Graduate Certificate in Folklore Studies

The Graduate Certificate in Folklore Studies enables students to explore the processes of tradition that move through multiple expressive forms, such as folktales, folk beliefs, folk medicine, folk art, folksong, and literature. A discipline based on ethnographic fieldwork, folklore studies offers students a chance to work in communities and collect living traditional materials that are critical to human identity and values. Interdisciplinary by nature, folklore thrives on local particularities as well as compelling global connections.

Mason's Folklore Program offers the only graduate-level training in folklore in the mid-Atlantic region, with a robust slate of course offerings and strong ties to local institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution, the National Park Service, and the Library of Congress that provide internship and employment opportunities.

The Washington, D.C., area offers extensive possibilities for folklore research. Mason's Folklore Program collaborates regularly with the Library of Congress on the Field School for Cultural Documentation. In collaboration with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the program also offers training and practical experience in festival management.

An earned baccalaureate degree from a Mason-recognized accredited institution of higher education, or international equivalent, verified from copies of unofficial transcripts uploaded to the online application portal.
Copies of unofficial university transcripts from any earned degree uploaded to the online application portal from all universities attended.
All transcripts from colleges or universities outside the United States must be translated into English, if applicable, and submitted for evaluation to the Mason Office of Admissions. Mason will provide evaluation service free of charge for all international transcripts, however, some programs may request an outside evaluation be completed.
A minimum 3.00 GPA on a 4.00 scale in baccalaureate study
All transcripts from colleges or universities outside the United States must be translated into English, if applicable, and submitted for evaluation to the Mason Office of Admissions. Mason will provide evaluation service free of charge for all international transcripts, however, some programs may request an outside evaluation be completed. Because of volume, more time may be needed to process applications requiring a Mason evaluation. You should submit your application 6 weeks prior to the deadline if you plan to utilize Mason's free evaluation service. For expedited service, students may submit their documents to any NACES member organization at their own expense. If you decide to use an external evaluation service or if your program requires an outside evaluation, GPA and Degree equivalences must be included with your course-by-course evaluation.

Applicants to the graduate certificate in folklore studies who are already accepted or enrolled in a degree program in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences must submit
a Graduate Secondary Certificate Program Application.
Applicants must submit a 1,500 to 2,000-word writing sample of literary analysis.
Goal Statement
2 Recommendation Letters
Resume

IELTS - 7.0 total band score, with a minimum of 6.5 in each subsection
TOEFL iBT - 88 points, minimum 20 in each section