Theater degrees, theater degrees, wherefore art thou theater degrees? The answer is: everywhere! The most popular regions to earn a degree in theater abroad are Europe and North America, where theater has its deepest roots and oldest plays.

Renaissance, architecture, and a history of performance dating back to the BC days, sets the scene for theater degrees in Italy. You’ll find it impossible not to be dramatic in a country with such a decadent legacy of art. In fact, Italians will probably try to convince you that Italy is the birthplace of theater. The happy/sad masks that are often used to characterise the theater trade stem from the Italian tradition of Commedia dell’arte, which was said to influence Shakespeare, Moliere, and even opera and puppet shows like Punch and Judy. Who can argue with history like that?

Famed for its playwrights (hands up, Shakespeare fans), England has a tradition of performing arts that span both historical and contemporary theater. Your theater studies in England will spill over from the classroom into the cobbled streets and rowdy pubs of London’s West End and all the way to the balcony seats of traditional English pantomimes. Globe-trotting theater-holics can also hang out at the aptly name Globe Theater in London; it might only be a replica of Shakespeare’s original, but it will give you true inspiration for your theater degree.

London might have Shakespeare and Paris might have Victor Hugo, but the United States has Broadway and Hollywood. You’ll be lurking in the audience of musicals more than The Phantom of the Opera himself. You’ll get to know the Jersey Boys, relive your childhood through The Lion King, and learn every song in Mamma Mia! by heart. While earning a theater degree in the U.S., you will be close to the glamourous heart of the modern entertainment industry.

The Golden Age of theater in Spain might be long gone, but earning a degree in theater in Spain is still a golden opportunity. Your Spanish theater degree will be a masterpiece of historic teatros, Spanish language, and flamenco. When you’re not in class (or having a siesta), you will probably spend your time discussing the works of Cervantes in smoky tapas bars, with pitchers of sangria and plenty of jamon.