细胞与发育生物学（CDB）研究生计划旨在教育和培训学生成为创新的研究科学家和科学教育者。国家开发银行计划的主要重点是技术和概念方面的一流研究培训。作为跨部门计划（Vanderbilt IGP）的成员，学生在范德比尔特大学开始其研究生培训。在研究生学习的第一年，学生将从事课程工作，并完成一系列的实验室轮换。第一年课程提供核心生物学学科的能力，实验室轮换让学生确定论文导师。在第一年之后，如果学生选择在CDB教师的实验室中进行论文研究，则可以进入CDB计划。
The mission of the PhD Program in Cell and Developmental Biology is to train and support students from diverse backgrounds in becoming scientists and advancing basic biomedical science. Students are prepared for future careers including research at the cellular, molecular and organism level, data analysis and interpretation, and science communication, outreach, and education.<br><br>Students begin their graduate training at Vanderbilt University as a member of an interdepartmental program (Vanderbilt IGP or Vanderbilt QCB). During the first year of graduate study, students are engaged in course work and also complete a series of laboratory rotations. First year courses provide competency in core biological disciplines, and laboratory rotations allow students to identify a thesis mentor. In April of the first year, students may enter the CDB Graduate Program if they have chosen to undertake thesis research under the mentorship of a CDB primary or secondary faculty member.<br><br>Students complete their didactic course requirements during their second year in graduate school with specialized courses offered by CDB and other departments, and they begin to immerse themselves in their thesis research. At the end of their second year of graduate school, students prepare for the qualifying examination and take it over the summer. After passing the qualifying examination, a student is advanced to Ph.D. candidacy. Students generally spend an additional three to four years completing their thesis research, writing a dissertation and defending it at a public seminar.