Politics/Theatre Studies

Politics and Theatre Studies is an unusual and intellectually stimulating combination that examines two of the most fundamental human activities: the organisation of collective life and the creation of performed narrative and spectacle. Politics analyses the structures of power, the mechanisms of governance, and the ideologies that compete for influence over public life. Theatre studies investigates performance as an art form, a cultural practice, and a social institution, asking how theatre has shaped and been shaped by the political and historical contexts in which it has been created.

At the University of Glasgow, this part-time programme includes a year abroad, giving you the chance to encounter both political systems and theatrical traditions in a different national and cultural context. The politics strand develops your analytical understanding of political theory, comparative government, international relations, and current events, while the theatre studies strand engages you with the history and theory of performance alongside the creative and critical skills that theatrical analysis demands. Glasgow's strong connections to the city's cultural and creative organisations enrich the theatre studies component, with contributions from practitioners and policymakers who bring the world of professional performance and cultural policy into the classroom.

Graduates of Politics and Theatre Studies work in arts administration, cultural policy, political research, journalism, public affairs, education, and community arts. The combination of analytical and creative skills is valuable in any professional context that requires both understanding institutions and engaging with human experience in its lived, performed dimensions. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in politics, theatre, cultural studies, or related fields, and others build careers in the performing arts, media, and the public sector.