Students doing graduate work in the medieval and Renaissance periods require a particularly broad interdisciplinary base in their training. To meet this need, the faculty involved in MRST at the University of Pittsburgh have instituted a certificate program that coordinates a student's training in the medieval and Renaissance areas in such a way as to enrich the work in the major department while forming a coherent and integrated interdisciplinary experience. The interdisciplinary nature of the students' work should be reflected in the master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation.
The MRST Program comprises a course of studies in one of the conventional disciplines but with a broader and more varied preparation than marks the usual character of a graduate degree in a single discipline. All departments participating in the program permit the substitution of some "outside" courses for the regular departmental course requirements. Students are encouraged to meet with the Director of the Medieval and Renaissance Studies Program in order to discuss their choice of courses.
In completion of coursework and dissertation or thesis, the student is presented with a certificate and the major advisor places in his or her file a report on the special nature of the work toward the certificate. This report can serve as a supplement to the student's professional job-placement dossier. For further details, see the Catalog of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Students who are already enrolled in a graduate degree program at Pitt can apply for the Certificate in Medieval and Renaissance Studies at any time during their graduate studies

For students wishing to complete the MRST certificate at the graduate level, writing a research paper focused on medieval and/or Renaissance Studies is the most important requirement.