In the Folklore Studies Master’s program at USU, you will study an interdisciplinary field located between literature and anthropology. A primary emphasis in folklore studies is on tradition and how it manifests in the contemporary world. A second emphasis is on vernacular practices that are generated by people informally—from stories, songs, and festivals to beliefs, conspiracy theories, and internet memes.
Our Folklore program is deeply rooted in community engagement and statewide outreach, and students will gain skills in communication, interviewing, and cultural analysis. Students will learn to document, analyze, and interpret artistic traditions and in doing so will become highly skilled culture brokers and adept communicators. Students will also have the opportunity to work closely with the Fife Folklore Archives, one of the largest repositories of American folklore in the United States, and the Digital Folklore Project which tracks digital folklore trends on an annual basis. USU's Folklore Program also has ongoing connections with the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, and students may earn the opportunity to intern with that institution or other similar institutions during their graduate study.
Please reach out to Lynne McNeill, the Director of Graduate Studies, for specific programmatic questions.
Graduates of the Folklore Master’s program work in a variety of careers both in the academy and public service, as educators, community organizers, museums or archives specialists, public folklorists (in non-profit organizations and state/federal agencies), and more. Some graduates move on to Ph.D. programs to continue their studies in folklore and become university professors or researchers.
Congratulations to Folklore students Melanie Kimball, Drake Hansen, and Mustafa Cingoz, who presented at the American Folklore Society annual conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Congratulations to Drake Hansen for being awarded the American Folklore Society’s W.W. Newell Prize in Children’s Folklore!
Congratulations to Emily Kovacic, master's student in Folklore Studies, who was awarded a scholarship by the Cache Valley Historical Society.
Associate Professor & Director of Graduate Studies
Office: Logan (RWST 213)
Email: lynne.mcneill@usu.edu
