IGP Admission Procedure
Instructions for the online application are here. The application for Fall 2024 will open on August 1, 2023.
The IGP faculty admissions committee reviews applications for fall admission only.
IGP Admissions Timeline
| August 1 | Online Application available online for the following Fall semester |
| December 1 | Deadline for applications |
| January-March | On-campus interviews for selected candidates |
| April 15 | Deadline for candidates to accept offers to the graduate programs |
To apply to the program, please use the online application.
About application requirements, procedures and deadlines
The above link takes you to the Vanderbilt Graduate School application and you have to specify which program within the Graduate School you are applying.
- Under Area of Study, select “Biomedical and Biological Sciences” or “Interdisciplinary Programs”.
- From the Program Selection menu, select the “IGP in Biomedical and Biological Sciences”.
The application will include:
- Personal history: education, work, publications
- CV or Resume (optional).
- A CV or resume is not required for the application. However, if you would like to upload one, you will see a place to upload it under “Experiences”. We would be happy to review this with your application, but it is not required or expected. Please still complete the “Experiences” tab of the application, even if you upload a CV or resume.
- Statement of Purpose
- Please upload your unofficial transcripts into the application; you will not need to send in your official transcripts until requested by the program.
- 3 Letters of Recommendation:
- You will be asked to provide the e-mail addresses of three recommenders. Vanderbilt will contact your recommenders by e-mail and provide them with instructions on how to submit their recommendations online. You may submit up to five recommenders.
- The GRE is OPTIONAL/not required.
- If you are submitting GRE scores and would like to report your official scores, the GRE institution code for Vanderbilt is 1871. GRE scores older than five-years old will not be accepted, however, we are happy to accept unofficial, self-reported scores.
- Our application fee will be $95.
- We have a robust waiver process as a part of this in order to ensure that we continue to recruit those students coming from groups that could be disadvantaged by the fee.
- All individuals who have performed research funded by a US entity will be granted an automatic fee waiver.
- TOEFL, IELTS or Duo-Lingo test scores if the international applicant graduated from non-English degree granting institution
Please note that applications will be reviewed by the IGP admissions committee only after they are officially submitted. An application is complete after it is “Officially Submitted” (per step 3 of the application instructions) AND all supporting documents have been submitted. Only complete applications will be reviewed, so be sure to check on the status of your recommendation letter submissions before the December 1 application deadline.
If you have difficulty uploading your transcripts or with your recommenders receiving email links to upload their letters, contact Stephanie Richards via email, or phone 615-343-6111.
All applicants who are not selected to interview will be notified by March 15.
About the application
The application deadline is December 1. Applications will begin to be reviewed on December 2.
No. IGP only accepts students for Fall Admission.
Our application fee is $95. We have a robust waiver process as a part of this in order to ensure that we continue to recruit those students coming from groups that could be disadvantaged by the fee.
In accordance with the interests of the US congress and its commitment to training well qualified and highly diverse students for careers in the biomedical sciences, fee waivers can be obtained for any student who has performed biological or biomedically-oriented research which has been supported by the NIH, the NSF, or any other agency or private foundation within the US. There is more specific information on application fee waivers on the Online Application page.
Your application status will not change online. You will be notified if you have been invited to interview for our program. Otherwise, we will contact you when all interview invitations have been extended regarding your application status.
We absolutely accept international applicants, and our international students receive full financial support. Please see this page for more information.
About interviews and admissions offers
Interview offers are sent on a rolling basis. If an applicant has not received an invitation by March 15th, they are not being considered for an interview with the IGP program.
Typically we will send an email and ask for you to call us back at your convenience. However, if you do not quickly respond to this email, we will send a follow up message or call to discuss times for the interview.
You have until April 15th to make a final decision. However, once you have made a final decision (either way) we would be grateful if you share those plans with us. It helps us as we consider other candidates on our waitlist. If you have anything else you would like to know during your decision making process, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us!
About the program and degree
No, the IGP is a Ph.D.-track program that feeds into the eleven basic science departments and programs in the School of Medicine as well as the Dept of Biological Sciences in the College of Arts & Science.
Yes! We prepare students for any career trajectory they are interested in. Please check out the website of our ASPIRE Office of Career Development.
About the numbers
We always shoot for a range, this year the range is 70-75 for both the combined IGP and QCB programs.
The number has been increasing for some time, but currently we have over 1,000 submitted applications between the IGP and QCB programs.
About funding
Yes, the IGP offers full financial support and covers all tuition, fees, and student health insurance, including vision and dental insurance. In addition, students receive a stipend. First year compensation for 2023-24 will be $36,500 plus a relocation bonus of $2,000 to be used for upfront costs associated with relocating to Nashville. You can see comparative cost of living between Nashville and other cities under Financial Support
At Vanderbilt University, we hold the sincere belief that fostering the advancement of and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion of all students, faculty, and staff benefits all members of our community. To bring to life our vision of inclusive excellence, we are intentional about recruiting, retaining, and supporting diverse and underrepresented groups of students. We encourage individuals from all populations to apply to our graduate programs. The university does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, socio-economic background, or disability.