MA in Shakespeare Studies
Taught with Globe Education, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
Celebrating ten years in 2010...
The MA in Shakespeare Studies offers students the opportunity to study the plays of Shakespeare and his contemporaries in their critical, textual and theatrical contexts. Students on the programme examine the output of the London theatres in the period 1590-1640, analyzing the play texts, companies, repertories, buildings, cultural contexts and the urban locations of the theatres.
The programme provides training in research methodologies, equipping students with the skills necessary to pursue doctoral study or a professional career in the cultural sector or arts education, drawing on the established strengths of the Department of English at King's and the unique experience of the Globe’s academic, educational and artistic teams in the analysis and performance of early modern theatre.
You can listen to a current student describe her experience of the MA.
The MA in Shakespeare Studies will serve both as a self-contained experience and as ideal grounding for postgraduate research or for a career in theatre and the arts. A good number of our graduates have gone on to do doctoral work, not only at King's but at other UK universities, including Cambridge, and at several major US universities, including Columbia, NYU, Massachusetts at Amherst, and CUNY: in these latter cases, the MA has served as a valuable bridge from American undergraduate work to acceptance onto a high-level doctoral programme.
What we offer:
- a strong tradition of Shakespeare and early modern literary studies at King’s
- a unique theatrical and leading educational environment at Shakespeare’s Globe
- unprecedented and unique access to all resources at Shakespeare’s Globe, including the opportunity to work on the Globe stage conducting research-led experiments with professional theatre artists
- world-leading expertise in the study of Shakespeare
- two research internship placements at Shakespeare’s Globe
- opportunity to attend research seminars at the London Shakespeare Centre, King’s College London, and seminars and conferences at Shakespeare’s Globe
Globe Education has been an integral part of Shakespeare’s Globe from its inception: the project was conceived as both a theatre and an education centre. Patrick Spottiswoode, director of Globe Education, has been part of the organisation since well before the building of the reconstructed theatre and has presided over the development of a major educational department. A key member of that department is Dr Farah Karim Cooper, Head of Courses and Research, whose publications include Cosmetics in Shakespearean and Renaissance Drama (2006) and Shakespeare’s Globe: A Theatrical Experiment, co-edited with Christie Carson (2008).
Contacts for further information
Please explore the menu on the left for detailed information about this programme, including the programme structure and entrance requirements.
General Enquiries: artshums-graduateadmissions@kcl.ac.uk
Programme Convenor: Professor Gordon McMullan