Ethnographic field research practices are fundamental to folklore studies. Excellent library and archive services are also available to graduate students, including the Folklore and Language Archive, the Centre for Material Culture Studies, and the Research Centre for the Study of Music, Media, and Place.

Training in folklore studies offers valuable preparation for careers in a variety of cultural enterprises, particularly those involving intangible cultural heritage. Graduates of our program teach at universities and colleges in many parts of North America and Europe, not only in folklore departments but also as interdisciplinary appointments in fields such as communications, dance ethnography, English, French, and women's studies. Not all have followed academic careers; our graduates have also gone on to work in museums, archives, print and broadcast media, public sector folklore, and arts e PhD program involves courses, a comprehensive exam, and a thesis. It can normally be completed in four years of full-time study.