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Undergraduates Taking Graduate Courses

Overview

A qualified senior undergraduate may enroll in graduate-level courses under the following guidelines:

  1. The student must have a B average.
  2. The total course load – including both graduate and undergraduate courses – may not exceed 15 hours for the semester during which the student is registered for one or more graduate-level course.
  3. No undergraduate student may enroll in more than one graduate course in any semester.
  4. The student has the permission of the instructor of the course and the director of graduate studies of the department or program offering the course.
  5. Courses available for credit under this option are limited to those courses approved for graduate credit and listed as such in the Graduate School catalog, excluding thesis and dissertation research courses and individual research and readings courses.
Reserving Credit for Graduate School

Vanderbilt cannot guarantee that another graduate school will grant credit for graduate-level courses. However, under the following conditions, students may reserve credit earned in a graduate-level course for credit in the Vanderbilt Graduate School:

  1. The work must be in excess of that required for the bachelor's degree.
  2. All of the above criteria apply under this option.
  3. The student must declare their intention to reserve this credit on the registration form.
  4. Permission for Vanderbilt undergraduates to enroll in graduate courses does not constitute a commitment on the part of any department to accept the student as a graduate student in the future.
  5. Arts and Science students who are interested in reserving the credit earned in a graduate-level course should consult with the Graduate School before attempting to exercise this option.
How to Enroll in a Graduate Course

Qualified seniors who wish to enroll in a graduate course should download the Undergraduate Enrollment Request for Graduate Level Course form.

  1. Obtain the signature of the instructor of the course.
  2. Obtain the signature of the Director of Graduate Studies of the department in which the course is being offered.
  3. Return the signed form to the Office of Undergraduate Education for the College of Arts and Science in order to be enrolled in the class.

» Undergraduate Enrollment Request for Graduate Level Course form.