The Department of American Studies offers two courses of graduate study: the masters degree in Folklore and the doctoral degree in American Studies. Both the Folklore M.A. and American Studies Ph.D. build on deeply rooted signature strengths that render our graduate programs truly distinctive: American Expressive Culture, Southern Studies, American Indian Studies, Folklore and Folklife, Digital Humanities, and International and Comparative American Studies. Our sixteen faculty members teach and work in an array of fields including American intellectual and cultural history, social and cultural history, foodways, material culture, musicology, literary and film criticism, American Indian expressive culture, art and visual culture, popular culture, new media and public engagement, and culturally informed public policy. Our graduate programs are designed for depth and breadth in American Studies and Folklore – and they competitively position our graduates for careers in a rapidly changing world of scholarly opportunities. Our emphasis is on the centrality of the interdisciplinary humanities for all aspects of intellectual and professional life.
The Folklore M.A. is the oldest established course of graduate study in Folklore and Folklife in the United States, consisting of a two-year course of study with a required thesis. The American Studies Ph.D., introduced in 2012, is a three to five year course of study that concludes with major and minor field exams and a required dissertation. Both degrees offer multiple opportunities for professional development outside the classroom including editorial, new media, curatorial, and public service. American Studies offers a graduate minor for students pursuing advanced degrees in other disciplines. A full description of the requirements and curriculum for the degrees appear below.
American Studies Ph.D.
The Ph.D. degree in American Studies provides rigorous training in interdisciplinary methods dedicated to the understanding of the complex cultures and history of the United States and its place in the world. Program graduates will be prepared to teach at the college and university levels in American Studies and related fields, including Southern Studies, American Indian Studies, literature, history, art history, cultural studies, folklore, and the social sciences; they may also pursue professional opportunities in museums, historical sites, archives, or related fields requiring interdisciplinary perspectives and methodologies.
The program admits candidates for study for the Ph.D. only. An M.A. degree is awarded as part of the progress toward the Ph.D. Students who already hold an M.A. may apply to transfer up to 18 hours of approved graduate credit toward the doctoral degree. Requirements include coursework, a capstone research project, demonstration of proficiency in one language other than English, qualifying examinations, a Ph.D. prospectus, and the dissertation.
The course of study requires all incoming students to take courses in the history and methodologies of American Studies; additionally, students will choose two minor fields reflecting the strengths of the department and of cognate departments at UNC-CH. Minor fields might include American literature; art; cultural history; intellectual history; religious studies; Southern Studies; American Indian Studies; Folklore; African-American Studies; digital American Studies; or other self-designed fields. Coursework will be individualized according to students’ interests.
For a detailed description of the course of study, see here.
Admission to the Ph.D. program in American Studies is separate from admission to the M.A. program in Folklore. Folklore graduates may apply for admission to the American Studies doctoral program, but their admission is not guaranteed.
Admission requirements include:
- Transcripts of all prior academic work
- GRE (general test) scores from within the last five years
- Letters of recommendation from at least three former professors familiar with the student’s academic capabilities
- A personal statement
- A writing sample.
The personal statement should address the candidate’s intellectual and professional goals, and should specify how this program will enable the candidate to achieve these goals. It should also place the candidate in a world of ideas and state what s/he will bring to the program as a member of an intellectual community. The writing sample should demonstrate the candidate’s ability to write clear and graceful prose, to conduct original research and to set forth a critical interpretation or argument. It should be approximately ten to fifteen pages in length. Candidates may also submit additional materials, such as academic work in another course, or writing that springs from relevant professional activities. See “How to Apply.”
For helpful tips and resources on how to utilize and navigate the new ConnectCarolina registration system, please visit the Student Registration Guide website.
Folklore M.A.
The M.A. Folklore Program emphasizes the study of creativity and aesthetic expression in everyday life and the political implications of that expression as it unfolds in contested arenas of culture. The study of folklore focuses attention on those expressive realms that communities infuse with cultural meaning and through which they give voice to the issues and concerns that they see as central to their being. These realms are often deeply grounded in tradition, yet as community self-definitions develop and change in light of shifting social, political, and economic realities, community-based artistry likewise evolves. Folklore thus moves beyond the study of the old and time-honored to explore emergent meanings and cultural forms. The expertise of our faculty offers broad coverage of the expressive realms of music, narrative, festival, architecture, belief, language, food, and art as articulated in communities defined by race, gender, class, ethnicity, region, faith, and occupation.
The primary vehicle for the exploration of contemporary folklore is ethnographic fieldwork, the real-world study of people’s lives in everyday settings, grounded in conversation and participatory engagement. As part of the work toward the M.A. students gain familiarity with ethnographic methodology via example and extensive practical application.
Given the unique resources of the University of North Carolina, the Folklore Program emphasizes study of North Carolina and the American South and encourages students to draw upon the University’s archival holdings and related strengths in the study of Southern history, literature, and culture. Our program also, however, prepares students to conduct their own research in other parts of the country and other regions of the world.
The Folklore M.A. readies students for employment in local, state, and national arts agencies, museums, historic sites, and other cultural enterprises. Graduates also pursue further academic study in Folklore, Anthropology, American Studies, Communications Studies, Law, and other disciplines.
The program admits candidates for study for the M.A. only. Requirements include coursework, demonstration of proficiency in one language other than English, a critical literature review, a thesis proposal, and the thesis.
The course of study requires all incoming students to take courses in the history and theory of the discipline of Folklore and in ethnographic methodology. Students divide their remaining coursework between courses in Folklore and American Studies and complementary courses in other departments. Coursework will be individualized according to students’ interests.
For a detailed description of the course of study, see here.
Admission to the M.A. program in Folklore is separate from admission to the Ph.D. program in American Studies. Folklore graduates may apply for admission to the American Studies doctoral program, but their admission is not guaranteed.
Admission requirements include:
- Transcripts of all prior academic work;
- GRE (general test) scores from within the last five years;
- Three letters of recommendation, two of which must be from a former professor familiar with the student’s academic capabilities;
- A personal statement
- A writing sample.
The personal statement should outline the applicant’s source of interest in the program and prior experience in the study of Folklore, should address the candidate’s intellectual and professional goals, and should specify how this program will enable the candidate to achieve these goals. It should also place the candidate in a world of ideas and state what s/he will bring to the program as a member of an intellectual community. The writing sample should demonstrate the candidate’s ability to write clear and graceful prose, to conduct original research, and to set forth a critical interpretation or argument. It should be approximately ten to fifteen pages in length. Candidates may also submit additional materials, such as documentary photography, links to audio or video work accessible on line, ethnographically inspired creative writing, or writing that springs from relevant professional activities. See “How to Apply.”
For helpful tips and resources on how to utilize and navigate the new ConnectCarolina registration system, please visit the Student Registration Guide website.
Image Caption: Jeronimo Sunol, Statue of Columbus, Central Park, New York, with Christo, The Gates, February 12, 2005, photograph by Joy Kasson.