Admission Procedure
Our online application for the 2020 season is now open!
The QCB faculty admissions committee reviews applications for fall matriculation only. QCB Admissions Timeline
| August 1 | Online application available online for the following fall semester |
| December 1 | Priority deadline for review of applications |
| January 1 | Deadline for applications |
| January-March | On-campus interviews conducted for selected candidates |
| April | Deadline for candidates to accept offers |
To apply to the program, please use the online application. Please note that applications will be reviewed by the QCB admissions committee only after they are officially submitted. There will be no application fee for anyone who has performed research funded by a US entity. Please read about our robust application fee waiver policy.
In the application, you will be asked to submit transcripts, TOEFL scores (international applicants only), and three letters of recommendation (GRE scores are optional). Please feel free to upload your unofficial transcripts into the application; you will not need to send in your official transcripts until requested by the program.
The general GRE exam, which includes the verbal, quantitative and analytical sections, is required for admission into the program. An official score report must be submitted by the ETS. The GRE institution code for Vanderbilt is 1871. GRE scores older than five-years old will not be accepted.
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.
QCB admissions are conducted on a rolling basis. The admissions committee will begin reviewing completed applications early in December. A fraction of the applicants will be invited for an on-campus interview, which is required before any offer of admission. Students who have been selected for an interview will be notified by e-mail or phone call. Once all interview invitations have been extended, the program will contact all applicants regarding their application status. We expect our review process to be completed by March 15.
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. At the same time, we also have additional avenues for students from more traditional biology educational backgrounds to enter our biomedical graduate programs. For more information on choosing an admissions program, please visit Selecting an Admissions Program.