Welcome prospective graduate student!
Thank you for considering Vanderbilt University for your graduate studies. Vanderbilt University is one of the most highly respected, engaging universities and research institutions in the world. Our faculty is committed to teaching and working with the next generation of engineering students. We recognize that your choice of graduate institution is one of the most important decisions you will make for your future.
At Vanderbilt, we offer depth, breadth, and agility in graduate engineering education and pride ourselves on a rich tradition of multidisciplinary research. You can expect to enjoy the richness of collaboration and long-term relationships built within a solid community, but with the intimacy and faculty contact of a small private university.
Application Fees Waived Ph.D. Applicants
Application fees will be waived for ALL students currently enrolled in, or who have graduated from, U.S. schools who are applying to the 2025-2026 Vanderbilt School of Engineering Ph.D. programs. Fee waivers may also be available to applicants from non-U.S. institutions. Please check the application portal for eligible institutions. Applications must be received by December 1, 2024 to be eligible for fee waiver. Please note that the fee waiver deadline is separate from application deadlines, which vary by department and program.
Degree Programs
Research-oriented Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees are offered through the Graduate School and hosted by the academic departments of the School of Engineering. The Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) degree is an advanced professional degree awarded by the School of Engineering and especially designed for engineering practitioners who may prefer to work while doing professional study.
Vanderbilt University also offers two online graduate degree programs: M.S. in computer science and M.Eng. in engineering management.
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Departments
Each department offers depth and breadth in academics coupled with multidisciplinary research. You can expect to enjoy the richness of collaboration and long-term relationships built within a solid community, along with the intimacy and faculty contact of a small private university.
Visit the following department pages with graduate programs to learn more about their research areas of focus, faculty, and more:
Graduate Funding and Fellowships
For Master's degree students, partial tuition scholarships may be available to qualified applicants. Doctoral candidates are awarded full financial assistance in the form of teaching or research positions. This support typically includes a full-tuition scholarship, monthly stipend, and paid health insurance. Student activity fees, which allow access to the student recreation center, are also covered. In addition, individual fellowship awards above and beyond the standard financial aid package are regularly awarded to outstanding applicants.
Learn more about graduate funding
In addition to Vanderbilt's graduate funding, numerous fellowships are available through private donors, philanthropic organizations and government agencies.
Certificates
A number of departments/programs offer graduate certificates, which are open to students already enrolled in a Vanderbilt University post-baccalaureate degree program. Each certificate requires at least 12 credit/semester hours of interrelated graduate-level coursework supporting a specified theme. No more than 50% of coursework may be transferred for a graduate certificate program. The following is a list of certificate programs currently approved for the School of Engineering.
- Mobile Cloud Computing, Douglas Schmidt, Director
- Surgical and Interventional Engineering, Robert Webster, Director
Interested student should contact the director of the corresponding program about the specific requirements.
Dates to Remember
Important for the 2025-2026 admissions cycle: The School of Engineering is not requiring Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores for consideration for admission.
Also note: For international students who did not graduate from an institution in a country where English is both the language of instruction and the only official language, proficiency in English must be demonstrated by achieving a minimum score of 89 on the Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) or 7.0 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). For the 2025-2026 admission cycle (Fall 2025 and Spring 2026), we are also accepting the Duolingo English Test, with a minimum acceptable score of 130. All programs will accept both the 'iBT TOEFL Home Edition' and the 'Duolingo English Test' as alternatives to the regular TOEFL or IELTS to fulfill the English proficiency requirements.
Details of the language proficiency requirements and the English proficiency waiver policy can be found on the Graduate School website at the following link: Application Requirements. Please note that any waivers will be reviewed only after the application is submitted and all supporting documents are complete.
Contact Us
Gabriel Luis
Assistant Dean for Graduate Recruiting and Global Engagement
(615) 343-3128
PMB 351826
2301 Vanderbilt Place
Nashville, TN 37235-1826
gradengineering@vanderbilt.edu