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 Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (IGP). While we have always had the goal of providing our students the strongest possible cross-disciplinary education, we also constantly update and modernize our topics, content, and approach to our curriculum.

Entry into the Ph.D. programs in the Biomedical Sciences at Vanderbilt is designed to provide a personalized, flexible approach to accommodate a wide range of educational backgrounds and specific interests via the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program.

At the same time, we also have additional avenues for students from diverse educational backgrounds to enter our biomedical graduate programs. For more information on choosing an admissions program, please visit Selecting an Admissions Program.

The goals of the first year program are to provide students with a strong, broad background in biomedical and biological sciences and research methods. Interdisciplinary Graduate Program Executive Committee, along with associated sub-committees for curriculum development, have restructured the curriculum for the 2021-22 school year based on new insights from faculty and students and educational experts. Each year, feedback is collected and the curriculum is updated to meet the educational needs of students. The course will continue to be based on the most recent literature in the subject fields of the sections of the course. This means that lectures and discussions are heavily dependent on recently-published journal articles.
Please visit Program Overview to learn more about the curriculum.

Students rotate in four laboratories in their first year. Please navigate the links to the right to explore the departments and programs affiliated with IGP.

You can find additional information on our Frequently Asked Questions or Admissions pages.

Would you like to meet a representative of our Biomedical Graduate programs? We would love to meet you too! We will be attending the following Graduate School Fairs, some of which will be virtual and free for prospective students. Please stop by so we can get to know you.