A Comprehensive Foundation for Modern Biomedical Research
As biomedical research moves forward in the 21st century, the lines between traditional scientific disciplines are almost gone. Accomplished researchers must possess more than an in-depth knowledge of one specific field – they need a broad understanding of principles and techniques from disciplines across the biomedical sciences. Since 1992, graduate students at Vanderbilt have received a comprehensive educational foundation for a successful career in biomedical research through the umbrella graduate programs here at Vanderbilt University.
We have two biomedical PhD programs that provide graduate training in the biological and biomedical sciences. We provide a personalized, flexible approach to accommodate a wide range of educational backgrounds and specific interests. We provide our students the strongest possible cross-disciplinary education, and we constantly update and modernize our topics, content, and approach to our curriculum.
Which Biomedical PhD Program is Right for Me?
Students in both umbrella programs have access to the same faculty and choose to participate in the same 11+ departments and programs when choosing their research lab at the end of their first year. Both programs also have 4 required research rotations and guaranteed stipend support.
The Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences (The IGP)
The Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (IGP) is a good choice for applicants with a strong background in Biology. Undergraduate majors in Biology, Cell and Molecular Biology, and Biochemistry offer strong preparation for the IGP curriculum. Students in this program pursue several different research areas across disciplines in wet labs, more computational labs, and a combination of the two.
The Quantitative and Chemical Biology Program (QCB)
The Quantitative and Chemical Biology program (QCB) is a good choice if you have a background mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer science, or engineering but limited biology instruction. This Ph.D. track, multidisciplinary program is focused on hands-on training during extended research rotations for students who wish to pursue a doctoral degree at the interface of the computational, chemical, physical, and biological sciences. Many students in this program choose to work in interdisciplinary fields such as chemical biology, structural biology, imaging sciences, molecular and cellular biophysics, systems biology, pharmacology and biochemistry, among many others.
Our online application for Fall 2027 opens on August 1, 2026.
Learn more about our Application Process and Requirements here.
If you have questions about which program is right for you, you can Contact Us
Virtual Information Sessions and Workshops
Please join us to learn more about our programs and about how you can submit the strongest possible application to our programs.
Other PhD Programs
Vanderbilt is home to Biomedical Ph.D. programs ranging from Biostatistics to Neuroscience to Epidemiology. While admission into many of our Biomedical PhD programs is through the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program (IGP) and Quantitative and Chemical Biology Program (QCB), we also have many programs for which you can apply directly. Please see the chart below for information on admission procedures and the appropriate page for more program-specific information.
Program Comparison Table
Connect with Us!
Interested in our Biomedical PhD Programs? Take the next step and explore our website, admissions information, and student resources. Please contact us with any questions you may have.