What are the drawbacks?
As with all humanities graduate degrees, it is important to recognize certain economic realities before pursuing graduate work in Folklore. Research-oriented jobs that give you time to pursue your own work are very few. Jobs that pay well and grant free access to resources for research are few and available to a small shrinking tier of academics. The workload is up, salaries are down, and the pressures to perform brilliantly in all functions, as teacher, colleague and administrator, are unlikely to lessen over the next 10-15 years. If you truly love the critical study of Folklore, do not be deterred by these realities. Do make your choice with open eyes, however.
What does graduate study involve?
Again, the structure of graduate study in Folklore is similar to graduate study in other humanities fields, such as English or History. In the first year of graduate school, students take a heavy load of classes and read roughly 800 pages a week. Usually they are not TA's at this point. The workload is difficult, but the year is enjoyable for most students - because they are reading, writing, and thinking about the things that interest them. In the middle years of a Ph.D. program, students teach and take classes while preparing for their area exams. This period is incredibly demanding. It is followed by the dissertation period which typically lasts three to four years. At this point most students teach classes, (and sometimes work extra jobs) while researching, organizing and writing their dissertations. In all of these phases, time management skills and discipline are essential, along with social support. If you do decide to get your Ph.D., it is your passion for your subject that will get you through.
Unlike other disciplines, Folklore is usually an interdisciplinary program. Most Folklore programs are programs rather than departments: they do not have their own hiring lines, but instead draw upon faculty from a variety of fields. You may find yourself taking courses in English, Anthropology, African-American Studies, German, and History—and having to learn the protocols of each discipline! Such versatility can be both an asset and a handicap on the job market. Because so few Folklore departments exist, if you decide to go on to an academic job, you will have to be able to find a home in another department. Many universities are in favor of interdisciplinary work, but convincing a department that you will fit with them can still be difficult. You will have to become proficient in at least one other modern language.
How do I determine if I should apply for graduate school in Folklore?
First, read some of the leading journals in the field, such as Marvels and Tales, and see if you are as excited about the kind of scholarship that’s being done as you are about folklore itself. Look up the work of leading lights in the discipline, such as Jack Zipes, Marina Warner, Maria Tatar, Donald Haase, Ruth Bottigheimer, and the late Alan Dundes. If you know any professors or graduate students working in folklore-related fields, make an appointment to talk to them and get their perspectives on the profession. If you do not, ask around Penn’s Folklore program and English and Anthropology departments to see if you can find anybody to talk to. You can also visit the Surlalune website (http://www.surlalunefairytales.com), a very well-respected site about fairy tales and other kinds of folklore. There is a discussion board (http://p203.ezboard.com/fsurlalunefairytalesfrm1), and you can ask about the profession there—but do not forget to consult the discussion board’s archives as well (http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/boardarchives/index.html)! You may find that your questions have already been answered. When posting to this discussion board, present yourself professionally. Remember that well-known scholars read it, and you want to make a good impression!
How can I find a Folklore program?
Unlike other disciplines such as English and History, Folklore programs are few and far between. Some, such as Penn’s, have recently been discontinued; others offer only MAs or undergraduate degrees. An excellent place to start is this page on Surlalune, the website mentioned above: http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/introduction/graduatefairytales.html
But do not limit yourself to universities that have official Folklore programs! Many folklore scholars earn their degrees in other disciplines, such as English, German, French, Comparative Literature, or Anthropology. If a university’s department has one or two sympathetic faculty members, you may be able to find a home there. Jack Zipes, for instance, is part of his university’s German department, while Cristina Bacchilega is part of her university’s English department. Read some current scholarship, and then use the internet to find out where your favorite scholars are located. Look at the top 15 programs in the disciplines listed above, and use the internet to research the interests of their faculty. You may find the perfect advisor for you is not in a Folklore program! Don’t be afraid to email faculty or graduate students (do so judiciously, though, and only after you have done your own research and are clear about what you are looking for). They may not have time to respond to your queries, so don’t take that personally, but if they do, they may be of great help.
How can I go about researching the programs?
The internet can be an excellent source of information for you as you begin to research graduate programs. Not only can you find official department web pages, but you can also find links to professors' and graduate students' own home pages. These individualized pages can give you a more personal view of the program and its participants. E-mail is an excellent tool to ask specific questions as well.
What are some important things to look for when researching different schools?
Find out if the program is going to continue. While this is not a concern in most English and History departments, it is in Folklore. You do not want to spend time and energy preparing an application for a program that will cease to exist after a year! Research the funding of the schools you are interested in. What is the funding structure of the school? How is everyone funded? When will they fund you? For how long? If funding does not appear to be equitable, it could result in a competitive and divisive atmosphere. Funding at some schools is dependent upon performance and can become more and more competitive as you go on. Research the strengths and weaknesses of a program. Find out what sort of student faculty are they searching for? Does the department have an atmosphere in which you think you can thrive? Is there a support structure for graduate students in the department and in the university? What areas is it strongest in? If the area of folklore you are interested in requires study abroad, or ethnographic research, will that research be funded? Will you have time during which you do not have to teach or take courses in order to conduct it?
