Fall in with Shakespeare - Short Course

Program Overview

Through lectures, seminars with RSC practitioners, and hands-on research training, students acquire essential skills in analyzing early modern plays, academic writing, and research methodology. The course offers both an alternative path to MA programs in Shakespeare Studies and a rewarding experience for those seeking to deepen their knowledge of the Bard.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

Fall in with Shakespeare is a postgraduate short course designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to study Shakespeare at a postgraduate level. The course aims to develop a strong understanding of key concepts relating to the study of Shakespeare, such as genre, language, performance, Shakespeare in Education, and Global Shakespeare. Successful completion of this course can be used as an alternative qualification to those listed as entry requirements for the Shakespeare Institute MA programmes in Shakespeare Studies and Shakespeare and Creativity. The course is also suitable for those who wish to study Shakespeare for pleasure. Even if students do not intend to continue onto a Masters programme, they will still acquire significant knowledge of Shakespeare, which can be applied in a variety of educational, outreach, and cultural settings.

Outline:

The course is delivered by the Shakespeare Institute and features lecture content from leading scholars in Shakespeare Studies. Drawing on the University of Birmingham’s collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), Fall in with Shakespeare also provides multiple opportunities for students to discuss productions with RSC theatre practitioners.

Course Schedule:

• Weeks 1 to 4:
• Language, metre, and genre
• Shakespeare’s contemporaries in their early modern context
• Shakespeare in Education
• Global Shakespeare
• Weeks 5 and 6:
• Shakespeare in contemporary performance (seminars held in collaboration with Royal Shakespeare Company theatre practitioners)
• Weeks 7 and 8 (Optional):
• Research Skills A: Using digital and physical resources to conduct research
• Research Skills B: Academic writing and referencing

Modules:

• Language, metre, and genre: This module explores the unique language and poetic form of Shakespeare's plays, examining how these elements contribute to the overall meaning and impact of his work.
• Shakespeare’s contemporaries in their early modern context: This module provides a historical and cultural context for Shakespeare's work, exploring the social, political, and religious landscape of early modern England.
• Shakespeare in Education: This module examines the role of Shakespeare in education, exploring different pedagogical approaches and the relevance of Shakespeare's work to contemporary students.
• Global Shakespeare: This module explores the global reception and adaptation of Shakespeare's work, examining how his plays have been interpreted and reimagined in different cultures and contexts.
• Shakespeare in contemporary performance: This module focuses on the performance of Shakespeare's plays in the 21st century, exploring contemporary interpretations and the challenges of staging Shakespeare for modern audiences.
• Research Skills A: This module provides students with the skills and knowledge necessary to conduct research using both digital and physical resources.
• Research Skills B: This module focuses on academic writing and referencing, equipping students with the skills to write clear, concise, and well-researched essays.

Assessment:

The course is assessed through an individual assignment.

Teaching:

The course content will include weekly lectures, optional virtual seminars, discussion boards, Q&A sessions with RSC practitioners, and access to a wide range of resources.

Careers:

The course is designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge that are necessary to undertake a postgraduate degree in Shakespeare. These skills include:

• Analysing early modern plays
• Researching Shakespeare on the page and in performance
• Academic writing
• Academic referencing
• Discussing ideas in virtual seminars, one-on-one meetings, and in writing

Other:

The course compliments the ‘Spring into Shakespeare’ short course, which ran in Spring 2024. Weeks 1–6 feature all-new content. Weeks 7 and 8 (Research Skills A and B) repeat the final two weeks of ‘Spring into Shakespeare’, and are optional. Those who have already studied Research Skills as part of ‘Spring into Shakespeare’ are not required to do so again. However, Weeks 7 and 8 of Fall in with Shakespeare must be completed by those who are using the course to transition onto a Shakespeare Institute MA programme. You do not need to have completed ‘Spring into Shakespeare’ before taking Fall in with Shakespeare: these are separate, standalone courses that can be taken individually (or consecutively in either order). A Certificate of Participation will be awarded to participants who contribute constructively to weekly discussions and exercises/assignments for the duration of the course.

The tuition fee for this course is £400.