Music Transfer Advising Guide

Transfer Advising Guides are for planning purposes only. This Advising Guide does not replace the need for regular and timely meetings with your assigned Pathway Advisor. 

There are a variety of concentrations within the Music major at Portland State.  Visit the specific Undergraduate Program web page for detailed program information, PSU 4-year Degree Map, and PSU offered courses. 

• Composition (BM only)
• Education (BM only)
• Jazz Studies (BM only)
• Musicology/Ethnomusicology (BA or BS)
• Performance (BA, BS, or BM)
• Sonic Arts & Music Production (BA or BS)
• Theory (BA or BS)
• Voice (BM only)

Notes:

Students interested in transferring to Portland State University as a Music major are encouraged to meet with an Academic Advisor in the Design, Creativity & Performance Advising Pathway to discuss their transfer plans, the transfer process, and department requirements. 

Course Equivalencies

The following courses will transfer towards PSU requirements within the Music major. This is a shortened list for general reference. For more information on how other courses may transfer, visit Transferology, a web-based advising system. 

Certain Music Concentrations have additional course requirements in addition to the core music courses noted in the table below. Additional requirements for Composition, Education, and Jazz Studies Concentrations are listed after the Core Music Courses. The Core Music courses for all Concentrations do not apply to Sonic Arts and Music Production Majors.

Core Music Courses for all Concentrations

Notes and Benchmarks for All Music Concentrations

1. Chemeketa CC courses MUS 111, MUS 112 & MUS 113 count towards MUS 111 & MUS 112. Students who plan to transfer into the Music major at PSU should complete all three courses at Chemeketa. 
2. Chemeketa CC MUS 211, MUS 212, and MUS 213 transfer as  PSU's MUS 113, MUS 211, and MUS 212. Students who plan to transfer into the Music major at PSU should complete all three courses at Chemeketa. 
3. Chemeketa CC courses MUS 114, MUS 115 & MUS 116 transfer as PSU's MUS 114, MUS 115 & MUS 116. Students who plan to transfer into the Music major at PSU should complete all three courses at Chemeketa. 
4.  Chemeketa CC MUS 214, MUS 215, and MUS 216 transfer as PSU's MUS 214,  MUS 215, and MUS 216. Students who plan to transfer into the Music major at PSU should complete all three courses at Chemeketa. 
5. Students interested in transferring to PSU for Music (all concentrations) should also take courses to satisfy the Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Arts, or Bachelor of Science requirements (see below).

Additional Courses for Music: Composition

Additional Courses for Music: Education

Additional Courses for Music: Jazz Studies

Choose to complete a BM, BA, or BS

Bachelor of Music Requirements

The Bachelor of Music is a conservatory-style program. Students will take 120+ credits or courses in the Music Major and complete the requirements for General Education/University Studies. 

Bachelor of Arts Requirements

A minimum of 23 credits (may be more depending on foreign language placement), as follows: 

1) Students who are proficient in another language may waive these language credits through a non-credit exam or TOEFL score; in that case, 4 additional credits must be earned in arts & letters (i.e., student will need 16 credits in arts & letters, of which 4 must be in fine & performing arts) in order to earn the 28 total credits required.

More information on the B.A. language requirement can be found on the World Languages & Literatures website.

Bachelor of Science Requirements

A minimum of 23 total credits is required, as follows:

To find courses that fulfill each of the categories for your BA or BS requirements, use the current PSU Bulletin. The information can be found in the Undergraduate Studies section, specifically part 4 of the Undergraduate Degree and Credential Requirements.

General Education Requirements

All universities have a general education curriculum included as part of the baccalaureate degree requirements. The goal of general education curricula is to assure that all graduates have a common set of coursework designed around the university's educational goals. Students have the option of University Studies or University Honors for completing their general education requirements at PSU. 

Did you know you can transfer to PSU at any time? Your general education requirements will depend on how many credits you transfer to PSU before your first term of classes.

University Honors College

Honors serves high-achieving, academically motivated students from diverse ethnic, social, and economic backgrounds. Students will take coursework that prepares them for a final thesis project, which takes the place of a senior Capstone course.

The thesis is a substantial creative or research project and represents a valuable opportunity for Honors students to work closely with a faculty advisor from their major department and explore a topic of great interest. All Honors students enjoy priority registration, 24-hour access to a dedicated student lounge and computer lab, personalized guidance from an Honors adviser, support from Honors writing tutors, student-led community events, and career and graduate-school focused enrichment workshops.

Transfer Students must apply to the Honors College and are expected to have a cumulative college GPA of 3.25. Application information is available on the Undergraduate Admissions website.