M.A. in Folklore

Mom, I'm getting my Master's in Fairyology.

By Paisley Hibou
QuailBellMagazine.com

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By Rachel Jones

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If any frowning, throat-clearing, law-abiding adult ever tries to convince you that fairy tales are for children, remind them that several highly esteemed universities offer graduate programs in folklore. In other words, after you've earned your M.A. or PhD., pretty prestigious institutions like the Smithsonian and the Library of Congress might actually be interested in your thoughts about magic, mythology, and oral storytelling. Heck, they might even shake a little money bag at you (an object more respectably known as a “research grant.”)

In the United States alone, a couple dozen programs in folklore, mythology, and related studies exist. A few of the American universities that offer such a distinctive Master's degree include Berkeley University, Western Kentucky University, University of Oregon, and University of Texas-Austin. In Canada, Memorial University is well-regarded for its graduate folklore program. Other notable Master's in folklore departments reside at Shandong University (China) and University of Aberdeen (Scotland). 

This interdisciplinary branch of anthropology often combines courses in Classics, English, world literature, history, religion, linguistics, theater, women's studies, and other respected disciplines from the social sciences and humanities. So folklore Master's candidates should have a firm grasp of reading, writing, research, field study, and general communication that transcends traditional department boundaries. Folklore is, after all, the study of humanity's most deep-seated intellectual and creative idiosyncrasies. Thinking about that demands a diverse background knowledge of human thought and storytelling.

Generally, candidates' departments also expect them to become proficient in at least one foreign language. At Indiana University-Bloomington, for instance, all M.A. candidates must achieve reading proficiency in at least one modern language through evidence of coursework or scores on the Graduate School Foreign Language Exam. Remember—folklore's not just a part of Irish or African culture. It's everywhere!

Most M.A./PhD. Folklore programs also require a specialization. Depending on the individual university and your advisor's judgement, you can narrow your study to a specific historic era, regional area, linguistic group, or who knows what else. George Mason University allows students to pursue specializations in Public Folklore, Ethnicity & Immigration, Folklore & Literature, Teaching of Writing & Literature, Folklore & History, or Folklore & Conflict Resolution. With approval from their advisor, students can also design their own specialization, such as Folklore & Editing, Applied Storytelling, Folklore & Mythology, Folklore & Art History, Folklore & Gender Studies, and Folklore & Communication. Each specialization calls for 9 credits.

Though scores of M.A. Folklore degree-holders go on to get their PhD. in fields like Sociolinguistics (Georgetown University) or Medical Anthropology (Brown University), others choose jobs in the public or private sectors. Museums seem like the most natural fit. However, don't be surprised to find folklorists working in all sorts of fields! They're in non-profits of every shade, as well as in creative industries like fine art, publishing, film, theater, and television. Believe it or not, they're even in the corporate world, observing how the company's employees socialize and how consumers develop their shopping habits. 

Get your degree in folklore now and you can shoot down all future fairy tale quips with the voice of authority. “Forget fairy tales?” you say, “Not if you care about who you are and where you're from. Here's my book to prove it.”