MA/MS in Folklore Studies

Overview

In the Folklore 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. You will document, analyze, and interpret artistic traditions and in doing so become highly skilled culture brokers and adept communicators. You 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. 

Please reach out to Lynne McNeill, the Director of Graduate Studies, for specific programmatic questions. 

Specialization(s):

• Folklore: Folklore students study all forms of vernacular folk culture. Folklore classes cover traditions from all over the world and include such topics as folktales, urban legends, personal experience narratives, children’s folklore, folk art, graffiti, the supernatural, etc. The program allows students to choose between two concentrations within the folklore specialization: academic and public folklore. The public folklore concentration prepares them for jobs in academia, government, arts administration, and museum management.
• American Studies: Currently the American Studies specialization is not accepting new students.

 Career Application

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. 

Folklore News

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March 29, 2024

Student Spotlight: Noah Todachiny

Noah Todachiny, a student in Professor Jeannie Thomas’ Introduction to Folklore class, recently created “Ghost Hunters of Old Main,” a short film celebrated by his classmates for its creative and engaging content.

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March 8, 2024

Hands-on Learning: Food and Folklore

Back in December, Afsane Rezaei took her students from the Foodways class (ENGL 3710: Topics in Folklore) to the culinary lab on campus for a class contest to make Swedish pancakes.

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March 1, 2024

Faculty Spotlight: Jeannie Thomas

USU Folklore Professor Jeannie Thomas was recently featured on KUTV for her work on the “Swiftie” phenomenon as a part of a larger project for the Digital Folklore Project and also was recently interviewed on Utah Public Radio for Valentine's Day