George Mason University

Whether your interest is folktales or folk art, traditional health practices or heritage tourism, folklore explores the many traditions rooted deeply in each of our lives.

A discipline based on ethnographic fieldwork and developing strong writing skills, Mason's undergraduate and graduate folklore faculty offer coursework that will take you out of the classroom and into communities to enhance your understanding of folklore and its compelling global connections.

The program's interdisciplinary connections weave through museum studies, immigration, conflict resolution, non-profit management, telecommunications, writing, and more. As you explore these connections you will become qualified for doctoral work in folklore, and for public folklore employment in museums, arts and humanities councils, and other cultural agencies.

The Mason folklore program, in collaboration with the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, offers the nation's premier ethnographic training course: The Field School for Cultural Documentation. 

Celebrating 35 Years of Folklore at Mason

On April 24 the Folklore Studies Program will commemorate the 35th anniversary with a celebration in honor of Professor Margaret Yocom, the program's founder.

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Visiting Folklorist Series: Cliff Murphy of Maryland Traditions on Tuesday March 26 at 7:30 PM

On Tuesday March 26 Maryland Traditions Program Director Cliff Murphy will discuss the role of folklorists in preserving Maryland's cultural traditions.

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Tales from the Archive: Northern Virginia Folklife Archive Goes Digital

Hear stories from Mason’s past as we gather to celebrate the new digital Northern Virginia Folklife Archive. Students and faculty will tell stories about their folklore fieldwork, and share tales and more that they have collected through the years.

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