The department's graduate students work closely on research and writing projects with the members of our graduate faculty, who specialize in all areas of literary, theoretical, cultural studies and creative writing. MA students complete a broad-based program in literature, MFA students complete a broad based program in creative writing, PhD students may choose a concentration in any area of English-language literature. The English department encourages interdisciplinary work and maintains close ties with the Department of Comparative Literature and Humanities, the Program for Writing and Rhetoric, the various departments of foreign languages and literatures, other humanities and fine arts departments including history and theatre, and the writing programs at Boulder's Naropa University. The PhD program is a five-year curriculum that comprises a language requirement and three basic components: coursework, a Comprehensive Examination, and a dissertation.