Bachelor of Arts in Folklore and Ethnomusicology
The Bachelor of Arts in Folklore and Ethnomusicology includes the study of performance, specific cultures and regions, human diversity and worldview, and research methods. Folklore and ethnomusicology emphasize fieldwork methods to learn how societies function. Fieldwork involves documenting and learning about people's lives, expressions, and beliefs in context. Through the study of different social groups and cultures, students gain skills in observation, analysis, documentation, reporting, and multicultural understanding. The major prepares students for a range of careers, including those involving the arts, education, historic preservation, communication, cross-cultural understanding, and human diversity and relations. Upon entering the program, the student and undergraduate advisor plan an individualized program of study. Majors may focus on either ethnomusicology or folklore, or a combination of the two.
Folklore is the study of the world's expressive culture; the study of art in culture. Folklorists study tradition and innovation, looking at both groups and individuals, by focusing on creativity in everyday life, including customs, celebration, festivals, stories, jokes, dance, architecture, food, car art, and body art. Ethnomusicology is the study of music of all types and from all cultures. Ethnomusicologists not only listen to the sounds of music, but also explore the roles of music in human life and analyze relationships between music and culture.
Requirements
- Methods and Theories. One (1) course:
- FOLK-F 401 Methods and Theories
FOLK-F 401 Methods and Theories
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Introduces students to the main methods and theories in the two fields composing Folklore and Ethnomusicology. Explores both the common ground linking these fields and some key areas of difference, delving into basic aspects of method and theory as practiced by folklorists and ethnomusicologists.
- Fall 2024CASE SHcourseSummer 2024CASE SHcourseSpring 2024CASE SHcourse
- Advanced Seminar. One (1) course:
- FOLK-F 497 Advanced Seminar
FOLK-F 497 Advanced Seminar
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- This is the final integrating course in the department, required of all majors and open to qualified students in other departments, with the instructor’s approval. Topics of individual research will vary.
- Fall 2024CASE SHcourseSummer 2024CASE SHcourseSpring 2024CASE SHcourse
- Electives. Additional FOLK credit hours, as necessary, to fulfill remaining requirements. These must include the following:
- Two (2) courses at the 300–399 level.
- One (1) course at the 400–499 level.
- One (1) additional course at the 300–499 level.
- Note:
- No more than six (6) credit hours at the 100–199 level.
- A maximum of two (2) approved courses from other disciplines may count for students completing a single major in folklore. Select from the Outside Electives list.
- AAAD-A 112 Black Music of Two Worlds
- AAAD-A 290 Sociocultural Perspective of African American Music
- AAAD-A 292 African American Folklore
- AAAD-A 295 Survey of Hip Hop
- AAAD-A 297 Popular Music of Black America
- AAAD-A 345 Hip Hop Music and Culture
- AAAD-A 496 Black Religious Music
- CEUS-R 349 Topics in Hungarian Studies (approved topic: "European Folk Musics")
- CLAS-C 205 Classical Mythology
AAAD-A 112 Black Music of Two Worlds
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- An exploration of the relationships among musics of West and Central African people and their descendants in the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Emphasis placed on the conceptual and aesthetic continuities between musical expression in Old and New World contexts--a uniformity which exists because of shared African cultural ancestry.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of AAAD-A 112, FOLK-E 112, or FOLK-F 112.
- Fall 2024CASE AHcourseSummer 2024CASE AHcourseSpring 2024CASE AHcourse
- Fall 2024CASE GCCcourseSummer 2024CASE GCCcourseSpring 2024CASE GCCcourse
AAAD-A 290 Sociocultural Perspective of African American Music
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Survey of cultural, social, and political attitudes that influenced blacks in the development of and participation in blues, jazz, urban black popular music, and "classical" music.
- Fall 2024CASE AHcourseSummer 2024CASE AHcourseSpring 2024CASE AHcourse
- Fall 2024CASE DUScourseSummer 2024CASE DUScourseSpring 2024CASE DUScourse
AAAD-A 292 African American Folklore
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- African American culture in the United States viewed in terms of history (antebellum to present) and social change (rural to urban). Use of oral traditions and life histories to explore aspects of black culture and history.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of AAAD-A 292, AAAD-A 392, or FOLK-F 354.
- Fall 2024CASE AHcourseSummer 2024CASE AHcourseSpring 2024CASE AHcourse
AAAD-A 295 Survey of Hip Hop
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Examines rap music and hip hop culture as artistic and sociocultural phenomena with emphasis on historical, cultural, economic, and political contexts. Topics include the coexistence of various hip hop styles, their appropriation by the music industry, and controversies resulting from the exploitation of hip hop as a commodity for national and global consumption.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of AAAD-A 295, FOLK-E 295, or FOLK-F 295.
- Fall 2024CASE AHcourseSummer 2024CASE AHcourseSpring 2024CASE AHcourse
- Fall 2024CASE DUScourseSummer 2024CASE DUScourseSpring 2024CASE DUScourse
AAAD-A 297 Popular Music of Black America
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- A chronological survey of Black popular music from 1945-2000: rhythm and blues, soul, funk, disco, hip hop, and their derivative forms. Emphasis placed on the context for evolution and the contributions of African Americans to the development of a multi-billion dollar music industry.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of AAAD-A 297, AAAD-A 397, FOLK-E 297, FOLK-F 397, or MUS-M 397.
- Fall 2024CASE AHcourseSummer 2024CASE AHcourseSpring 2024CASE AHcourse
- Fall 2024CASE DUScourseSummer 2024CASE DUScourseSpring 2024CASE DUScourse
AAAD-A 345 Hip Hop Music and Culture
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- Junior or senior standing
- Description
- Examines rap music as artistic and sociological phenomena with emphasis on its historical and political contexts.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of AAAD-A 345, AAAD-A 489, FOLK-F 345, or FOLK-F 389.
- Fall 2024CASE AHcourseSummer 2024CASE AHcourseSpring 2024CASE AHcourse
- Fall 2024CASE DUScourseSummer 2024CASE DUScourseSpring 2024CASE DUScourse
AAAD-A 496 Black Religious Music
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- An in-depth investigation of Negro spirituals and gospel music, with some treatment of the traditions of lining-out and shape note singing. Examination of genres will address and integrate both the musical and the sociocultural perspectives.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of AAAD-A 496 or FOLK-E 496.
- Fall 2024CASE AHcourseSummer 2024CASE AHcourseSpring 2024CASE AHcourse
CEUS-R 349 Topics in Hungarian Studies
- Credits
- 1–4 credit hours
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Variable title course for topics in Hungarian studies.
- Repeatability
- May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 9 credit hours.
CLAS-C 205 Classical Mythology
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Introduction to Classical Mythology, the myths of Ancient Greece and Rome. Learn about these important societies through the lens of the stories they told about themselves. Discover the influences that resonate throughout literature, art, film, and more to shape modern society.
- Fall 2024CASE AHcourseSummer 2024CASE AHcourseSpring 2024CASE AHcourse
- Fall 2024CASE GCCcourseSummer 2024CASE GCCcourseSpring 2024CASE GCCcourse
- Major GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
- At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed in courses taken through the Indiana University Bloomington campus or an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program.
- At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed at the 300–499 level.
- Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the major.
- A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the major—including those where a grade lower than C- is earned—is required.
- Exceptions to major requirements may be made with the approval of the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.
The Bachelor of Arts degree requires at least 120 credit hours, to include the following:
- College of Arts and Sciences Credit Hours. At least 100 credit hours must come from College of Arts and Sciences disciplines.
- Upper Division Courses. At least 42 credit hours (of the 120) must be at the 300–499 level.
- College Residency. Following completion of the 60th credit hour toward degree, at least 36 credit hours of College of Arts and Sciences coursework must be completed through the Indiana University Bloomington campus or an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program.
- College GPA. A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.000 is required for all courses taken at Indiana University.
- CASE Requirements. The following College of Arts and Sciences Education (CASE) requirements must be completed:
- CASE Foundations
- CASE Breadth of Inquiry
- CASE Culture Studies
- CASE Critical Approaches: 1 course
- CASE Foreign Language: Proficiency in a single foreign language through the second semester of the second year of college-level coursework
- CASE Intensive Writing: 1 course
- CASE Public Oral Communication: 1 course
- Major. Completion of the major as outlined in the Major Requirements section above.
Most students must also successfully complete the Indiana University Bloomington General Education program.