Comparative Studies Major, Focus in Folklore (Formerly, Concentration in Folklore)

(This webpage is currently under review to reflect current programming and course offerings across OSU.

Thank you for your patience as we make necessary updates - February 2024.)

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. (For students who declared their major before 2024, the folklore concentration requirements can be found here.)

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):

  • CS 2099 The Question of Comparative Studies
  • CS 2360 Introduction to Comparative Cultural Studies
  • CS 3990 Approaches to Comparative Studies
  • CS 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 courses as options for a student interested in folklore:
    • CS 4597.03 Global Folklore
    • CS 4658 (3658) Folklore of the Americas

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:
    • CS 2350(H) Intro to Folklore
    • CS 4597.03 Global Folklore
    • CS 4658 (3658) Folklore of the Americas

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:

English Electives

  • 4577.01 Folklore I: Groups and Communities
  • 4577.02 Folklore II: Genres Form, Meaning, and Use

Scandinavian Electives

  • 3350 Norse Mythology and Medieval Culture
  • 4250 Scandinavian Folklore of the Supernatural