Applications are submitted through Vanderbilt University’s Graduate School admission portal. The application can be found under the “Biomedical and Biological Sciences” area of study:  The program is listed as “Epidemiology".

The Epidemiology PhD program application deadline is December 31. Apply today!

We do not require GRE scores. You may choose to include it if it helps demonstrate a skill that isn’t captured elsewhere in your application, but it is optional and will not be used when evaluating candidates.

Yes, if you have received a degree from an institution where the primary instruction was in English. For documentation we’ll need a transcript in English, a certificate of English instruction, or a link to the school’s webpage where it states that instruction is in English. 

Note that waivers can only be applied to an open application. You must start your application before requesting a waiver.

Once your application is complete, the Graduate School automatically applies a fee waiver for candidates meeting their qualifications. If they determine you do not qualify, then we will review all fee waiver requests for completed applications after December 1. In such cases, we ask for a justification (1-2 paragraphs) for the waiver request. We offer a limited amount of fee waivers annually.

Our program is fully funded. All accepted students receive full support – including tuition, insurance, and fees – in addition to an annual stipend (2023-2024 rate is $36,500). There is not a separate application process for funding. Funding is granted to all accepted students, both domestic and international.

Applicants are encouraged to identify 1-3 faculty members as potential mentors in their statement of purpose. However, contacting individual faculty members is not required prior to the application deadline. Those interested can explore our faculty database to discover potential mentors with a similar research interest and reach out to explore potential mentoring opportunities.

No, you can submit your application with unofficial transcripts and self-reported test scores, if applicable. You will need to provide an official version before registering for courses if made an offfer or admission.

The program typically invites 8-12 candidates to a virtual interview visit in mid to late February.

Unfortunately, we are not able to meet the volume of these requests. If you’ve read about the program and meet the admission requirements, please apply.

Yes, we are a STEM designated program. International students are eligible toapply for he OPT visa extension upon graduation.

We typically receive 60-80 completed applications and accept 5-7 students each year.