Information for New Graduate School Students

Welcome to Vanderbilt. This website was developed to help you make a smooth transition to Vanderbilt and Nashville.

Important Information

• Important Information for New Graduate Students for 2008 Fall Semester
• Professional Schools: students in the professional schools may visit the sites of their respective schools (see Academic Links).

Getting Oriented

• Vicinity Map
  How to get to Vanderbilt from the interstates or from the airport. Includes directions to public parking.
• Campus Map
  Interactive map with three zoom levels. Includes a list of buildings on campus.
• Office of Traffic and Parking
  Where to park on campus; how to register your vehicle.
• Vanderbilt area hotels
  Includes links to individual hotel websites.
• Map of Vanderbilt area restaurants
  Everything from appetizers to zabaglioni.
• Map of Vanderbilt area shopping
  Includes grocery stories, malls, Target, WalMart, Home Depot and Lowes.

Housing

• Vanderbilt does not provide on-campus housing for graduate or professional students. The Off-Campus Referral Service, maintained by the Office of Housing and Residential Education, is a web-based service that brings local landlords and property managers together with Vanderbilt students, faculty, and staff. Students can search for accommodations by a variety of criteria including cost, size, distance from campus, and type of accommodation. The service is free.

For New Nashville Residents

• Graduate Student Survival Guide (pdf). A survival guide on everything from the best bars and restaurants to great activities to do with kids in Nashville.
• Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. Website with information for new residents to Nashville

For New Students at Vanderbilt

• The Office of the Dean of Students. The umbrella for student activities, organizations, and services. Contains links to Sarratt Student Center, Student Health Center and much more.
• Vanderbilt Computing Services
  • VUnetID and password (to set up email accounts)
  • Anti-virus software
  • VUaccess (Vanderbilt's dial-in modem service)
• Student Health Center. The Student Health Center (SHC) is an on-campus health care facility where all degree-seeking, registered Vanderbilt Students may receive care, regardless of insurance coverage. Family members, spouses and dependents are not seen at the SHC, but SHC can reocommend community providers including, those at the Vanderbilt Medical Center, for family care. For students, the SHC provides primary care services and mental health care services similar to those that you would expect to find in a private physician's office. Services include acute care, routine physical exams, chronic disease management, gynecological exams, emergency contraception, birth control, confidential HIV and STD testing, sports medicine, dermatology, nutrition, international travel consultations and immunizations, allergy shots, and mental health services.
  
  The Student Health Center will be mailing you a packet containing important information regarding the state-mandated immunization requirements for all college students. Tennessee state law and Vanderbilt University regulations dictate that all students comply with the immunization requirements as outlined on the forms. Therefore, completion of the immunization form is required for registration and must be returned to our office in the enclosed envelope by July 15, 2008. You will be receiving these forms in our mailing, but they may also be downloaded from our website by clicking on “Forms for Download”. If you have questions about any of the requirements or the forms themselves, please call our office at 615-322-2427 for assistance.
  
  While all office visits are free, and other services at SHC have minimal charges, all students are required to have health insurance coverage, in the event that hospitalization or care outside SHC is required. Gallagher Koster Insurance Company offers an insurance policy for Vanderbilt students, and also offers a plan for dependents and spouses. The cost of the policy (for the student) is automatically billed to your student account unless you submit an online waiver by August 1, 2008. A brief outline of the student insurance requirement/procedure is included in our Student Health mailing and is also available as a download from our website. In June, you will be able to go online at www.kosterweb.com, to waive the plan if desired and/or review further details of the plan.
• Dining Services. Learn about Vanderbilt's cafeterias and markets.
• Center for Teaching. The Center offers individual consultation services, group workshops, and other events to Vanderbilt graduate and professional students and post-doctoral fellows.
• Graduate Student Council. The Graduate Student Council facilitates communication between the graduate students of all Vanderbilt University academic departments and the community. The group acts as a forum and a clearinghouse for issues, discussions, and complaints.
• Commodore Card Office
• Traffic and Parking Office
• Address Change Application

The Student Recreation Center features a 36-meter pool, a climbing wall, and 8,000-square-foot fitness center. Learn more!