Application Procedures

How to Apply

Master's students must apply for admission to the School of Graduate Studies. There is a $55 fee required with the application. The application deadline is January 15th.

The following are the steps in the application process (Instructions for steps 1-4 can be found on the School of Graduate Studies' Apply page).

1. Fill out the online application.
2. Pay the application fee.
3. Provide a copy of your transcript(s).
4. Provide 3 letters of recommendation from people who can address your readiness for graduate studies.

All supplemental items (steps 5-7 below) will be submitted online through the Graduate School's application system. Once you have created an account, filled out the online application, and paid the application fee, the Graduate School will email you with instructions for uploading the supplementary items (writing samples, statement of purpose, and curriculum vitae).

5. Send a statement of purpose. This statement (2-3 pages, double-spaced) should describe your interest and experience in technical writing and professional communication, as well as your future goals in the field. A well-written statement of purpose should also address why you are interested in the specific program to which you are applying. 

Statement of Purpose (2-3 pages double-spaced): Applicants must submit a statement of purpose that explains their reasons for seeking a master's degree in Folklore Studies at Utah State University (USU).

This statement should briefly describe your previous academic work, identifying central themes, areas of interest, and skills acquired, and you should explain how these prior academic experiences have prepared and/or motivated you to enter a graduate program in Folklore Studies. The statement of purpose may also address any relevant professional experiences and explain how such experiences have prepared and/or motivated you to enter this graduate program. Within this statement, you should identify some of the specific topics or disciplinary areas you would like to focus on for your graduate work.

You should also make an effort to show that you are familiar with the specific requirements and features of the Folklore Studies program at USU and should also address any relevant experience and interest in teaching. All MA/MS applicants are considered for a Graduate Instructorship, which comes with a tuition waiver, benefits, and a salary of $15,000 for the 2024-2025 academic year, in exchange for teaching 1-2 sections of Introduction to Writing (ENGL 1010) or Intermediate Writing (ENGL 2010) and performing other teaching-related responsibilities.

6. Upload a writing sample (at least 4-5 pages double spaced). Applicants must submit a statement of purpose that explains their reasons for seeking a master's degree in Folklore Studies at Utah State University (USU).

Writing Sample: All applicants must submit a writing sample. Below are three options for the writing sample:

1. You can choose an existing piece of writing that demonstrates your critical thinking skills, research skills, and strengths as a writer. If you do not have an essay written for a folklore class, an essay written for another humanities field such as history, English, art history, etc. will be acceptable.
   • If choosing option A, you must include a one-paragraph preface that contextualizes the writing sample, explaining when you wrote the essay and for what purpose, describing the original audience, and stating the original goals for the piece of writing.
2. If you do not have a piece of academic writing that would be appropriate as a sample, we ask that you select an article from the list below (representing a range of topics in the field of Folklore Studies) and submit a 4-5 page critical summary and response to the article. For guidelines on how to write an academic summary/response paper, please consult They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing, 2nd ed., Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein.
   • If choosing option B, you must include a one-paragraph preface to contextualize your summary and response, explaining why you chose to respond to the article that you selected.
     • Georges, Robert A. 1984. “You Often Eat What Others Think You Are: Food as an Index of Others' Conceptions of Who One Is.” Western Folklore 43 (4 ): 249-256.
     • Tuleja, Tad. 1991. “The Tooth Fairy: Perspectives on Money and Magic.” Children Folklore’s Review 13 (2): 13-22.
     • Gillman, Lisa. 2004. “The Traditionalization of Women’s Dancing, Hegemony, and Politics in Malawi” Journal of Folklore Research 41: 33-60.
     • Ellis, Bill. 1989. “Death by Folklore: Ostension, Contemporary. Legend, and Murder.” Western Folklore 48 (3): 201-220.
     • Roth, LuAnne. 2014. “Sexing the Turkey: Gender Politics and the Construction of Sexuality at Thanksgiving.” In Unsettling Assumptions: Tradition, Gender, Drag, Ed. Pauline Greenhill and Diane Tye, 148-171.

7. Upload a current CV (curriculum vitae). This CV should include your academic and professional writing experience.

International Students

International students must complete additional requirements found on the the "International Student Requirements" tab on the School of Graduate Studies' Apply page.