University of Birmingham - College of Arts and Law
MA In Shakespeare and Creativity
Birmingham, United Kingdom
DURATION
1 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
30 Aug 2024*
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2024
TUITION FEES
GBP 10,530 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for UK students | 7 May 2024 for international students
** for UK students full-time | £24,120 for international students
Introduction
This unique program has been designed to create forward-thinking conversations about what Shakespeare is and what Shakespeare can be in today’s world.
As a student on the only course of its kind in the world, you will study everything from the history of Shakespeare in society, literary criticism, and theatre practices; before putting your knowledge into practice through a newly devised piece of theatre in response to Shakespeare’s work.
This creative and ambitious program is ideal for aspiring academics, actors, writers, directors, arts administrators, as well as anyone with a lively interest in Shakespeare.
You will have the opportunity to study the life and work of Shakespeare and combine it with the thrill of producing new creative work. It brings together academic, theatrical, and civic interests in Shakespeare to encourage and challenge you to think about new approaches to Shakespeare in the modern world.
Taught by world-renowned Shakespearean experts, you will explore the language and drama of Shakespeare, different approaches to performing Shakespeare, and the history of Shakespeare in Society.
Delivered by and taught at The Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon, the program makes the most of the unrivaled resources of Shakespeare’s Stratford and involves expert tuition from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and the Library of Birmingham.
The program is particularly enhanced by the Institute's collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), offering unique and extensive opportunities to work with RSC artists – predominantly within the Shakespeare and Society and The Shakespeare Ensemble modules.
Why Study this Course?
- Location – studying at The Shakespeare Institute in the heart of Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon offers you an academic experience unequaled by any other university. You will study within walking distance of Shakespeare's birthplace, school and grave, and the theatres of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
- Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) collaboration – Our exciting collaboration with the RSC offers students a truly unique learning experience, blending academia and creativity in an exciting new way to foster innovative methods of theatre and learning. Since its launch, students in the MA Shakespeare and Creativity program have experienced unique and extensive opportunities to work with RSC artists on a variety of projects and modules.
- Access to fantastic resources – you will be surrounded by a number of resources. The Shakespeare Institute’s own library is a renowned collection of international importance and you will also have access to the outstanding picture collections, records, and library holdings of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
- Be a part of a vibrant and active community – the Institute provides an intense learning experience in the study of Shakespeare from a range of perspectives, with the support and encouragement of the Institute’s staff, who are all respected in their own field.
- Attend postgraduate conferences – the Institute plays host to a number of national and international conferences. The highlight of the academic year is the annual Britgrad conference organized by students for students. You will be able to join postgraduate students from all over the world to give and hear short papers on all aspects of Shakespeare and early modern drama. Britgrad provides a unique opportunity for graduate students to share their work with their peers and to hear what other graduates in similar and related fields are working on.
Studying in Stratford-upon-Avon
Student working in Stratford. The Shakespeare Institute offers an unrivaled opportunity for the study of Shakespeare in Stratford upon Avon - Shakespeare's birthplace. Just a short walk away from the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Shakespeare Institute is a postgraduate-only department that offers dedicated support and resources to its students. As well as teaching space, study space, and a dedicated Shakespeare library, the Institute hosts a range of events and activities including Thursday seminars, the annual Britgrad conference, and performances.
Career Opportunities
Postgraduate Employability
You will be encouraged to make the most of your postgraduate experience and will have the opportunity to:
- Receive one-to-one careers advice, including guidance on your job applications, writing your CV, and improving your interview technique, whether you are looking for a career inside or outside of academia
- Meet employers face-to-face at on-campus recruitment fairs and employer presentations
- Attend an annual programme of careers fairs, skills workshops, and conferences, including bespoke events for postgraduates in the College of Arts and Law
- Take part in a range of activities to demonstrate your knowledge and skills to potential employers and enhance your CV
What’s more, you will be able to access our full range of careers support for up to 2 years after graduation.
Postgraduate employability: The Shakespeare Institute
As a postgraduate at the Shakespeare Institute, you will develop a broad range of creative, research, and theatre skills, as well as in-depth subject knowledge. Over the past 5 years, 88% of our postgraduates were in work and/or further study 6 months after graduation (2012 - 2017).
In recent years, our postgraduates have successfully entered a variety of sectors from teaching in secondary and higher education to performing arts, publishing, museum, library, and archive work. Employers that graduates have gone on to work for include National Trust, Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Shakespeare's Globe, University of Birmingham, and the University of Oxford.
Gallery
Curriculum
Core Modules
You will study three core modules:
- Research Skills and Methods
- The Shakespeare Ensemble
- Shakespeare in Society
Optional Modules
- Shakespeare and Theatre Practice
- History of Shakespeare in Performance, 1642-2020
- Shakespeare’s Bodies of Knowledge
- Early Modern Drama in Context: Playhouse, Culture and Society
- Shakespeare’s Afterlives
- Textual Studies in Shakespeare
- Plays and Poems A
- Plays and Poems B
- Shakespeare on Screen
- Shakespeare’s Worlds/The World’s Shakespeares
- Dissertation
Dissertation
If you choose Practice as Research, Research in Practice you will complete a 12,000-word dissertation. If you choose Praxis: Practical & Embodied Research Methods you will complete an Independent Research Project, where you will develop a performance project assessed by documentation and a 500-word piece of copy framing the work (75%), and a viva (25%).
Admissions
Program Tuition Fee
Scholarships and Funding
Scholarships and Studentships
Scholarships to cover fees and/or maintenance costs may be available. To discover whether you are eligible for any award across the University, and to start your funding application, please visit the University's Postgraduate Funding Database.
International students can often gain funding through overseas research scholarships, Commonwealth scholarships, or their home government.
Postgraduate loans
Government-backed Master's loans are available to help UK and EU students to finance their studies. For those starting courses after 1 August 2020, loans are available of up to £11,836 for Master's students in all subject areas. Criteria, eligibility, repayment, and application information are available on the UK government website.
Program delivery
We have three teaching terms per year, the autumn, spring, and summer terms. Term dates can be found on our website.
As a full-time student, you will typically take three modules in each of the first two terms, followed by your dissertation. If you are a part-time student, you will typically take three modules each year, followed by your dissertation.
Each module represents a total of 200 hours of study time, including preparatory reading, homework, and assignment preparation.