New Graduate Folklore Curriculum to Launch in Fall 2021

George Mason University’s Folklore Program is excited to announce a new graduate folklore curriculum. Beginning in Fall 2021, Mason’s Folklore Program will offer a MA in English with a concentration in Folklore Studies.

The new 30-credit-hour degree encourages students to take advantage of the university’s close proximity to D.C. In addition to core courses in folklore theory and fieldwork methods, students take classes in public folklore and participate in the Field School for Cultural Documentation, a regular collaboration with the Library of Congress. Students also have the opportunity to gain internship experience with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival through a course sequence in festival management.

At Mason, students explore folklore both globally and locally, drawing on faculty expertise in Africa, China, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, as well as Appalachia and the vibrant cultures that comprise the Washington, D.C. region. 

The new curriculum prepares students for careers in cultural agencies, governmental organizations, and teaching institutions, as well for advanced study in the humanities. 

The program plans to cease new admissions to the MAIS in Folklore Studies starting in Fall 2021.

For more information, see https://folklore.gmu.edu.