Music Education

The Bachelor of Music in Music Education

Interested in teaching music in schools as a career? Pursue your music education degree and turn your ambitious dreams into real-world impact. The Bachelor of Music in Music Education will provide you with a thorough music foundation as you train to become a K-12 music teacher.

More about this degree

Diversity Is A Priority

The Music Education program intentionally seeks a diverse cohort of future teachers whose lived experiences are aligned with their future students. With a strong focus on social justice and a passion for culturally responsive teaching, our faculty is committed to moving education forward.

100% Job Placement

With 100% job placement for over ten years, the PSU music education degree offers a clear path into a career. Our future teachers choose the track that best fits their goals: Vocal, Band, Orchestra, or Elementary.

Curriculum

Our future teachers are grounded in traditional and contemporary ensemble repertoire and K-12 pedagogy as well as modern band, guitar, music technology, and mariachi so they can serve the musical needs of all their future students.

All music ed majors take a full year of conducting and have opportunities to put their skills into practice in our conductor's ensembles.

Faculty Bring Education Expertise

One of the best elements of our program is the diversity of faculty expertise. You’ll learn from many instructors throughout the School of Music and Theater with a broad array of interests and specialties. When it’s time for you to start student teaching, our faculty have strong connections in the community to help place you. To contact the music education faculty and read their bios, click on their names below.

Mari Schay - Music Ed. Program Coordinator and Asst. Professor of Music Ed.

Whether teaching, writing, editing, or presenting, Mari loves to share her passion for keeping the curriculum fresh, relevant, and engaging. She is thrilled to be sharing her love of music education with future teachers at Portland State.

Contact Mari if you have questions about the Music Education program: mschay@pdx.edu.

Coty Raven Morris - Hinckley Asst. Prof. of Choir, Music Ed & Soc. Justice

Coty Raven Morris received her Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from Michigan State University and is now the Hinckley Assistant Professor of Choir, Music Education and Social Justice at Portland State University and founder of Being Human Together. Contact Professor Morris about choral music education: coty2@pdx.edu.

Ed Protzman - Director of Bands and Asst. Professor of Music Ed.

Edward Protzman brings a wealth of experience from over twenty-five years as an educator, band director and conductor, and he has won national awards that acknowledge the strength of his ensembles. Contact Ed about instrumental music education: protzman@pdx.edu.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Music Education program has detailed entrance and participation requirements. Whether you're an incoming freshman, a transfer student, or seeking a second bachelor's degree, our detailed FAQ will explain all the necessary steps.

Music Education FAQ

Getting Started

In order to be accepted as a music education major, you must apply to both PSU and the School of Music and Theater. Part of this process is an audition. Once accepted, you will take applied music lessons and theory classes alongside performance majors. This will give you a great foundation for your career in teaching. Music Education classes start at the beginning of the second year or upon transferring. If you are currently attending a community college or another university or college, reach out to Mari Schay (mschay@pdx.edu) as soon as possible to create a personal degree map based on previous and required coursework.

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Award-Winning Ensembles

The PSU School of Music & Theater requires all our students, including Music Education majors, to perform with at least one ensemble each quarter. We encourage a robust range of performance opportunities, such as participating in our opera productions and off-campus gigs. We believe this is critical to your education, giving you experience in collaborative work and helping you build connections in the larger community.

Learn more about ensembles

Get In Touch, Get Involved

Students that are passionate about teaching music should contact Mari Schay, Program Coordinator for Music Education at mschay@pdx.edu and should select Music Education as their major during the School of Music and Theater application process. There are program events and conferences that you are welcome to attend, even prior to your acceptance to the Music Education program. This will give you a chance to preview what your coursework would be like as one of our majors, as well as give you a sneak peek into teaching careers.

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