PhD with Integrated Study (Shakespeare Studies) – (Ph.D.)

Contents

Students begin their programme with the core research skills module (20 credits) before creating their own package of 100 credits (normally 5 x 20 credit modules) from a choice of modules from the MA in Shakespeare Studies and/or MA in Shakespeare, Stratford-upon-Avon and the Cultural History of Renaissance England; English Department and other Departments/Schools.

In addition to Research Skills, a minimum 40 credits should be taken from modules available at the Shakespeare Institute, such as:

* Shakespeare, playwright and his drama


* Plays and poems of Shakespeare


* History of Shakespeare in Performance


* Textual Studies in Shakespeare


* History of Shakespeare Criticism



Further credits can then be taken from modules available in either the Department of English (such as - Theories and Practices of Textual Editing , The Production of Texts ) or, by special arrangement, to a maximum of 40 credits, modules from elsewhere on campus, either in the Schools of Humanities * , Social Sciences * , Historical Studies * or Education * (* other modules by arrangement).

In summary students will complete 120 credits from taught M level (normally achieving a minimum coursework average of 65) plus successfully complete a supervised PhD thesis (420 credits - 80,000 words).

On successful completion of the taught modules (i.e. normally achieving a minimum coursework average of 65) students will submit (normally in September) a detailed pilot study of 12,000 words. This will not bear credit as coursework, but will contribute to the thesis. Full progression to Stage 2 will depend on satisfactory completion of the pilot study modules.

Please note:the modules on the MA Shakespeare & Theatre and the MA Shakespeare & Education are not available to students on the PhD with Integrated Studies.

Modules offered

* Research Skills in Shakespeare (20 credits)Classes introduce the research techniques applicable in the fields associated with Shakespeare studies, and explore the rich resources available through the University and in Stratford-upon-Avon. This knowledge is applied in a Bibliographical Essay, which prepares towards the doctoral thesis.


* Shakespeare, the Renaissance Playwright and his Drama (20 credits)This course focuses on the life and career of Shakespeare as a case study in the position of professional playwrights in early modern England.


* Plays and Poems of Shakespeare (20 credits)This course engages in the detailed examination of Shakespeare's works, and enables students to develop their critical thinking in the light of current criticism. Student presentation of their ideas leads to group discussion. The course is taught over two terms.


* History of Shakespeare in Performance (20 credits)The module introduces students to the history and analysis of Shakespeare's plays in performance on stage, film, television, and radio. It introduces students to the specific methods and materials of theatre research.


* Textual Studies in Shakespeare (20 credits)What do we mean when we refer to ‘the text of Shakespeare'? This module investigates the production of the text in the theatre and in print, explores controversies surrounding the interpretation of this material, and introduces students to the techniques of editing.


* History of Shakespeare Criticism (20 credits)Shakespeare criticism from Ben Jonson to the plethora of approaches available today has constantly sought to redefine Shakespeare and his significance to the reader. The module traces the main developments in Shakespeare criticism, in the context of the wider development of intellectual culture from the sixteenth century to the present.


* Theories and Practices of Textual Editing (40 credits)This module addresses questions in text editing and annotation, examining particular instances in the history of editing as well as recent textual theory. Recent topics have included: 'Editing Medieval Vernacular Texts: the Piers Plowman controversy'; 'Shakespeare'; 'Annotation: Christopher Smart'; 'Annotation: Oscar Wilde'; and 'Electronic editing: Johnson's Dictionary.'


* The Production of Texts (40 credits)This module discusses the nature of text and book, looking at such issues as the compilation of medieval manuscripts, the transition from manuscript to print, the growth of the 18th Century book trade, the relationship of audience to text in the Romantic period, the high water mark of print in the late 19th Century, and the implications of computer-generated text in the 20th Century.



Weekly Seminars at the Shakespeare Institute

In addition to the modules outlined above, students are encouraged to attend the general Shakespeare Seminar held once a week, in the afternoons, during term-time, at which Institute fellows and a range of visiting speakers present papers. There is opportunity to question the speaker after the paper has been delivered. Attendance is expected of all Institute members. Speakers have included Stanley Wells, Katherine E. Maus, Laurie Maguire, Jonathan Bate, and Ann Thompson.

Faculty

The Shakespeare Institute of the University of Birmingham, offers postgraduate students and scholars an academic experience unequalled by any other university. Students study Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon, within walking distance of his birthplace, school and grave, and the theatres of the Royal Shakespeare Company

We pride ourselves on our International community of students of all ages and backgrounds which enhances the learning environment. You will have the opportunity to explore the work of Shakespeare and the drama of his time, broader aspects of early modern culture and literature, its subsequent cultural significance and performance on stage and screen.

Your learning resources are all around you. The Shakespeare Institute’s own library is a renowned collection of international importance and you have access to outstanding picture collections, records and library holdings of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust including the archives of the Royal Shakespeare Company. The University Library of The University of Birmingham and the remarkable Shakespeare collection of the Birmingham Central Reference Library are just a short journey away. In addition there are the world-class resources of the Royal Shakespeare Company on our doorstep.

Founded in 1951, by the theatre historian Allardyce Nicoll, The Shakespeare Institute has gone from strength to strength. Many of the Institute’s former students teach in the world’s most important universities and other centres of higher education. Staff and students have been and continue to be responsible for many significant contributions to scholarship.