The faculty in Medieval Studies advises departments and interdepartmental degree-granting committees and students in the planning of courses of study essential to medieval specialization in any field. Students specializing in a medieval field will take their advanced degrees under the auspices of a department or interdepartmental degree-granting committee and must submit their applications to the department or committee in which their primary interests lie.
The Committee on Creative Writing gives students a rigorous background in the fundamentals of creative work by providing them with the opportunity to study with established poets and prose writers. It differs from the professional, free-standing creative writing programs at other universities in seeing itself as an integral part of the university's intellectual life, and most particularly in providing opportunities for interdisciplinary work. The university currently offers three undergraduate and one graduate non-professional program option in creative writing.