For inquisitive students passionate about music, history, and culture, our Musicology/Ethnomusicology program in the PSU School of Music & Theater is a rare opportunity to explore a scholarly career in a vibrant musical environment.
The Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science in Music: Musicology/Ethnomusicology will give you a strong music foundation with an emphasis on musicology. You’ll take advanced coursework in music history and world music, and receive direct mentorship from faculty as you complete a final research project. You’ll participate in a variety of ensembles, including the opportunity to explore non-western music in our Taiko drumming group or Javanese Gamelan. You’ll also get hands-on experience through writing and editing work for our scholarly journal Subito.
Completing this degree will give you the skills in musicology and a supportive curriculum to prepare you for continued academic study in the discipline, along with the breadth of knowledge, critical thinking, and expressive skills that can be translated to a wide variety of music-related fields and occupations. Our alumni are accepted into top graduate programs in musicology and ethnomusicology and pursue a variety of careers. Join them in this engaging field.
Prospective music majors must apply to PSU, submit a secondary application to the School of Music & Theater, and pass the entrance audition. Learn more about our application process.
As a musicology/ethnomusicology major, you can gain real-world experience building your writing or multimedia portfolio by contributing to Subito, our School’s scholarly journal, or writing for PSU’s newspaper, The Vanguard. You also have the opportunity to connect with other students in the major through our Musicology Circle and in ensembles ranging from jazz to taiko drumming to gamelan.
We are proud to be a national College of Distinction for our commitment to helping students to succeed. At PSU, you will gain the experience and knowledge you need to make a difference in your career and community.
PSU's Music programs are fully accredited National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) and holds the All-Steinway School designation.
Most of our alumni go on to grad school or combine a career as a freelance arts writer with composing, performing, or teaching. Others pursue related careers: arts administrator, arts writer, music critic, music journalist, or educator.
Recent graduates have been accepted to graduate programs at the University of Amsterdam, Portland State, and other universities across the country.