Please note that this webpage is currently under review to reflect current programming and course offerings across OSU.
Thank you for your patience as CFS make necessary updates in coordination with Comparative Studies.
For the most up-to-date information, please reference the Comparative Studies Major Page and consult your advisor.
For incoming majors, the Department of Comparative Studies no longer offers a set Concentration in Folklore; rather, the Department has implemented a new program in which students are encouraged to design a Core Area of Focus in consultation with their advisor. (Students who declared their major before 2024 should review these folklore concentration requirements.)
In this new program, the core area of focus could be Folklore for students interested in specializing in folklore. The list below is an overview of how students might design their major coursework to achieve a core area of focus in folklore studies; please visit the Department's requirements page for more detailed information.
The major in Comparative Studies requires the following:
Required Courses (10 Credit Hours):
- COMPSTD 2099 The Question of Comparative Studies
- COMPSTD 2360 Introduction to Comparative Cultural Studies
- COMPSTD 3990 Approaches to Comparative Studies
- COMPSTD 4990 Senior Seminar in Comparative Studies
Research Course
At least one course from among the Core Area of Focus or Electives must be a Comparative Studies research course at the 4000 level and must be taken before Comparative Studies 4990.
- The Center for Folklore Studies suggests the following course as an option for a student interested in folklore:
- COMPSTD 4597.03 Global Folklore
Core Area of Focus (15 Credits Hours):
Each student will develop an individualized Core Area of Focus in consultation with their advisor. It will consist of a set of five courses (at least four of which must be Comparative Studies or Religious Studies courses, and no more than two at the 2000 level) that is centered on a particular set of discourses, objects, cultural practices, or problems. See the list of CFS-suggested classes below.
- The Center for Folklore Studies suggests the following courses. To see a complete list of course options, please visit the Comparative Studies Major website:
- COMPSTD 2350(H) Intro to Folklore - cross-listed with ENGLISH 2270(H)
- COMPSTD 3658 (formerly 4658) Folklore of the Americas
- COMPSTD 4597.03 Global Folklore
Electives* (12 credits):
The Department of Comparative Studies provides a list of courses from outside Comparative Studies that can fulfill the Electives requirement (1 course from this listing may count toward the Core Area of Focus Requirement) on their major website. The following are courses that the Center for Folklore Studies suggests for students interested in folklore studies:
*Note: Other electives not appearing below may be presented for program credit with approval of advisor/DUGS/etc. Student should consult with their advisor when selecting elective courses.
English Electives
- ENGLISH 4577.01 Folklore I: Groups and Communities
- ENGLISH 4577.02 Folklore II: Genres Form, Meaning, and Use
Scandinavian Electives
- SCANDVN 3350 Norse Mythology and Medieval Culture
- SCANDVN 4250 Masterpieces of Scandinavian Literature