouses/partners who are non-native Speakers of English. The focus is to enable students to use English in the workplace and at home.

Child & Family Center provides childcare for children ages 6 weeks to PreK and support for aging loved ones. If you plan to send your child to the Vanderbilt Childcare Center, we recommend getting on the wait list as soon as possible.

Parental Leave: Prior to and/or following childbirth or adoption of an infant, the primary caregiver (whether mother or father) will be allowed to take six weeks of parental leave. During this period, the student's current stipend, and, if applicable, funding for health insurance and tuition, will be continued without interruption. The student's enrollment status will be continued during this period, as well.

Explore Our Parental Leave Policy

The Graduate School aims to offer students both a meaningful role on campus and a much richer experience at Vanderbilt by creating opportunities to share research, encourage interdisciplinarity and collaboration, and engage academic resources to add value through education and training.

• Interdisciplinary Research
• Research @ VU
• Center for Teaching
• Library
• Certificate Programs

The Graduate Student Council (GSC) provides leadership with a representative from each graduate department of the University. They coordinate academic and social activities and strive to promote community while also facilitating communication between graduate students, administration, and faculty.

Their efforts created an annual print calendar, which summarizes resources, policies and procedures for students, as well as the Mental Bill of Rights and Responsibilities.

Thank you for your interest in visiting Vanderbilt University. We appreciate your interest in our programs. The Graduate School Office of Admissions and Enrollment (GAE) offers group visitation opportunities in the fall semester only. Since the majority of our programs’ application windows close in late fall/winter, a fall visit allows for students to learn and have the opportunity to apply for the current application cycle.

Below are the guidelines to better assist you:

• Visitation requests should be received 90 days prior to the date of interest.
• Visitation events will be scheduled following a meeting with a GAE representative. In this meeting we will discuss:
• Group size
• Academic areas of interest
• Student classifications
• Specific details of your visit and date planning
• Due to our limited staffing size, visitation events are only available for student groups or programs. Individuals interested in a single person or family visit are encouraged to contact their program of interest for a potential visit.
• GAE visitation events will focus on general information about Vanderbilt University and the city of Nashville. For details specific to individual programs, we encourage you to contact your program of interest.
• Law school, Owen School of Management, Peabody College, and School of Medicine programs fall outside our office; please contact these programs directly for additional information on potential visits.
• Walk-in visits are not available.

To request a meeting to discuss your potential visit date, please contact us at graduateschooladmissions@vanderbilt.edu and one of our representatives will follow up with you within 5 business days. Please note that visitation requests received with less than a 90-day notice will not be accepted.  For this email please have the subject line read Prospective Graduate School Visit – “your Institution”.  More details are listed in the FAQ below.