Ordering Transcripts

Follow the Graduate School’s instructions.

To check whether your official transcripts have been received, go to the Applicant Status Page (Checklist) in Slate: https://apply.vanderbilt.edu/apply. If you have any questions, email: apply@vanderbilt.edu.

Graduate School Orientation

A Graduate School orientation/convocation, which is mandatory for new Graduate School students, will be held on Monday, August 21, 2023. This is included on the PhD Nursing School Block Intensive Week Agenda, which you have received or will shortly.

Registration

a. Registration: Please register for your first 9 credits: NRSC 8304 Ethical & Legal Issues of Research, NRSC 8305 Leveraging Technology for Scholarly Inquiry, NRSC 8306 Research Design, NRSC 8313 Structure and Process of Scientific Inquiry, NRSC 8321 Doctoral Seminar I.

b. If you have not already done so, please complete a Student Account Agreement Form (see Graduate School's instructions under the Finance section)..

ID Card

Follow the Graduate School's instructions. You will have time during Fall 2023 block intensive week to accomplish this.

Finances

Follow the Graduate School's Instructions

In addition, if you were awarded a scholarship, fellowship or other financial aid, you will receive an email with information on how your award(s) are credited to your student account, or issued to you. 

Health Insurance

Follow the Graduate School's instructions.

International Students

Follow the Graduate School's Instructions

Employment Eligibility Verification, Form I9

Follow the Graduate School's Instructions

Medical Information

Follow the Graduate School's instructions. PhD students complete the Graduate Immunization Form NOT the School of Nursing form.

All entering students must be compliant with these requirements. You will not be able to be registered for classes until you are compliant.

Disability Services

Follow the Graduate School's instructions.

Email/VUnetID

Follow the Graduate School’s instructions AND activate your VUnetID as soon as you can after receiving the email from the University Registrar’s Office with the instructions.

Distance Students Hotel and Other Housing Options Near Campus

If you are a distance student that comes to campus for the modified block schedule, this document includes a list of hotels near campus and other temporary housing options offered in Nashville. Many of these hotels offer our nursing students special rates.

For those moving to the Nashville area:

Please view the Housing Guide by Current VUSN Students

Vanderbilt's Off Campus Housing Referral Service, www.vanderbilt.edu/ResEd - Select Off Campus Housing Referral, Sign Up, select GUESTS, complete information and register. A guest account will expire after 30 days. Once you matriculate and receive a VUNetID, you may upgrade your account to a Vanderbilt account.

Our Hometown: Nashville, TN http://www.vanderbilt.edu/nashville/ (information about Nashville from Vanderbilt University's website)

Nashville boasts a variety of neighborhoods from downtown apartments to multifamily units in the suburbs to every kind of apartment community or single-family residential home. There are several distinct areas of the city. For more information about these & other Nashville communities visit the following sites: Nashville Guru - Neighborhoods and Visit Music City - Neighborhoods.

Parking

Parking information is available at: https://www.vanderbilt.edu/traffic_parking/. Please contact Parking Services directly with questions.

Transfer Credit

During the fall block intensive week, you will have time to meet with your faculty advisor to complete the required paperwork to formally request transfer credits from your master’s degree. Your advisor will have the required paperwork when you arrive in August. The Graduate School must approve the request; the PhD program office will process your paperwork after the fall block.

Teaching Assistant Orientation

If applicable, follow the Graduate School's instructions.

Academic Calendar

PhD Academic Calendar - check back frequently for updates

Requirements

The following program delivery and participation requirements are expected of all students in our program:

Attend in-person all block intensives for the first two years. In-person block intensives occur 3 times each year for approximately 4-5 days per block. We do not offer financial assistance for travel expenses to block intensives. Students are in course work for two years.

Meet all program computer and technology requirements. 

Participate in all scheduled synchronous classes using the technology required by our program.

We currently use Zoom.

Be able to access all websites and library resources required to successfully complete course and dissertation work.

• Program Technology Requirements
• Technology Letter [PDF]
• Technology Overview
• Tech Knowledge Base

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees are set annually by Vanderbilt University Board of Trust. Graduate study tuition rates for 2023-2023 are $2215 per credit hour. Tuition/fees are due mid-August for the fall semester. Vanderbilt exclusively uses secure electronic billing (e-bills) for student account charges. All students are automatically enrolled for e-bills. Students may access their online invoices from their YES landing page at http://yes.vanderbilt.edu or by going to: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/stuaccts

Once signed into YES, you may view invoices under the SM Billing Portal link. Payments may be made electronically, or for those wishing to mail a payment, a payment coupon can be printed. When an electronic payment is made, a confirmation email will be sent. It remains the responsibility of the student to ensure that bills are paid on or before the due date. The Office of Student Accounts can be contacted at (615) 322-6693, toll-free at (800) 288-1144, or via email at student.accounts@vanderbilt.edu. For additional information, please visit the Student Accounts website at www.vanderbilt.edu/stuaccts .

Background Check & Student Requirements

1. Upon acceptance, all PhD students must complete a background check through Universal Background Screening using the instructions provided in the invitation received from ‘eforms@universalbackground.com’ to their Vmail account. Enrollment is contingent upon satisfactory evaluation of the results of the background check.

  Note: Special Students, who are only enrolled in one course and are not seeking a degree from the School of Nursing, are not required to complete a background check or submit a copy of their nursing license unless they apply and are admitted to VUSN.

Disclosure of offenses post-background check completion: Admitted VUSN students (includes full & part-time students) are required to report any arrest, criminal charge or conviction occurring after his or her background check has been completed. Required disclosure also includes but is not limited to: allegations, investigations and/or disciplinary action from any licensing board or agency included under the Nationwide Healthcare Fraud and Abuse scan; Office of Inspector General (OIG), General Services Administration (GSA), FDA Debarment Check, Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA), Office of Research Integrity (ORI), and Medicare and Medicaid Sanctions.

2. Submit a copy of an unencumbered Registered Nurse’s or Advanced Practice Nurse’s license in the state(s) where you reside and work to the VUSN Compliance Officer at: Lisa.Boyer@Vanderbilt.edu OR mail to: Vanderbilt School of Nursing; Attn: Lisa Boyer, Compliance Officer, SON #284; 461 21st Ave. South; Nashville, TN, 37240-0008.

Advisors

Each student is assigned a faculty advisor who is responsible for assisting students in developing an appropriate program of study, recommending courses acceptable for transfer, assisting in the identification of committee members for the qualifying examination and dissertation and general mentoring throughout the educational experience. We will set time aside during the 1st block/student orientation for you to meet individually with your advisor. At this meeting, your faculty advisor will complete the transfer credit process and the academic plan of study. Once you receive the fall student orientation/1st block agenda, it will be your responsibility to set up a meeting with your advisor(s) that week. The agenda will list specific days and times that you may choose from.

Student Services Fee

All registered students are assessed Student Service Fees, which are set by the Vanderbilt Board of Trust and billed through the Office of Student Accounts as a single charge. These fees are mandatory and cannot be removed or waived. These fees are responsibility of the student and are not included in your scholarship award.

Textbooks

Required textbooks will be listed on the course syllabus or emailed from the faculty instructor.

Handbooks

Handbooks will be made available to you and also be found on the PhD website under Forms and Resources.

Brightspace Orientation

Brightspace is the web-based course management system used at Vanderbilt University. It allows students to access course-related materials, such as course syllabi, assignments, handouts, and slide presentations, via the Internet. Brightspace can be accessed from "Quick Links" on the top of all VUSN websites. The VUnetID is used to access this program.

Brightspace Orientation is now available.

Required Training Modules

First year students are required to complete Vanderbilt’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) Basic Training: Human Research, Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR), and Good Clinical Practice (GCP) training during the first semester. Certificates of completion must be submitted to the Program Manager. Access these courses by going to: https://www.vanderbilt.edu/irb/citi. Then log in or create an Organizational Learner (Vanderbilt) account.

Please note: To satisfy the Initial requirement for Human Subjects Training, Vanderbilt IRB only requires completion of either the Basic Group 1: Biomedical Investigators and Key Study Personnel Course or the Basic Group 2: Social Behavioral Investigators and Key Study Personnel Course. For Responsible Conduct of Research, please complete Bio/Physical Sciences.

Students must provide a copy of their certificate of completion to the PhD program office via email, to program manager, Heidi Bates. Additionally, please upload the CITI GCP certificate of completion into this REDCap survey: https://redcap.vanderbilt.edu/surveys/?s=JFPH8K33HE

Fall Semester Class Schedule

Classes for Year 1 students will be on Tuesday and Thursday each week during the semester. You should plan to set aside the entire day for class and course related activity.