Career Preparation

Academic positions

Graduates of the department with M.A. and Ph.D. degrees are consistently placed in significant professional positions in academia as well as in the public and private spheres.

Professional appointments recently obtained by our graduates include tenure track appointments at colleges and universities across the United States and in several foreign countries. Among them are:

  • Memorial University in St. John’s (Canada)
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Ohio State University
  • University of Wisconsin
  • George Mason University
  • Indiana University
  • Oregon State University
  • Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages (Taiwan)
  • Naresuan University (Thailand)

Public & applied practice

Our public practice concentration in Folklore and Ethnomusicology is focused on public and applied areas of our work. Public folklorists and applied ethnomusicologists draw upon their disciplinary training and knowledge to help communities address cultural concerns and social problems.

Often working as respectful collaborators, these scholars forge inroads into a variety of public spheres, including the arts, historic preservation, museums, archives, law, public health, medicine, social work, gerontology, music production, documentary arts, heritage tourism, cultural policy, conflict resolution, labor rights, and other related fields.

Our students have found rewarding employment in a broad range of public outreach programs and agencies, including:

  • as archivists in oral history collections in Indiana and Kentucky
  • as program directors and coordinators in arts councils in Maryland, Nevada, New York, Florida, West Virginia, Louisiana, and California
  • as directors and coordinators in museums in Indiana, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Arizona
  • as teachers and librarians in Indiana, North Carolina, Texas, and Pennsylvania
  • in positions with the National Endowment for the Arts, Library of Congress, and other Smithsonian Institutions

Additional resources

Learn more about our public practice concentration
Explore internship opportunities
View recent job placements
Speak to a Graduate Career Coach