Politics/Theatre Studies

Politics and theatre studies might seem an unlikely pairing at first glance, but they share deep common ground: both are concerned with power, performance, representation, and the ways in which communities construct and contest their understanding of the world. Theatre has always been a political form, from the civic drama of ancient Athens to the agitprop of the twentieth century and the devised performance of today; and politics, as many theorists have argued, is itself a kind of performance, staged in parliaments, media spaces, and public squares. Studying both disciplines together over four years at the University of Glasgow gives you a sophisticated dual perspective that neither subject alone can provide.

The programme includes a year abroad, extending your encounter with different political and theatrical traditions beyond the UK.

On the politics side, you will develop rigorous analytical tools for understanding political systems, ideologies, institutions, and international relations. The theatre studies strand will take you into the history and theory of performance, drama, and the relationships between art and its social contexts. Glasgow's connections with the city's creative and cultural organisations, including contributions from practitioners and policymakers, bring a live professional dimension to the academic study of both fields.

The year abroad gives you the opportunity to study at a university in another country, encountering different approaches to both political analysis and theatrical practice.

A typical entry tariff of 200 points reflects the selectivity of the Glasgow programme. Graduates move into careers in politics, public affairs, arts administration, journalism, theatre-making and production, cultural policy, education, community arts, and international organisations. Many continue to postgraduate study in political science, theatre, performance studies, or related fields.