Two graduate fellowships annually are targeted for folklore students. Because our PhD program is interdepartmental, these fellowships will make it easier for us to admit students whose research interests align with priorities of the folklore program.
Students will continue to apply through our participating departments, and most folklore students will continue to be supported by departments and eligible for the usual competitive university fellowships. Students wishing to be considered for the folklore-specific fellowships should notify both the intended department and the Center for Folklore Studies to ensure joint review of their applications.
The support package for the fellowship awardees will normally consist of six years of tuition and fees plus nine-month living stipend, normally broken down as follows: three years as a teaching assistant in the relevant department, the possibility of up to two years as archivist or graduate assistant in the Center for Folklore Studies (depending on rotation schedule), and one year on fellowship. (This is for students entering at MA level; students with the MA will receive fewer years of funding. Continuity of funding from year to year assumes the student's satisfactory academic progress.) The fellowship year will come after the PhD candidacy exam, typically in the fourth year; the distribution of the other years will be worked out between the student, CFS, and the department, subject to program needs.
In this way, students will build up a strong and varied teaching profile along with archival and administrative experience. In most cases the fellowship will allow students to take a fieldwork year. Students will earn a degree in the relevant department along with a Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization in Folklore.
After exploring the CFS and departmental websites, interested students should contact Dr. Katherine Borland, CFS Director of Graduate Studies <borland.19@osu.edu> to alert us of your intention to apply and your wish to be considered for the Folklore Fellowships.