1. An applicant for admission to the Ph.D. program in Folklore must hold an M.A. Degree in Folklore, or its equivalent as determined by the Admissions Committee, with an average grade in M.A. courses of not less than 80%.

2. The total number of required courses is determined by the Admissions Committee and is included in the Program of Study document that each newly admitted student receives. Students who enter the program with an M.A. degree in Folklore must complete at least 18 credit hours (6 courses), including FOLK 7000. Students who have no background in the discipline should expect to take a larger number of courses (approximately 10).

3. Second Language Requirements:

   1. All Ph.D. students are required to demonstrate an adequate reading knowledge of a second language - normally a common, modern language.

   2. Reading knowledge is defined as a minimum 'B' grade in a second-year language course taken within the previous five years, or performance satisfactory to the Department in an arranged reading proficiency test.

   3. The selection of a second language can be based on the student's research requirements.

   4. The selection of a second language must be made in consultation with the student's faculty advisor or Supervisor. Confirmation that the choice is acceptable must be obtained from the Department.

   5. The language requirement must normally be fulfilled before a student takes the Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination.

4. Comprehensive Examination for the Ph.D.:

   1. The Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination shall be administered in accordance with General Regulations, Ph.D. and Psy.D. Comprehensive Examination. Students will prepare for three examinations by undertaking supervised readings in three fields decided by the Comprehensive Examinations Committee. The basic principle is to integrate knowledge within specific areas of folklore and folklife scholarship. The examination normally takes place over a three-week period. At the beginning of each of the three weeks, the student will write an essay-style response to a question that relates to the student’s reading lists. The student normally has one week to respond to each question. Assessment by the Comprehensive Examination Committee will be based on the examination of the three essays. The Committee will recommend to the Dean of Graduate Studies a grade of PAS (pass), REX (re-examination), or FAL (fail).

   2. The examination normally will be scheduled in the second semester following a) the student’s completion of program courses, and b) the completion of the second language requirements. Also note: the examination normally will be scheduled no later than one year after completion of the above requirements.

5. Ph.D. Thesis:

   1. The student will normally submit a thesis proposal based on the student's own interests no later than the end of the semester following the completion of comprehensive examinations. The thesis proposal will include a working title, names of preferred Supervisor and two other Committee members, statement of topic, plan of research, statement of methodological and theoretical approach, a brief review of the literature and a preliminary bibliography. The proposal will be circulated to the Department for critical evaluation on the basis of which the student will be informed, within one month, by the Supervisor, of its acceptance, rejection, or acceptance with recommended changes.

   2. The thesis shall give evidence of the student's ability to carry out independent and original research, develop the necessary theoretical and methodological framework and present the findings in a scholarly manner.

A selection of the following graduate courses will be offered to meet the requirements of students, normally after consultation with the Head of the Department and/or the Graduate Officer, and as far as the resources of the Department will allow. Courses are structured according to the categories of: Core/Foundational, Theory and History, Place and Ethnographies, Genres, and Special Topics.

Core/Foundational Courses

• 6010 Survey of Folklore Genres and Processes
• 6020 Field and Research Methods
• 6030 Folklore Theories
• 7000 Advanced Folkloristics I (Required PhD)

Theory and History

• 6050 Issues in Folkloristics
• 6060 Foundations of Performance Studies
• 6070 Issues in Folklife
• 6260 Ethnography of Communication
• 6730 Folklore, Gender, and Sexuality
• 6740 Public Sector Folklore
• 6750 Popular Culture: Theory and Debate
• 6780 Ethnicities

Place and Ethnographies

• 6240 Folklore and Nationalism
• 6380 Perspectives on Cultural Tourism
• 6410 Vernacular Architecture
• 6760 Archiving
• 6770 The Global and the Local
• 6790 Museums: Perspectives and Practices
• 6800 Applied Folklore
• 7100 Advanced Folkloristics II: Research and Ethnography

Genres

• 6100 Song and Music
• 6120 Ballad
• 6130 Folklore Music Canons and Documentary Sound Recordings
• 6200 Folktale
• 6210 Legend
• 6220 Personal Narrative
• 6300 Ethnography of Belief
• 6310 Health Systems
• 6350 Custom
• 6370 Ritual, Festival, and Public Display
• 6400 Material Culture
• 6420 Art and Artifact
• 6430 Food and Culture
• 6510 Occupational Folklife
• 6710 Oral Tradition and Oral History
• 6720 Folklore and Literature

Special Topics

• 6511-29 Special Topics in Folklore
• 6550, 6552-69 Special Research in Folklore
• 6570-79 Reading Course in Folklore