External Degree Verifications
Please note: Prior to the first day of classes of the student’s first semester, final high school transcripts for entering freshmen and undergraduate transfer students should be submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions through the application platform (e.g., Common App, Coalition Application) the student used to submit their application.
The Office of the University Registrar is responsible for verifying the completion of external degrees for incoming freshmen and graduate/professional students. In consultation with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and the admissions offices for the graduate and professional schools, we ensure that all incoming students have completed the degrees required for admission to Vanderbilt.
Information about the verification of Vanderbilt degrees is available here.
Prior Degree Policy - Graduate and Professional Students
It is the policy of Vanderbilt University to verify prior educational credentials for all admitted students who intend to matriculate. All matriculated students must provide official copies of transcripts and any other required supporting documentation to Vanderbilt University as part of the prior degree verification process. The Office of the University Registrar will review transcripts and other supporting documentation for authenticity and confirm degrees earned prior to matriculation at Vanderbilt. Offers of admission are contingent on a student providing the required documentation.
Incoming students are not permitted to register for classes until they have provided the required evidence of prior degrees. Students for whom the Office of the University Registrar is unable to verify prior degrees may be dismissed from the university.
Prior Degree Procedures - Graduate and Professional Students
All Graduate and Professional Students
All entering graduate and professional students must submit final, official transcripts (and any necessary supporting documentation) in order to register for classes for their first semester at Vanderbilt. Students who have not submitted required documentation by the first day of classes are subject to cancelation.
A final, official transcript should list the degree(s) awarded and the month and year of conferment.
Graduate and Professional Students with Degrees from International Institutions
The Office of the University Registrar, in conjunction with the Office of International Student and Scholar Services, highly recommends that entering graduate and professional students who completed a degree at an international institution obtain a certified course-by-course evaluation of their degree(s).
Evaluating agencies include:
- International Education Evaluation (IEE) – Note: students who use the Vanderbilt University Institution Portal will receive their evaluation at a discounted rate in three days with standard processing
- World Education Services (WES)
- Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)
- Josef Silny & Associates
Students may also select an agency not listed above, as long as the evaluation agency is approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. The list of NACES-approved agencies is available here.
In the absence of a certified course-by-course evaluation, Vanderbilt must receive official copies of transcripts, certificates, and diplomas from the issuing institution (or the Ministry of Education or Higher Education Commissions depending on country). Documents should be in both English and the native language. If the institution does not provide English translations, students are responsible for obtaining a certified word-for-word English translation.
Information about specific documents required from each country is available here.
Documents must be provided in sealed, stamped envelopes from the institution attended. The documents themselves should be stamped as official by the issuing institution or ministry.
Institutions that belong to countries who are signatories of the Bologna Accord need to provide an official English Diploma Supplement along with the native academic transcripts. Institutions in these countries do not need to provide an official copy of the diploma, as the degree will be listed in the Diploma Supplement.
Documents received from international institutions are scanned to the student's Vanderbilt record for review and processing. Physical copies are maintained in the Office of the University Registrar for six months from the date of receipt, then destroyed.
International students with questions about the prior degree verification process may contact the External Education team at prior-degree-review@vanderbilt.edu.
Incoming Freshmen
All incoming freshmen must provide a copy of their official final high school transcript. Students who have not submitted a final, official transcript during their first semester will not be able to register for classes for future terms.
Submitting Transcripts and Other Required Documentation
Transcripts and other required documentation should be sent to the Office of the University Registrar. In order to be considered official, transcripts and other documents must be sent directly from the issuing institution/agency to Vanderbilt University.
Office of the University Registrar
Vanderbilt University
PMB 407701
2305 West End Avenue
Nashville, TN 37240-7701
615-322-7701
Some institutions provide secure electronic delivery of official transcripts via third-party vendors like Parchment. These submissions may be made to prior-degree-review@vanderbilt.edu.
In certain cases, we may be able to accept a transcript provided directly to the student in a sealed envelope, signed by the issuing institution.