WKU Folk Studies M.A. Portfolio Guidelines
Submission Requirements
The portfolio is required for all Public Folklore and Historic Preservation track students. The portfolio must be submitted before you take your comprehensive exams.
Why Have a Professional Portfolio?
The purpose of your portfolio is to help you secure employment by demonstrating the breadth and impact of your education, skills, and experience. Therefore, you should construct your portfolio in such a way that information is clear and easily accessible and it is easy to customize its contents for different purposes. Used in a job search, your portfolio is intended not to show everything you've ever done but rather to present useful, persuasive information about you relevant to the position in question.
Portfolio Binder
• professional looking binder and interior structure (no tears, no price tags or commercial stickers, etc.); a binder that permits paging through your materials is preferable to a deep accordion pouch which requires removing every item in order to review it.
• clearly and neatly identify yourself on the front cover and the spine of your portfolio -you want no ambiguity should your portfolio be one among many items on a table or desk in a prospective employer's office.
• pockets or sleeves on the interior should permit unfettered access to all documents, photos, discs, and other materials both for viewing in place and to facilitate easy removal and replacement.
• do not overload your sleeves or pockets; try to insert only one item into each.
Portfolio Contents
Your portfolio should include at least the things listed below, in a sensible order. Remember, you want to guide the viewer through your materials in such a way that it clearly indicates what skills and experience you have and how you can fulfill the requirements of the position you seek. Your portfolio should also be easily used and understood even if you are not present while others review it.
For your portfolio defense before the Folk Studies faculty, you will have to make a choice concerning how to construct the portfolio. Many of our students gather a very broad range of their materials in an omnibus format demonstrating a broad overview of what they have done while at WKU. If you choose to do this, be prepared to explain how you might adjust the contents and organization of your portfolio to suit the needs of specific kinds of job searches.
• table of contents you should account for every item; dividing your portfolio into sections can help emphasize skills or experience to your advantage
• item labels attached to the sleeve or pocket for each item or bound in as a page before each item, you should have a label that
(1) clearly identifies the item as referred to in the table of contents and
(2) offers a brief explanation of what the item shows about your qualifications
• curriculum vitae or resume
• sample ethnographic report
• sample academic paper
• grant proposal materials
• K-12 lesson plans
• sample museum materials (photos, reviews, etc.)
• National Register application materials (if you have them)
• field notes
• sample verbatim interview transcription and catalog transcription
• sample photos and accompanying index with captions
• internship materials make selections geared toward briefly indicating for whom or what organization you worked, emphasizing your responsibilities; provide any relevant praises such as evaluations of your performance and samples of work you did there
• letters or other documents recognizing your participation (volunteered or compensated) in special projects or activities
• letters or other documents recognizing you as the recipient of any awards or special recognitions you've earned, including thank you letters for relevant activities
• relevant information or materials from activities conducted before enrolling in the Folk Studies program (be selective, including only what is strategically reasonable for possible job searches)
Portfolio Defense
At the portfolio defense, you should dress professionally and present yourself as you would at a job interview. You will begin by walking the faculty members through your portfolio in a way that makes content and organization clear. You should be prepared to say why you included (or did not include) specific items. Faculty members will then ask you questions and make suggestions. It is best to bring a pen and paper so you can take note of the suggestions. You may be asked to redo parts of your portfolio.
