Music Major Admission Details

Students majoring in one of the following areas are required to apply for admission to PSU’s School of Music & Theater in addition to the University:

• Composition
• Jazz Studies
• Performance (Instrumental)
• Performance (Voice)
• Music Education
• Music History
• Music Theory

Students interested in the Sonic Arts & Music Production major are not required to apply to the School of Music & Theater. Submit the PSU application and select Sonic Arts & Music Production from the list of majors.

How to Apply

The PSU School of Music & Theater admits students on a rolling basis. If you miss the application deadline for your start term of choice, your application will be considered for the next term. Contact somtadmissions@pdx.edu for more information.

1. Apply to PSU
2. Submit the School of Music and Theater application and $35 application fee.
   1. To submit your application, you’ll need to first create an application account in Acceptd. The application for the School of Music & Theater is hosted by Acceptd, a third-party application program. Visit the website and follow the prompts to create your Acceptd account. If you already have an Acceptd account, login to start or continue your application.
3. Pass the entrance audition for your instrumental or vocal area.

Admission decisions are made within four weeks of completing the audition, students are notified via email.

Deadlines & Important Dates

Priority Scholarship Deadline: February 8, 2027

To be considered for music scholarships for the 2027-2028 academic year, you must complete the application steps listed below and apply for scholarships in PSU’s Scholarship Application by the priority deadline.

Application Timeline

Application Materials

Below is the list of the materials and information you will need to provide with your application. We recommend preparing these materials in advance of submitting your application. You must submit all application materials and be admitted to PSU for an admission decision to be made.

• Primary Instrument: Brass (Classical), Guitar (Classical), Jazz (Instrumental), Jazz (Vocal), Percussion (Classical), Piano (Classical), Strings (Classical), or Voice (Classical)
• Area: Composition, Education, History, Jazz Studies, Performance, or Theory
• Name of Your Private Instructor or Primary Music Teacher
• Audition: Provide your audition preference: In-Person or Recorded. You can schedule an in-person audition or upload an audition video with your application. In-person auditions may only be scheduled after submission of the application. Review the audition requirements for your area.
• Contact Information for Two References: Submit contact information for two references. Your references will receive an auto-generated email from Acceptd asking them to submit a letter of recommendation on your behalf. After you submit your application you will be able to see whether or not a recommendation has been submitted on your behalf. You can resend these recommendation requests once every 12 hours.

Music Education Applicants: In addition to the application and audition, music education applicants must interview with the program coordinator. In-person interviews take place at the same time as your audition. Virtual interviews are available by appointment or email somtadmissions@pdx.edu to coordinate scheduling. The 20-minute interview provides an opportunity to share your goals as a teacher including the level and track you plan to pursue. Be prepared to respond to the following:

• Share a story about how music has made a difference in your life. 
• What is your dream job? For example, what level or ensembles would you want to teach? What type of school -- rural, urban, suburban?
• If you could teach one music-related middle or high school class other than band, orchestra, or choir, what would it be? Why?