Policies and Procedures for Current Master's Students

All policies and procedures of the Graduate School, EXCEPT those noted below, apply to IS:F candidates.
NOTE: Each IS:F candidate will need to contact the Graduate School directly regarding Graduate School requirements and deadlines.

Program and/or Committee Changes: Changes in or modifications of an IS:F Program proposal and/or Program of Study must be approved by all committee members (advisors) and the Director of Folklore. The student may change the chair and committee members (usually during the first year), with the approval of the incoming and outgoing committee members.

Final Program of Study: Each candidate accepted into the IS:F Program is required to submit a Final Program of Study form to the Director of Folklore, approved and signed by committee members, on or before the last day of finals week of the third term of enrollment.

Course Requirements:

• Fieldwork Course Requirements: Every student is required to take at least one class in fieldwork methods, during the first year of study. Appropriate classes include Video Fieldwork Production, Folklore Fieldwork, Fieldwork Methods in Cultural Anthropology, Feminist Methods in Anthropology, and Ethnomusicology Fieldwork. Other fieldwork courses need to be approved by the committee.
• Proseminar Requirement: Every incoming graduate student will enroll in Folklore 681, History of Folklore Theory and Research, during the fall term. This 5-credit course introduces the discipline to beginning folklore graduate students.
• Folklore courses: Each student will complete 5 graduate courses in Folklore (FLR) for a minimum of 20 credit hours.
• Other areas: Each student will complete 4 graduate courses in each of the student’s other two areas for a minimum of 16 credits in each area.
• Thesis/terminal project: The thesis/terminal project requires a minimum of nine FLR (503 or 609) credit hours intellectually distributed between two of the three selected areas. The number of thesis/terminal project hours that a candidate may complete has no maximum, although only nine credit hours will be counted toward the IS:F Program degree.
  

Total Credit Hours Needed for Graduate Degree:

• Folklore: 20 credit hours, including FLR 681 (5 credit hours)
• Area A: 16 credit hours
• Area B: 16 credit hours
• Thesis or Terminal Project : 9 credit hours of either FLR 609 or FLR 503

Grade Point Average (GPA): To remain in the IS:F Program, each candidate must maintain a B (3.0) grade point average in graduate-level course work. Any candidate falling below a 3.0 GPA will have one term to restore his/her cumulative to the 3.0 level. Failure to maintain a 3.0 GPA may result in termination of a candidate's IS:F Program. Classes completed with lower than a B- will not count for the degree.

Satisfactory Academic Progress: Each Spring, academic progress shall be determined through an annual review of the candidate's records by the folklore faculty. The review will include course work, GPA, incompletes, Y grades, late work, quality of written and oral work, and progress through the program. Failure to make satisfactory academic progress may result in termination of the candidate's IS:F Program.

Incompletes: An incomplete must be cleared within one calendar year if the course is to be included in an IS:F Program degree. Any candidate having more than two incompletes on record at one time (excluding thesis/terminal project courses) is considered to be making unsatisfactory academic progress toward the degree; his/her IS:F Program may be subject to termination.

Grading Options: A candidate may elect to take IS:F courses as graded only; or, with the approval of the Director of Folklore, may designate up to six credit hours under the pass/no pass option. Exceptions to this policy are those courses, such as thesis and terminal project, which are offered only pass/no pass.

Open-End Courses: A maximum of fifteen graduate credit hours in open-end 600 level research, reading and conference, and field studies may be used in the IS:F Program. Such open-end hours shall be distributed across all three areas.

Transfer Credits: After admission into the IS:F Program, at least thirty-nine credit hours must be completed at the UO. Approval of the transferability of classes will be determined by the course work-area Folklore faculty member. Transfer work (15 hour maximum) must be relevant to the IS:F Program, be graded A, B or Pass, be taken for graduate credit, and be listed on an official transcript. Note: The graduate school requires an official transcript attached to the Request for Credit Transfer form.

Joint Campus Program: A maximum of ten credit hours taken under the Joint Campus (JC) Program may be used to fulfill IS:F Program degree requirements. However, only JC courses not offered on the UO campus will qualify for use in the IS:F Program. Under special conditions, an entire area may be taken at another Oregon State System of Higher Education institution.

Exit examination: An exit examination may be given in the second week of the spring quarter in the second year of a student’s enrollment into the program may be required to matriculate. Students who do not pass will be offered a second opportunity to pass the examination in the subsequent quarter.

Thesis/Terminal Project (see last page for details and timeline): Every IS: F Master's Degree Program shall culminate in either a thesis or a terminal project based on original fieldwork. The thesis/project must show evidence of original ideas within a theoretical framework. A thesis is a written document following the Graduate School guidelines, whereas a project is somewhat more flexible, but just as rigorous. The faculty evaluates each of these with the same expectation of quality. The project may take many forms, such as a film, slide show, or museum exhibition. The project must be archivable. Every master's terminal project must be presented at a public forum.

• Prospectus: A written prospectus (10-15 pages) is required. Include a title, statement of hypothesis, discussion of theoretical viewpoint, review of the literature, methodology, schedule of work, outline, and bibliography. The purpose of the prospectus is to help you plan and organize your thesis/project, and to help you and your committee work together toward mutually agreed-upon goals. The prospectus is due, with a copy to each committee member, on or before the end of the second week of classes of the term prior to the term you plan to graduate. Thus, a minimum of two terms work will be devoted to the thesis/project. The candidate's committee will review the academic merit and potential contribution of the proposed research. The chair will notify the candidate of the results of the committee's discussion.
• Thesis/Project: A preliminary (but complete) draft of the thesis/project is due to the chair of your committee on the first day of class of the term you plan to graduate. Rewriting/reworking recommendations will be made by the committee and given to you and the chair. A corrected copy of the final thesis/project must be presented to the chair of your committee for approval before distributing the final copy to all committee members by Friday of the seventh week of classes in the term of graduation (including summer session). An oral presentation may be scheduled during the latter part of the term of graduation.
• The completed thesis/terminal project: A candidate selecting the thesis option shall obtain written permission from his/her IS:F Program committee chair and register for FLR 503, Thesis; a candidate selecting the terminal project option shall follow the same procedure but register for FLR 609, Terminal Project. Candidates selecting the terminal project option shall submit one copy of the completed project to the Folklore Program, where it will be kept on file. Candidates choosing the thesis option shall submit THREE copies of the completed thesis: two to the Graduate School -- one will be retained by the Graduate School and the other will be sent to the Knight Library -- and submit ONE copy to the Folklore Program. [The thesis must follow the format guidelines as described in the University of Oregon Style and Policy Manual for Theses and Dissertations. For information on the distinction between a thesis and terminal project, obtain a copy of IS:IP Thesis/Project Guidelines from the Graduate School.]

Foreign Language Requirement: All Master of Arts degree candidates are required to demonstrate foreign language proficiency equivalent to second year, third term college level. Proficiency must be demonstrated within the time limit set for completion of the IS:F Program (within 7 years of your graduation date from the Folklore program, not from entrance). It may be demonstrated by (1) presenting a transcript showing successful completion of a second year, third term level language course; (2) enrolling in and passing any second year, third term level language course; (3) passing the Graduate Student Foreign Language Test (GSFLT) with a score in the 25th percentile or above; (4) negotiating and passing a proficiency test administered through one of the UO foreign language departments; (5) obtaining credit by exam; or (6) passing a language waiver test. [NOTE: Computer language is not acceptable as a foreign language.] Master of Science degree candidates do not need to fulfill the foreign language requirement. An M.S. degree is not advised for further graduate level studies.

Time Limit: While candidates take varying amounts of time to complete the IS:F Master's Degree, the average completion time is two academic years (six quarters). The typical course load for graduate students is three courses per term.

All credits to be applied toward the IS:F Program Master's Degree
MUST BE COMPLETED WITHIN A SEVEN-YEAR PERIOD
from completion of the program.

Leave Status: A candidate may apply through the Graduate School for "on leave" status for any term (except summer) or academic year that he/she will be unable to attend the UO. A candidate who does not apply for on leave status must file a “Request for Permission to Re-Register” form to be readmitted to the IS:F Program (and a re-registration fee will be assessed). Any candidate who re-registers is subject to all IS:F Program requirements in effect at the time of re-registration (i.e., if Program requirements have changed during the period the candidate is unable to attend -- and the candidate did not obtain on leave status -- he/she will have to meet any NEW requirements to complete the IS:F degree).

Second Master's Degree: A candidate who has already earned a master's degree at the UO may also complete the IS:F Program as a second master's degree. However, due to the interdisciplinary nature of the IS:F Program, a candidate must complete the full sixty-one hour program for a second degree (thus, a thirty-hour second master's degree is not allowed through the IS:F Master's Degree Program.)

Graduation: In accordance with published guidelines, the candidate shall apply for graduation through the Graduate School no later than the beginning of the second week of the term of anticipated graduation. All candidates must be registered for a minimum of three credit hours of graduate work during the actual term of graduation. Each candidate should check with the Folklore Program and the Graduate School at least two terms before anticipated graduation to verify that all requirements will or have been met. Students should not plan to graduate in the summer unless they have received confirmation that committee members will be available during that time.

Graduation Procedure Checklist:
Term prior to graduation

• Terminal Project Prospectus/Thesis Proposal due by the end of the second week.
• Petition to remove incompletes older than one year.
• Petition to transfer hours into your degree program that were completed prior to admission in a conditional or regular master’s. (This includes all graduate post-baccalaurete, non-admitted graduate, and pre- or post- master’s, etc., and/or work from another institution.)
• Request to change your current classification to a regular master standing in your major.
  

Term of Graduation:
Completed degree application due in the Graduate School by Friday of the second week of the term of expected graduation.

• Will you have a minimum of 52 graduate hours on your record plus 9 credits of FLR 503 or FLR 609?
• Will you have completed 24 graded graduate hours AT THE U of O?
• Will you have completed 9 graduate hours at the 600 level?
• Will your graduate standing be classified as a REGULAR graduate this term?
• Will you have a cumulative GPA of 3.0?
• Will you be registered for at least 3 graduate hours the term you graduate?
• Will all of your requirements for the degree be completed within a 7-year period of time?
• If you are applying for an M.A., have you passed the foreign language requirement?
  

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