Vanderbilt University is a privately supported university comprising seven graduate and professional schools and three undergraduate schools. The 316 acre campus, located approximately 1.5 miles from downtown Nashville, Tennessee, is abundantly planted in trees and flowers and was designated a national arboretum in 1988. Greater Nashville is a rapidly growing area with a current population in excess of one million people, and amenities include a symphony, opera, ballet and theater companies, professional sports teams, diverse restaurants and live music of many styles. Use the "Environs" link on the left to find out more.

The Department of Economics is in Calhoun Hall (along with the Political Science Department), which is located on a quadrangle with the Law School, the Owen School of Management and the Departments of Sociology and History; the Departments of Psychology and of Mathematics and the School of Engineering are within a three- to five-minute walk, as are the Rand dining facilities and the Post Office. All of the graduate student offices are wired for the campus network; there are a number of computer labs on campus and several personal computers are available in Calhoun Hall for the use of graduate students. With 38 economics faculty and approximately 50 graduate students, classes are small and informal and social gatherings are lively.