Music History

Study Music History at a school of music in the heart of one of the Northwest’s most vibrant and creative cities. At PSU, you have the rare opportunity to attain a Music History undergraduate degree. This is an ideal program for inquisitive students passionate about studying music and educating the public. Our classes and groups are known for their challenging and supportive environment. You will find plenty of encouragement from both faculty and peers to discuss your project work, degree guidance, and future career plans. From assisting with event production to refining your writing skills, you will feel ready to pursue either a career in music or to move on to advanced study after receiving your music history undergraduate degree from Portland State.

The Bachelor of Arts/Science in Music History

For inquisitive students passionate about music, history, and culture, our Music History program in the PSU School of Music & Theater is a rare opportunity to explore a scholarly career in a vibrant musical environment.

More about this degree

Subito

Conceived and created by students and faculty, Subito is a journal of music from the PSU School of Music & Theater. Released annually, the journal includes conversations, interviews, book and album reviews, musical analysis, and articles on both historical and contemporary musical subjects.

Read Subito

Get a Head Start

Start as early as you can in the Music History program by meeting with faculty advisors to ensure that this will be the right program to meet your goals. There is an audition process to join the Music History major. This begins towards the end of your second year, as you assemble your portfolio of written and/or multimedia work and express your interests and talents that you believe will help you flourish in this program.

Collaborative Environment

As a History major, you will have an opportunity to co-edit and contribute to our School student journal Subito and other PSU media outlets. Through Subito work you will also meet and collaborate with Portland composers, conductors, performers, and music writers as well as other nationally known musicians.

Internship Opportunities

Have your eye on a specific career field? In the Music History program you can start to build your resume. We will help you look for internships with media outlets and arts facilities. You can also build your writing portfolio by participating in the new School of Music & Theatr journal Subito, or by joining PSU’s newspaper, The Vanguard.

Find Your Path

Our Music History undergraduate students can pursue a wide range of graduate coursework or career paths, including music criticism, music journalism, and arts management.

Jelena Simonović Schiff - Music History Area Coordinator

Jelena Simonović Schiff is an Assistant Professor of Music History. She holds doctoral degree in Music Education from Boston University, MA in Music from Portland State University, and MA and BA in Musicology from the School of Music, University of Arts, Belgrade, Serbia.

Contact Jelena

PSU's Music programs are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).