Spring into Shakespeare

Entry requirements

To be accepted onto the Spring into Shakespeare short course, you will need:

• An undergraduate honours degree in any subject OR professional experience of working with Shakespeare.

Months of entry

February

Course content

Let your love of Shakespeare bloom on our short course this spring and benefit from the expertise of our Shakespeare Institute and our collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).

Enhance your knowledge of Shakespeare and gain the skills to study at postgraduate level. You can take the course for pleasure, to boost your career or to progress onto a Masters.

Successfully completing this short course provides you with an alternative qualification for entry onto our MA Shakespeare programmes.

Why study this course?

Our short course covers key areas of Shakespeare studies, informed by our academic experts with input from RSC theatre practitioners.

You'll cover topics including genre, language, and Early Modern playing practices. Drawing on the University's collaboration with the RSC, you'll attend virtual seminars held in collaboration with their theatre experts to discuss contemporary performances of Shakespeare.

You'll enhance your understanding of how Shakespeare's texts are performed by hearing from those who bring his plays to life on stage.

Course delivery

The course contains six weeks of Shakespeare content, followed by an optional two weeks of Research Skills and Methods. There's no extra charge if you choose to take the optional research weeks.

You'll learn through weekly online lectures and seminars, discussion boards, production viewings, Q&As with RSC staff, and independent study.

By the end of the course you'll be able to:

• Discuss key concepts relating to the study of Shakespeare. These include genre, text, Shakespeare in performance, Shakespeare’s language, characters, plot, and themes
• Develop an appreciation of Shakespeare’s writing and the performance of his plays in the context of the Early Modern period
• Write in an academic style appropriate for MA-level study in Shakespeare and understand how to use an academic referencing system (such as MHRA).
• A Certificate of Participation will be awarded to participants who contribute constructively to weekly discussions and exercises/assignments for the duration of the course.

While studying the course, you'll use the University's resources, including e-books and journals, as well as performance databases of productions from the RSC, Shakespeare's Globe and the National Theatre.