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A master’s degree is the first level of graduate study. To apply for a master degree you usually must already hold an undergraduate degree (a bachelor’s degree). It’s been proven over and over again. Getting a college degree of any kind pays off. A Master’s degree is a second-cycle academic degree and the first level of graduate study, which means it is after a Bachelor’s degree and before a PhD.
The Graduate Program in Folklore and Folklife at the University of Pennsylvania began in 1962 under the direction of MacEdward Leach, a medievalist who taught in the English department, and whose sound recordings from Jamaica, Newfoundland, and the Southern Mountains launched the Folklore Archive. Over the next four decades nearly 250 students earned the Ph.D. in Folklore from Penn. In 1999, the Department of Folklore and Folklife was restructured as a Graduate Program and a Center for Folklore and Ethnography (open 1999-2008). The Graduate Program, chaired by Dan Ben-Amos, is among a select group of academic programs in the United States offering graduate degrees (the M.A. and the Ph.D.) in folklore. The Program also offers a large number of undergraduate courses, enabling students at the college to minor in folklore.
The offices, seminar room, archive, and resource library for the Program are on the fourth floor of 3619 Locust Walk, near the center of campus.
Folklore and Folklife
A Important Note for Prospective Applicants
Admissions to the graduate program in folklore and folklife are presently suspended. However, we continue to offer graduate and undergraduate courses in folklore and folklife. If you are interested in applying to a related program at Penn, and would like to explore the possibility of a concentration in folklore, please write to Prof. Dan Ben-Amos, the program chair.
You’ve heard the stories. You’ve heard about how your grandma used to tell tales about the old days, and now you want to learn more about them. You’re looking for a master’s degree in folklore or folklife studies. Luckily, this is an exciting time for this kind of study: there are many fields within these two areas of scholarly research that can lead to interesting careers! In this post we’ll give you an overview of what folklore and folklife studies are all about, as well as some examples of schools where you can pursue them further (both online and on-campus).
What is Folklore
The field of folklore is the study of traditional beliefs, stories, and practices of a group. Folklore is transmitted through generations by oral tradition. It includes customs and rituals, such as songs and dances or simple craftwork or games like jump rope. Folklore is part of a culture’s heritage because it helps to define that group and its identity within society at large.
Folklorists study the wide range of subject matter that falls under this umbrella term. The word “folk” means “people”, so folklorists are concerned with all aspects of human experience: clothing styles; foodways; language usage; recreation activities like storytelling; religious beliefs and rituals; music genres such as country blues music — there’s no limit!
An Introduction to Folklife Studies
Folklife studies is the study of the relationship between people and their culture. It is a field of study that focuses on how people use and create culture, in all its forms.
Folklorists are interested in cultural traditions that are shared with others by members of a specific community, such as language or customs (such as Halloween). These traditions have been passed down through generations within families and among friends; they often include stories and songs. Folklore includes any type of information about cultures—from legends to rituals—that has been passed down orally from one generation to another. You may have heard the term “oral tradition” before; this refers to folklore that has been passed down orally from one person to another rather than written down or recorded on film or video tape (which would be considered an example of visual media).
Core Courses in Folklore and Folklife Studies
- Folklore and Folklife Studies
- Introduction to Folklore and Folklife Studies (1 credit)
- The Folklore of Religion: Theoretical Perspectives in the Study of Religions (3 credits)
- History and Theory of Literature, Art, Music, and Dance from a Folkloristic Perspective (3 credits)
- Anthropology 101: Studying People in Culture-Specific Contexts (4 credits)
- Anthropology 201: Studying People in Culture-Specific Contexts II (4 credits)
Examples of Folklore and Folklife Master’s Thesis Titles
Folklore and Folklife Master’s Thesis Titles
The following are examples of thesis titles from students who went on to enter the field of folklore and folklife. These theses might serve as inspiration in your own search for an insightful, relevant topic and useful methods.
- A Comparative Study of Folk-Lore in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia, and North Carolina
- The Effect of Oral Tradition on Children’s Narratives: An Examination of the Georgian Tales “Khati” and “Mimino”
- A Psychological Perspective on Folktale Characteristics: Implications for Folkloristic Studies in Literacy Education
- Using Traditional Storytelling Methods to Teach English Language Learners at a K-8 School: A Case Study
Examples of Folklife and Cultural Preservation Master’s Thesis Titles
- Folklore, Foodways, and Cultural Preservation in the South: A Case Study of the Southern Foodways Alliance
- Folklife in the Digital Age: A Study of Public Folklore in the Digital Age
- The Role of Folklore in the Preservation of the Craft of Blacksmithing
A Sampling of Possible Thesis Topics in the Field of Folklore
There are many possible thesis topics in the field of folklore and folklife. Some of these include:
- [Folklore and the Environment](https://folkloreandfolklife.org/the-field/the-field/)
- [Folklore, Technology, and Folklife Studies](https://www.grinnell.edu/academics/departments/humanities-interdisciplinary-studies/graduate-programs/masters-in-folkloristics/)
- [Preserving Folklore and Culture Today](http://www.americanfolklore.net/?p=3812)
- [Folklorists’ Perspectives on Folk Genres](https://www.academia.edu/5256358/_The_Contemporary_World_of_Folklore_and_Genres)
There are also many other possible thesis topics within this field that would be suitable for an MFA student looking to hone their skills as a storyteller or writer while focusing on the importance of tradition through oral history:
Where can I pursue a graduate degree in folklore or folklife online?
If you’re looking to study folklore and folklife online, there are several options. The University of Pittsburgh offers an online Master’s degree in Folklore and Folklife Studies through its Department of American Indian Studies. The University of Washington also offers an online Master’s degree in Folklore, Folklife and Ethnomusicology (specialization), while the University of Texas at Austin has an online Graduate Certificate in American Cultural Heritage through their Center for Music Research.
The University of Minnesota offers a Master’s Degree Program in Folklore and Culture which includes two tracks: one focused on traditional cultures and another focusing on contemporary traditions. Both tracks require students to take core courses as well as electives from other departments at the university such as Public History or Anthropology; all students must also complete a thesis component before graduation.
Folklore, as a discipline, has many more fields–folkloristics, cultural resource management, public folklore, ethnomusicology–and finding an advanced degree that suits your interests is not difficult.
Folklore, as a discipline, has many more fields–folkloristics, cultural resource management, public folklore and ethnomusicology–and finding an advanced degree that suits your interests is not difficult.
The only real problem is time. Folklorists have to be patient about getting their degrees because there simply aren’t enough programs available at the graduate level. If you want to become a folklorist and earn an advanced degree in this field, it will take longer than if you’re interested in other subjects such as history or literature.
Conclusion
We hope this article has helped you find the perfect master’s degree program in folklore and folklife. If you’re still unsure of what to choose, explore all your options and think about which one will allow you to pursue your interests. The best way to do this is by doing some research into each school’s offerings as well as visiting their campuses or contacting professors directly if possible! Good luck with your decision 🙂
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