Ep 35: Folklore Programs with Dr. Lynne S. McNeill

It’s time for a new episode of the YesCollege Podcast! We’re back to exploring higher education programs this week, and this time we’re talking about a really unique field – Folklore. Scott was joined by Dr. Lynne S. McNeill, who is an Assistant Professor at Utah State University, as well as an author, having notably published a book entitled Folklore Rules, which is a brief introduction to the foundational concepts in folklore studies for beginning students.

She’s also the co-founder of and faculty advisor for the USU Folklore Society, so needless to say she had much to share on the subject of getting an education in Folklore! Listen in to hear her thoughts on the educational and career opportunities in the field, and so much more.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• What folklore is exactly, and how it will always be relevant to our culture.
• What career opportunities await graduates with folklore degrees or who have studied it in some capacity.
• Lynne’s favorite folkloric story, and why she she likes it so much.
• How folklore programs are often structured, including course requirements, class structure, and more.
• Plus many more facts and information about folklore!

Featured on the Show:

• Connect with Dr. Lynne S. McNeil: Twitter | LinkedIn
• Connect with the Show: Facebook | Twitter

Utah State University at a Glance

Located in Logan, Utah, Utah State University (or USU) was established in 1888. USU has been given the designation of a Research University with “higher research activity” by The Carnegie Foundation. It finds itself among the top 209 higher education institutions in the country that are currently categorized as such. USU also holds the distinction of being Utah’s only land-grant institution, offering 168 undergraduate degrees and 143 graduate degrees.

• Established: March 8, 1888
• Location: Logan, Utah
• Undergraduates: ~25,000
• Postgraduates: ~3,000
• Nickname: Aggies

American Studies MA/MS, Folklore Program from Utah State University

Utah State University offers a unique Folklore Program, where graduates receive a master’s degree in American Studies with a specialization in Folklore under the aegis of USU’s Department of English. “Students work closely with both the American Studies Program and the English Department. Students are required to complete a total of 30 credits and a thesis for the Master of Arts degree or the Master of Science degree. In order to obtain the Folklore specialization, students must take 15 credits (5 classes) in Folklore specifically. Students are required to take 6700 Folklore Theory and Methods during their first semester and 6720 Folklore Fieldwork during their spring semester. These classes provide the foundation for the specialization.”

Student Organization of the Week: Alabama in Huntsville chapter of the American Meteorlogical Society

Higher education is nothing without students, so we want to recognize students doing great work building community and engaging their peers. To that end, each and every week we select a student organization to recognize from nominations we receive from our listeners. As a reminder, if you have any student organizations you think we should feature, don’t hesitate to let us know!

This week, we’re proud to award the University of Alabama in Huntsville chapter of the American Meteorlogical Society.

They are a student-led organization whose purpose is to join together the students from the UAH Atmospheric Science Department through education, research, outreach, and social events. Their group is made up of almost 50 students from different backgrounds all over the world including the United States, India, South Africa, China, Greece, and South Korea. Their department is also involved in various kinds of research that includes climate change, atmospheric chemistry, lightning, hurricanes, severe weather, aviation safety, and air pollution.

In addition to doing great work with research and science around weather, the AMS at UAH also aims to build their student community by doing things like “playing intramural sports, visiting the local art shows, traveling around north Alabama picking pumpkins, or simply just hanging out together.”

They encouragr all students to reach out and feel free to email any of of them with any questions regarding their research, classes, or UAH in general. You can find out more by visiting them online at nsstc.uah.edu/uahams/

That’s the kind of student community building with as great mission that makes them very worthy to be our student organization of the week. Huge congrats to them!

• Click here to connect with follow UAH AMS/NWA on Twitter

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