In a typical year, we receive about 160 applications (100 PhD, 60 MS). We aim to admit 5–6 PhD and 5–6 MS students each year.

We do not have a minimum GRE score requirement for admission. We do not screen applications by GRE scores; every application is reviewed in whole. In our past experience, however, applications with GRE scores less than the 70th percentile on either the verbal and the quantitative tests are often not competitive in our applicant pool.

If your native language is not English, and you do not have a degree from a Vanderbilt Graduate School–approved English-speaking institution, you must submit proof of a minimum acceptable score on the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), IELTS (International English Language Testing System), or Duolingo English Test. See the Vanderbilt Graduate School Language Proficiency Exam webpage for details.

No. You are exempt from submitting a TOEFL score if you (will) have a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from a regionally-accredited college or university in the United States.

Yes. Vanderbilt University Medical Center only accepts scores submitted electronically by the IELTS test center. No paper test report forms are accepted. An institutional code is NOT required. Please contact the test center directly where you took the IELTS test and request that your test scores be sent electronically using the IELTS system. All IELTS test centers worldwide are able to send scores electronically to our institution.

No. We consider applicants with a variety of educational backgrounds as long as they met the minimum mathematics requirements listed below: a. 3 semesters of calculus (through Multivariate) b. 1 semester of linear algebra c. 1 semester of statistics d. Familiarity with mathematical notation and reasoning Incoming students have found undergraduate courses in biology, probability, and real analysis helpful (but they are not required for admission). Previous exposure to statistical programming (e.g., R, STATA, SAS, SPSS) or coding (e.g., JAVA) or formal training in computer science is also helpful.

No, an MS is not required. Incoming students with a master’s degree in Statistics or Biostatistics can attempt to test out of the first year of classes by passing the first-year comprehensive exam. However, the option to test out is approved on a case-by-case basis during the admission process.

Yes, the admissions committee will select the degree program that they think is most appropriate for the candidate.

All PhD students are accepted as full-time students. In addition, they will receive a monthly stipend for the duration of their degree program. Students will work with research teams on various projects. Therefore, because of classwork and project work, we do not accept part-time students who will be working outside of the University.

Our application deadline is January 15. Applications received after that date are reviewed on a rolling basis if space and funding remain available.

The Admissions Committee reviews applications and identifies students who are a good fit for our program. Because we recruit only 5–6  PhD and 5–6 MS students each year, the committee carefully considers each applicant’s training, potential, and motivation. Admission decisions are typically made in the second half of February or early March. Students not selected are notified by email in March. A small number of highly qualified candidates are placed on a waiting list and are offered admission if/when a slot and funding become available. Vanderbilt University is a member of the Council of Graduate Schools and supports the April 15th Resolution. This means applicants who receive an offer of admission have until April 15 to make their decision. We encourage students admitted to the program to visit us if possible. Some candidates will be invited to participate in an on-campus open house in late February to interview with faculty and meet current students.

All PhD admission offers comes with full funding, which includes a 12-month stipend, a full tuition waiver, student health insurance and activity fees. The funding mechanism is either a fellowship, research assistantship, or training grant support. All PhD candidates (i.e., PhD students who have passed their oral qualifying exam) are supported by research assistantships. Continuation of funding is dependent upon the student making good academic progress in the program (as determined by their dissertation committee, advisor, and the director of graduate studies) and satisfactory performance on their research assistantship. When these conditions are met, funding typically lasts for at least five years. All students admitted to the master’s program are offered an 80% tuition waiver. Continuation of waiver is dependent upon the student making good academic progress in the program (as determined by their academic performance, their advisor, and the director of graduate studies).

We do not pre-screen applicants. If you are interested, please apply. The Admissions Committee reviews all applications.

We do not release student statistics. Our students have previously served as physicians, scientists, statistical analysts, and other roles; undergraduate majors have included biology, computer science, literature, mathematics, religious studies, and statistics.

Yes. We treat international applicants the same as US citizens.

We do not accept applications for the spring semester.

Students may visit the campus on their own accord, but we strongly encourage students to first submit an application and get feedback from the Admissions Committee before visiting. Students who are actively being considered for admission by the Admissions Committee are sometimes invited to campus for an interview. In those cases, we help schedule the visit, arrange meetings with individual faculty members and current graduate students, and reimburse students for all or part of the travel costs.

The Graduate School application fee is $95. After you submit your application online, you will see instructions to pay the fee with a credit card or debit card via a secure payment portal.

1. 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/private foundation within the United States.

2. Additional waivers of the application fee will be considered upon request for US citizens and permanent residents if they have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.0 in their last program of enrollment AND meet at least on of the following criteria:

Demonstrated financial need (Pell Grant eligible)

Participated in a designated Vanderbilt-sponsored program/activity prior to the January 1 deadline

Participated in a designated fellowship, research, or training program (please visit the graduate school application fee website for a list of qualifying programs: https://gradschool.vanderbilt.edu/admissions/application/index.php)

1. CV/resume

2. Statement of purpose

3. Test scores (GRE, TOEFL, IELTS)

4. Three letters of recommendation

5. Unofficial transcripts

For application review purposes, the admissions committee will accept unofficial documents. However, if you are accepted and choose to enroll, you will be required to send official documents to the University Registrar.

We do ask that international students provide WES translated and verified transcripts. If they are not verified when submitting, we do ask for you to include the US conversion equivalent of grades.

Additional materials you wish to provide can be uploaded from your Applicant Status page once you have submitted your application. The “Upload Materials” option is not available until you submit your application. Please be sure that any document you upload contains your full name. This will ensure that your documents get appropriately indexed to your application and checklist.