Programs by Campus
Bloomington
Folklore and Ethnomusicology
College of Arts and Sciences
Departmental E-mail: folkethn [at] indiana
Departmental URL: www.indiana.edu/~folklore
Curriculum
Degrees Offered
Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy
Fields of Study
The Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology offers training in a number of subfields of folklore, including oral narrative, song, material culture, ritual, festival, worldview, as well as ethnomusicology, the study of music as culture, with emphasis on area studies, theory, and presentation and preservation of music. The department is dedicated to the study of expressive forms traditional, contemporary, vernacular, and popular within an integrative academic program. Students and faculty conduct research in a range of world areas, using diverse research methods: ethnographic, historical, archival, and laboratory. Students prepare for careers in a variety of academic and public settings. The department offers a graduate concentration in public practice that emphasizes research, critical orientations, and practical skills in the areas of public education, preservation, and presentation.
Special Requirements
(See also general University Graduate School requirements.)
Admission Requirements
A good undergraduate record in any of the humanities or social sciences will be acceptable for admission to graduate study in folklore and ethnomusicology. Graduate Record Examination General Test scores are required (recommended but not required for international students whose first language is not English). Students may be admitted to graduate study in folklore and ethnomusicology, concentrating in either folklore or ethnomusicology, in one of three categories: (1) M.A., (2) Ph.D., or (3) M.A./Ph.D.
Grades
The department will accept no course for credit toward a degree in which the grade is lower than a B– (2.7). All students must earn a B (3.0) or better in the required department courses and maintain a grade point average of at least 3.2.
Master of Arts Degree
Foreign Language Requirement
Reading proficiency in one modern foreign language. Must be completed before M.A. project/thesis is submitted.
Project/Thesis
Project/Thesis required. Students may earn up to 6 credit hours for an M.A. project/thesis. A comprehensive oral examination is given when the project/thesis is submitted.
Master of Arts Track in Folklore
Course Requirements
A minimum of 30 credit hours, including F501, F516, F523, and F525 or F517. Four additional approved courses in the department.
Master of Arts Track in Ethnomusicology
Course Requirements
A minimum of 30 credit hours including the ethnomusicology courses F501, E522, F523, E529, E714, and F794, and two additional approved courses, one of which must be in the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology.
Dual Master’s Degrees
Foreign Language Requirement
Reading proficiency in one modern foreign language. Must be completed before M.A. project/thesis is submitted.
Project/Thesis
Project/thesis required. Students may earn up to 6 credit hours for the project/thesis. A comprehensive oral examination is given when the project/thesis is submitted.
Admission Requirements
Students must be admitted by both programs to pursue the dual degree.
Dual Master of Arts and Master of Library Science Degrees
Study for these two degrees can be combined for a total of 51 credit hours rather than the 66 credit hours required for the two degrees taken separately. Students take at least 30 graduate credit hours in library science and at least 21 credit hours in folklore and ethnomusicology.
Folklore and Ethnomusicology Course Requirements
F501; one of the following: F516, F517, E522, or E529; and either F523 or F525; four additional approved courses in the department and a project/thesis.
Dual Master of Arts and Master of Information Science Degrees
The joint program consists of a total of at least 57 credit hours: a minimum of 36 graduate credit hours in information science and a minimum of 21 credit hours in folklore and ethnomusicology.
Folklore and Ethnomusicology Course Requirements
F501; one of the following: F516, F517, E522, or E529; and either F523 or F525; four additional approved courses in the department and a project/thesis.
Dual Master of Arts Degree: Journalism and Folklore and Ethnomusicology
The School of Journalism and the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology offer a joint Master of Arts Degree. This degree is intended for a wide range of students, including those interested in community-based journalism, management and public relations work at various arts organizations, and other areas.
Folklore and Ethnomusicology Course Requirements
A total of 24 credit hours, F501; one of the following: F516, F517, E522, or E529; and either F523 or F525; five additional approved courses in the department. Students must fulfill the language requirement and submit a thesis/project.
Students in this dual program are required to complete the thesis/project that is required for the Folklore and Ethnomusicology M.A.; they may develop their thesis/project to integrate their Folklore and Ethnomusicology interests and their Journalism interests, with a committee of two Folklore/Ethnomusicology faculty and one or more Journalism faculty.
In addition to the 24 credits required by the School of Journalism and the 24 credits required by Folklore and Ethnomusicology, students must complete at least two additional credit hours to fulfill the university’s 50-credit minimum for any dual M.A.
Doctor of Philosophy Degree
Admission Requirement
M.A. degree (may comprise 30 of the 90 required credits).
Minors
At least one minor required; a second minor is optional. Students opting for the Ph.D. program with a double major may count the area outside of folklore and ethnomusicology as the equivalent of two minors if approved by the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology.
Foreign Language Requirement
Reading proficiency in two foreign languages. Must be completed before qualifying examination is taken. In special cases, and in consultation with a student’s advisory committee, a student may submit a written petition to the Director of Graduate Studies to substitute in-depth language proficiency in one language for proficiency in two languages.
Qualifying Examinations
Written examination in three parts (theory, genre, and area specialties), followed by oral examination.
Research Proposal
Must be approved by the research committee, a majority of whose members must be faculty of folklore and ethnomusicology.
Final Examination
Defense of the dissertation.
Ph.D. Track in Folklore
Course Requirements
A total of 90 credit hours, 36 of which are specific folklore courses including F501, F516, F517, F523 and F525, seven additional approved courses in the department, and a dissertation.
Ph.D. Track in Ethnomusicology
Course Requirements
A total of 90 credit hours, at least 24 of which are the following specific ethnomusicology courses including F501, E522, F523, F528, E529, E714, F740, and F794. Four additional courses for the major, at least three of which must be in the department; three of these courses must be approved courses that fulfill one of the three tracks: Social and Cultural Theory (F722 is a required course), Preservation and Presentation (E522, F510, and F803 or an approved performance ensemble, which may include approved ensembles in the School of Music, are required), and World Area.
Ph.D. Minor in Ethnomusicology
See section under Ethnomusicology elsewhere in this bulletin.
Ph.D. Minor in Folklore
Doctoral students in other departments may obtain a minor in folklore by completing 12 credit hours (four graduate folklore courses). Three (3) credit hours must be in one of the required courses: F501, F516, F517, F523, or F525. Contact the graduate advisor for approval of courses.
Ph.D. Internal Minor in Folklore for Students in the Ethnomusicology Track
Students pursuing the Ethnomusicology track may earn an internal minor in Folklore by completing four courses (for a total of 12 hours) that are outside of their major requirements and that deal with non-musical folklore topics (for example, material culture or oral narrative). Students must complete one of the following courses: F516, F517, or F525. All other courses must be approved in advance for the minor by the Director of the Folklore Institute. Students should contact the Director of the Folklore Institute for further information on this minor.