We are happy that you are interested in attending Vanderbilt University (VU) as an exchange student. Vanderbilt has established itself as one the top 20 universities in the country and one of the top 100 in the world. VU offers undergraduate programs in the liberal arts and sciences, engineering, music, education, and human development. Vanderbilt is located in Nashville, Tennessee, home to a diverse population of 1.6 million. It is marked by a unique blend of cosmopolitan flair and small-town appeal. Nashville is an important political, cultural, educational, and commercial hub in the South, and is often referred to as “Music City.” The city has a rich musical history and hosts thousands of concerts each year in every conceivable genre.

We are certain your time at Vanderbilt and Nashville will prove to be a valuable and rewarding experience and a significant complement to your studies at your home institution.

Please read the information on our website and meet with an advisor at your home school to begin the application process. If, at any time, you have more specific questions that are not addressed on the website or by your home school advisor, please feel free to contact our office.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Program Overview

Vanderbilt’s incoming undergraduate exchange program is administered by the Global Education Office and hosted by Vanderbilt’s College of Arts and Science and School of Engineering. We welcome a small cohort of transient exchange students from the following partner institutions for semester and full academic year studies.

Our Current Exchange Partners

• City University of Hong Kong
• Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
• National University of Singapore
• Politecnico di Torino

To apply for the undergraduate exchange program at Vanderbilt University, students must be nominated by one of Vanderbilt’s exchange partner institutions listed above. Degree-seeking international students should contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Academics

Accepted students will be admitted either to the College of Arts and Science or Vanderbilt School of Engineering, depending on the Exchange Agreement between Vanderbilt and the student’s home institution. Each student will be assigned an academic advisor to support their academic endeavors at Vanderbilt. Students may enroll in courses for which prerequisites are fulfilled and where seats are available. Students must also maintain a full academic load (12 to 18 US course credits) while at Vanderbilt. Please note: While the hosting schools will do their best to place students in the courses they selected, registration in all desired courses cannot be guaranteed.

To complement their studies at Vanderbilt, students whose first language or language of instruction is not English are required to attend one English language course. This course is tuition-free and offered by the English Language Center after individual assessment of language level and needs.

Vanderbilt will not automatically provide a transcript to the student’s home institution at the end of the exchange term. Students must submit a transcript request to the Registrar’s Office before any official academic record can be shared.

See Vanderbilt’s Undergraduate Course Catalog.

Programmatic Support

The Incoming Exchange Coordinator at the Global Education Office works with Vanderbilt’s exchange partner institutions and their nominated incoming exchange students before, during, and after application. The Incoming Exchange Coordinator also provides administrative support for students after they arrive on campus. All incoming exchange students have access to the resources and support offered by Vanderbilt International Student and Scholar Services. This includes issuance of immigration documents, international student orientation, and cultural activities and programming throughout the academic year.

Housing

Living on campus is integral to undergraduate education at Vanderbilt. Living with other students supports the academic experience, furthering personal growth and development. Incoming exchange students will be placed in one of Vanderbilt’s on-campus residence halls where space is available. Once accepted to Vanderbilt, the housing application will become available to students. Feel free to browse the Housing and Residential Education website to learn more about Vanderbilt’s residence halls and living-learning communities.

Application

1. Read the application instructions.
2. Click the “Apply Now” button at the bottom of this page. You will be asked to create an account, then you may select the term for which you wish to apply.
3. Complete the application materials found on your account by the deadline.

Students: Please check with your home institution for any additional requirements. Submit them to your home institution before your institutional deadline.

Home institution: Please notify GEO by email (attention: Incoming Exchange Coordinator) of the names of the students you have nominated for exchange. During the application process, you will be asked to sign the “Incoming Exchange Study Plan Proposal” form to verify the student’s eligibility with your institution.

Deadlines

March 1 for fall semester and full academic year enrollment

September 1 for spring semester enrollment

Apply Now