School of Engineering
What is Engineering?
At Vanderbilt, engineering is a collaborative process connecting students and faculty together to methodically solve the world’s most complex problems. Everyone is always learning and always questioning.
Engineering education begins with fundamental concepts of the physical laws that govern the universe as we know it. Once a major of study is selected, the learning follows the direction of the specialty while maintaining a balanced and flexible liberal arts core. At Vanderbilt, we believe engineering cannot exist in a vacuum; engineering makes use of the arts and the sciences for practical ends.
Professors and students work in modern, highly functional laboratory, classroom and maker spaces designed to generate ideation, conversation and innovation. They collaborate on projects that span the spectrum of engineering from robotics and tissue engineering to biomedical optics and sustainability. Opportunities abound to conduct original research both in engineering and across the Vanderbilt campus.
Vanderbilt engineering graduates are valued for their expertise, intellectual independence, communication skills and leadership ability. Professional demand for graduates with this background is intense. Graduates are actively recruited, not only for engineering careers, but also for careers as diverse as project management, finance, consulting, medicine and law.
Explore Our Majors
There are 8 majors in the School of Engineering.
Engineering Research
Research activity in the School of Engineering can be grouped into nine intellectual neighborhoods reflecting major societal and technological problems.
Cyber-physical Systems
Integrating software and hardware
Biomedical Imaging and Biophotonics
Using physical phenomena to diagnose and treat disease
Rehabilitation Engineering
Restoring lost physical and cognitive function
Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
The science and engineering of materials and processes on the nano scale
Risk, Reliability, and Resilience
Improving predictability of systems, infrastructure, and materials on Earth and in space
Big Data Science and Engineering
Harvesting and using knowledge from collections of large data sets
Regenerative Medicine
Replacing, engineering, and healing damaged tissues and organs
Surgery and Engineering
Technology, methods, and tools to improve patient outcomes
Energy and Natural Resources
Enabling sustainable resource and energy conservation, production, and recovery
35%
female engineering undergrads
(vs. national average of 19%)
90%+
of students entering the work force have a job within six months of graduation
60%
of undergrads involved in engineering research experiences supervised by professors
65%
of undergrads at Vanderbilt receive some form of financial assistance
Connect with a Current Engineering Student

Reethi Padmanabhan
- Biomedical Engineering
- North Potomac, MD
- Email Me

Audrey Mello
- Biomedical Engineering
- Cincinnati, OH
- Email Me

Riley Deutsch
- Mechanical Engineering
- Seal Beach, California
- Email Me

Sophia Chen
- Computer Science
- Naperville, IL
- Email Me