Folklore and Ethnomusicology (Master of Arts) and Master of Library Science
51 credit hours
Study for these two degrees can be combined for a minimum of 51 credit hours
rather than the 66 credit hours required for the two degrees taken separately.
Students take at least 30 graduate credit hours in library and information
science, and at least 21 credit hours in folklore and ethnomusicology.
In addition to the SLIS S401 pre-requisite, students must complete:
- 15 credits of MLS Foundation courses plus 15 credit hours of SLIS Elective courses. The S401 prerequisite is also required.
- 21 credits in Folklore and Ethnomusicology
Students must apply for admission to the master's programs of both the School of Library and Information Science and the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology. Admissions criteria established for each program must be met. To graduate under the dual degree option, the two degrees must be awarded simultaneously.
The Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology is widely recognized as a leading center for the study of the world's traditional creative and expressive forms.
Moira Smith, Librarian for Folklore, Sociology, Anthropology and Women's Studies, Indiana University Libraries is a helpful resource person. Feel free to email her about career paths available with these dual options: molsmith@indiana.edu
The School of Library and Information Science is among the top-ranked graduate and professional programs in this field. The programs prepare professionals to evaluate, organize, search, and manage information effectively. Our faculty is among the top research scholars in the field, and was ranked #1 in the United States for faculty productivity and impact (Library Quarterly, April 2000).
IU Resources in Folklore and Ethnomusicology
The IU Folklore Archives (part of the IU Archives), containing field collections of generations of folklore students dating from the 1940s, provide an opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience working with folklore archive materials.
Indiana University is also the home of the Archives of Traditional Music and the Archives of African American Music and Culture.
A joint project Indiana University and the Indiana Arts Commission is Traditional Arts Indiana, an organization which documents, promotes, and presents Indiana’s traditional arts and artists.
Due to the strength of Indiana University Library’s folklore collections, much of the indexing for the Folklore Volume of the MLA International Bibliography is done under the auspices of the IU-MLA Cooperative Folklore Bibliography Project.
Other resources associated with the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology include the Journal of Folklore Research, the Sound and Video Analysis and Instruction Laboratory (SAVAIL), Trickster Press, and Folklore Forum.


