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Academic Information and Coursework

students

Orientation

The schedule for Orientation will be full-including welcomes, introductions, and the general administrative housekeeping necessary to start your time at Vanderbilt. We will begin orientation on Monday, August 17, 2026. All students are required to attend the orientation in its entirety. New students will also complete all the necessary safety training courses.

Academic Calendar

Please be aware that the QCB academic year is uniquely developed to match the objectives of the program and may not mesh with the items listed for the Graduate School on the University calendar. Pay close attention to program and course dates and deadlines when making travel plans.

Classes

Classes begin Friday, August 21, but students will be fully booked beginning on the first day of orientation, August 17. Classes are held Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. You will be registered for your Fall courses by our staff and the curriculum will be described in detail during Orientation.

Research Rotations

Students will perform four laboratory rotations over the course of their first year. Prior to each rotation start date, students must meet with faculty of interest and then rank their rotation choices in the Rotation portal. All students are required to identify an academic advisor who will direct their thesis project by the end of the second semester of the first academic year of graduate training. If a student has not identified an advisor by this time, the BRET office will support the student in conducting one or two additional rotations over the course of 4 weeks. If this proves to be unsuccessful, the student should arrange a meeting with the Senior Associate Dean at least one week before the end of the additional rotation(s) to consider options. Any student who is unable to find an academic advisor will be dismissed from Vanderbilt. 

Academic Standing

The Graduate School policy is that a graduate student may be dismissed for not meeting academic standards in either of these ways:
  • Students who fall below an average GPA of 3.0 are placed on probation for one semester. If the student’s performance does not improve during that semester, the student may be dismissed.
  • The accumulation of three U and/or LP (Unsatisfactory and/or Low Pass) grades over the course of study can lead to dismissal. 

Faculty Advisor

Your faculty adviser during the first year QCB is Dr. Ray Blind.