Folklore and Public Culture Program

The Folklore and Public Culture Program at University of Oregon is one of a few major centers of folkloristic research in the US. Students study the ways tradition continues to enrich human behavior throughout the world and gain fresh perspectives on the ethnic, regional, occupational, gender, and other identities of individuals in specific communities.

What You Can Do with a Degree in Folklore and Public Culture

Theoretical analyses, research methods, and fieldwork techniques are integral parts of the folklore and public culture curriculum and provide students with a foundation for employment in:

  • Colleges and universities
  • Research institutes
  • Museums and archives
  • State and local government
  • Arts councils
  • Arts festivals
  • Non-profit organizations
  • Libraries and special collections
  • Historical preservation societies
  • New media, online media, newspapers and magazines

Our Degree Programs

Students in folklore and public culture can pursue a bachelor of arts, master of arts, or master of science degree. An undergraduate minor is also available. Courses cover an extensive range of interdisciplinary topics including cultural heritage, ethnicity, subcultures, popular culture, performance, gender, film, religion, public folklore, and issues of diversity and globalization.

 

Groups of people sitting at tables at a convention with projector screen in background
Learn from Experts in the Field

With more than 30 core and participating faculty, the students in the Folklore and Public Culture Program have access to an interdisciplinary range of subjects and expertise, allowing them to create a focused course of study in their areas of interest.

photo of students wearing backpacks hiking in a ocean grass toward a by with mountains in the distance
Get Real-world Experience

Our students extend their learning beyond the classroom through numerous experiential learning opportunities. Immerse yourself in another culture while studying abroad, develop vital job skills in an internship, or conduct original research on a topic that sparks your interest.

Scholarships and Funding

Students can apply for scholarships and awards from the Folklore and Public Culture Program and the College of Arts and Sciences.

Undergraduate Scholarships    
Graduate Funding

Academic Support

Our academic advisors can help students understand their major or minor requirements, plan their course of study, explore study abroad opportunities, and more.

Undergraduate Advising     
Support for Graduate Students

Folklore and Public Culture Program News and Events

Highlights from the June 15 University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences commencement ceremonies at Autzen Stadium and Matthew Knight Arena.
GERMAN AND SCANDINAVIAN, FOLKLORE — How does an oral Yiddish folk story become what is perhaps the most famous of all modern Jewish literary fantasies? Associate Professor of Scandinavian Gantt Gurley's research on this very question about the legend of golem is illuminating.
FOLKLORE AND PUBLIC CULTURE — Alix Roederer-Morin, winter ’26, chose the folklore and public culture master's program at the University of Oregon because it’s one of the rare places in North America to offer an academic program in the field. It often leads students to unexpected areas of interest, such as analyzing car culture and creating a documentary about lowrider culture.

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Department of History Fall Get-Together

Sep

29

Department of History Fall Get-Together

Sep 29 McKenzie Hall
20th Annual Rennard Strickland Lecture: "The Vanishing Indian Property Rights: How Federal Courts are Stripping Indians of the Rights to Their Own Lands" Featuring Bryan Newland

Sep

30

20th Annual Rennard Strickland Lecture: "The Vanishing Indian Property Rights: How Federal Courts are Stripping Indians of the Rights to Their Own Lands" Featuring Bryan Newland

Sep 30
HIST and IRES Welcome Back Barbecue

Oct

1

HIST and IRES Welcome Back Barbecue

Oct 1 Wayne Morris Family Farm Picnic Shelter
We Hold These Truths: 250 Years of the American Experiment at Home and Abroad

Oct

6

We Hold These Truths: 250 Years of the American Experiment at Home and Abroad

Oct 6 Ford Alumni Center
Online: Freeman Internship Fellowship Info Session

Oct

7

Online: Freeman Internship Fellowship Info Session

Oct 7
Winter and Spring Study Abroad in Italy Info Session

Oct

7

Winter and Spring Study Abroad in Italy Info Session

Oct 7 Straub Hall
Creative Writing Reading Series Presents: Melissa Range

Oct

7

Creative Writing Reading Series Presents: Melissa Range

Oct 7 Knight Library
Eugene History Pub Lecture Series: "Empires, Revolutions and City-States: West Africa in the Medieval Period"

Oct

12

Eugene History Pub Lecture Series: "Empires, Revolutions and City-States: West Africa in the Medieval Period"

Oct 12 Whirled Pies
Latinx Studies Fall Social

Oct

13

Latinx Studies Fall Social

Oct 13 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
Writer and Poet Saeed Jones

Oct

13

Writer and Poet Saeed Jones

Oct 13 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)

All events »