Program Overview

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University Program Information

The university offers a wide range of programs, including short and online courses, undergraduate, postgraduate, professional, and research programs.

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• Day and weekend events
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Academic Credit

Many courses can be studied for academic credit, which means they can count towards a recognised qualification.

Undergraduate Programs

Certificates

• Archaeology
• Certificate of Higher Education
• English Literature
• History
• History of Art
• Theological Studies

Diplomas

• Archaeology
• Creative Writing
• English Social and Local History
• History of Art

Advanced Diplomas

• British Archaeology
• IT Systems Analysis and Design (Online)
• Local History (Online)

Pre-Master's

• Advanced Pre-sessional Course for Graduate Students (nine weeks, full-time)
• Foundations of Diplomacy Pre-Master's Course (six months, full-time)

Summer Schools

• Oxford University Summer School for Adults

Postgraduate Programs

Certificates

• Architectural History
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
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Diplomas

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Severe Mental Health Problems
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• Psychodynamic Practice

Master of Studies (MSt)

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Research Degrees (DPhil)

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Master of Science (MSc)

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Continuing Professional Development

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The university has an active interdisciplinary research community, with a strong focus on the humanities and social sciences.

Research Community

• Academic staff profiles
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Course Details

Shakespeare

• Code: O25P413LTV
• Credit: 10 CATS points
• Fees: ｣415.00
• Dates: Wed 21 Jan 2026 - Fri 10 Apr 2026
• Location: Online (Flexible)

Course Aims

This course will enable students to:

• Develop their knowledge, understanding, and enjoyment of Shakespeare's plays.
• Develop new critical skills with which to approach Shakespeare on page and stage and, by extension, skills of literary criticism and appreciation applicable more generally.
• Discuss and debate their ideas with other participants and with the critical tradition.
• Feel more confident in going to see an unfamiliar Shakespeare play.
• Revisit school or other previous experiences of learning Shakespeare and see how the field has changed.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course students can expect:

• To understand the plays studied in different critical contexts, including historical, theoretical, and theatrical.
• To have challenged their own ideas and come to new understandings of the material.
• To feel confidence in their ability to understand and appreciate Shakespeare.

Assessment Methods

You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.

Tutor

• Dr Wendy Trevor
  • BA in English
  • MA in Shakespeare and Cultural History
  • PhD in English with a specialty in early modern drama and intellectual history
  • 15 years of teaching experience in face-to-face and online modalities
  • Research interests include the heraldic funerary ritual and death and commemoration in Tudor and Stuart England; early modern conceptions of male friendship and translations of works by Aristotle, Cicero and Seneca.