School of Music & Theater
231 Lincoln Hall
503-725-3011
www.pdx.edu/music-theater/
- B.A., B.S. in Music: Music History, Music Theory, Performance, Sonic Arts & Music Production (SAMP)
- B.A., B.S. in Theater Arts
- B.M.—Composition, Jazz Studies, Music Education, and Performance
- Minor in Dance, Minor in Music, Minor in Music History, and Minor in Theater Arts
- Certificate in Dance
- M.A., M.S. in Music and Theater Arts (suspended)
- M.M.—Conducting, Jazz Studies, and Performance
- Graduate Certificate in Music Performance
Mission statement
The School of Music & Theater provides professional training and liberal arts-based education to a highly diverse student body. Our primary goal is to generate and sustain an environment of creative inspiration and excellence in creation, practice, and appreciation of the performing arts. Framed by the University's motto "Let Knowledge Serve the City," the School presents a wide spectrum of activities by students, faculty, and guest artists which enhance the artistic and cultural life of the city of Portland.
We offer a comprehensive array of options for emerging artists, with ten distinct undergraduate degrees including five professional options and four distinct graduate programs. Our dedicated faculty are internationally recognized performers, conductors, composers, directors, playwrights, designers, and scholars. The School embraces the dual goals of open access and outstanding achievement to produce graduates who make a significant impact in the performing arts regionally and beyond.
Racial Justice statement
The Portland State University School of Music & Theater is a deeply engaged collective of performers, creators, and scholars dedicated to student success. We are acutely aware that the status quo in the performing arts, on stage and in the classroom, exhibits characteristics of systemic racism and colonialism, and advances the privilege of white men of European descent.
We recognize that simply inviting members of BIPOC communities to participate in a curriculum centered on European traditions is not enough. While we offer non-western ensembles and dedicated classes exploring literature outside the European canon, we are seeking ways to expand and deepen these offerings so that they form a more central part of our academic programs. Additionally, we are engaged in revising and restructuring our scholarly and performance offerings to include BIPOC individuals as fully active and equally represented participants in our institution. This pledge includes examining our hiring practices in order to build a diverse community that is representative of the world we wish to live and teach in.
The administration, faculty and staff of our School are committed to enacting meaningful change with clear and unified goals. We are working towards creating and sustaining a diverse community that celebrates difference, including race, culture, gender, sexuality, age, religion, and ability. We are also invested in promoting consequential discourse that amplifies the voices of those in our community who are marginalized, both historically and presently, in order to shape an equitable vision for our community.