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Folklore Studies

Types of Degrees Folklore Studies Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Folklore Studies can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	3
Bachelor’s Degree	13
Master’s Degree	41
Doctor’s Degree	5

What Folklore Studies Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Folklore Studies develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Folklore Studies graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Folklore Studies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• History and Archeology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Foreign Language — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Folklore Studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Folklore Studies careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Folklore Studies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Developing Objectives and Strategies	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Folklore Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Google Drive	Cloud-based data access and sharing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Image scanning software	Optical character reader OCR or scanning software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Folklore Studies graduates include:

• Black Studies Professor
• Latin American Studies Professor
• Ethnology Professor
• Women’s Studies Professor
• Gender Studies Lecturer
• African Studies Professor
• Faculty Lecturer
• Lecturer
• Associate Professor
• Ethnic Studies Professor
• Hawaiian Studies Lecturer
• Ethnic Origins Teacher
• Adjunct Professor
• Ethnic Studies Teacher
• American Studies Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Folklore Studies graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	60.5%
Master’s degree	31.0%
Post-doctoral training	4.0%
Post-master’s certificate	3.2%
First professional degree	1.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Folklore Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 70.3% of Folklore Studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	45	70.3%
Men	19	29.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Folklore Studies graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	51	79.7%
Asian	3	4.7%
Hispanic or Latino	3	4.7%
Black or African American	3	4.7%
Two or More Races	1	1.6%
International Students	3	4.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Folklore Studies Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Folklore Studies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$32,619
4 years	$46,128
5 years	$53,144

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $53,144 — roughly 63% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Folklore Studies Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Folklore Studies graduates earn a median of $46,128 four years after completion — roughly 21% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies	05.02
African-American/Black Studies	05.0201
American Indian/Native American Studies	05.0202
Asian-American Studies	05.0206
Comparative Group Studies	05.0212
Deaf Studies	05.0211
Disability Studies	05.0210
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other	05.0299
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies	05.0200
Gay/Lesbian Studies	05.0208
Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies	05.0203
Women’s Studies	05.0207

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.