Published: Aug. 9, 2016 By

Shakespeare professionals and enthusiasts will soon get credit for their passion.

Beginning in spring 2017, CU Boulder becomes the first university in the nation to offer a graduate certificate in Applied Shakespeare.

The hybrid online and immersive nine-credit course will take place in the classroom, on the stage and online. Students will engage in stage combat, script reading and Elizabethan history. They’ll view rehearsals, attend plays and even learn how to teach Shakespeare. They will also be able to take advantage of the world-class Colorado Shakespeare Festival held annually on the Boulder campus.

Students enrolled in the course will work with experienced faculty in the departments of theatre and dance and English in addition to the faculty of the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. The course will also be offered in summer 2017.

Tim Orr, Applied Shakespeare instructor and producing artistic director of the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, said he anticipates the program to be unlike any other Shakespearean course.

“This will be an incredible, immersive and action-packed dive into the Bard of Avon’s work,” Orr said.

Course requirements include:

  • ENGL 5000: Shakespeare - 3 credit hours
  • Two-Week Summer Intensive - 6 credit hours
  • Within two months of the completion of the two-week intensive, students must submit a 15-20 page project that analyzes a single play from a literary, acting/directing and teaching perspective or which proposes a teaching curriculum or other project suitable to the student's professional goals and the academic requirements of the program.

Registration is now open for a limited number of seats. Applications will be accepted until Nov. 15, 2016. Visit CU Boulder Connect to apply.

To learn more about various ongoing Shakespearian events happening on campus in tandem with the First Folio exhibit, the 1623 published collection of William Shakespeare's plays that opened today on campus, please visit ShakespeareAtCU.

Julie Poppen is a senior news editor for the CU Office of News Services.