The oldest interdisciplinary major at Duke, medieval and Renaissance studies is one of a few such programs available to undergraduates at American universities. With the aid of a medieval and Renaissance studies center committee, students wishing to pursue a major in medieval and Renaissance studies choose at least ten courses from the four areas of study, eight of them non- introductory. To encourage breadth, three courses in each of two areas, as well as course work in at least one additional area must be included. Medieval and Renaissance studies majors are encouraged to write a senior thesis and are therefore advised to have at least a reading knowledge of one foreign language. The faculty of medieval and Renaissance studies includes some of Duke University's most distinguished scholars and its most sought-after teachers.
Classes are generally small, and faculty-student interactions are encouraged.
A variety of resources are available to support medieval and Renaissance studies. The libraries of Duke University contain over 4,000,000 volumes and rank among the top private university libraries in the United States. In addition to large holdings in art history, British history, English literature, musicology, medieval church history, Reformation and post-Reformation source materials, and utopias, the libraries have several distinguished special collections of medieval and Renaissance materials. The Latin and Greek manuscript collection is also one of the most outstanding of its kind in the United States. The Duke University Museum of Art has notable collections in medieval sculpture and decorative arts, and the Music Department has an excellent collection of both early music and early musical instruments.