MSc/PgDip Audio Acoustics

This masters course is designed to train graduates to meet a growing demand for audio skills in industry, and also to enable employees to reach their full potential. This postgraduate course has been used as in-service training by a number of UK and global companies (e.g. mobile telecoms). While one naturally thinks of mobile phone design as belonging to 'telecommunications', there are considerable audio engineering challenges in designing in good quality sound from the small transducers used in confined spaces, often in the presence of considerable background noise. Also, increasing markets exist for sophisticated audio systems in the home (surround sound cinema), at work (Internet conferencing facilities, virtual environments) and in transport (quality in car audio). Today, it is standard for personal computers to include sound cards enabling high quality digital signal manipulation - and there is continued growth in the expectation of audio quality for communication, sound reproduction and entertainment. This masters course has been devised to meet this growing demand.

The audio acoustics industry is diverse. It includes major firms with 'core' audio-related market share such as Philips, Sony, Dolby, NXT and Celestion. Concentrating solely on such businesses neglects the many other companies who employ specialists in acoustics: Nokia, Bentley (and Ford, Nissan etc) to name a few. Building design and architectural acoustics needs specialist engineering consultants looking at room configurations and surface treatments, noise ingress and egress, sound reinforcement system design and so on, and a very wide variety of companies (Arup Acoustics are one large example in this area) use graduates from our courses as we teach the required skills and knowledge.

Further study

Some of our students go on to study a PhD at our world-class Acoustics Research Centre. We have been carrying out acoustics research for over 30 years. Our research is funded by research councils, government bodies, and industry. It has fed into audio products that companies make and sell worldwide, as well as regulations and standards used in the UK, Europe and beyond. We are also involved in public engagement - getting more people aware of and interested in acoustic science and engineering.
Key areas include broadcast audio, building and architectural acoustics, environmental noise, sound-scapes, outdoor sound propagation, remote acoustic sensing of metrological conditions, human response to sound and vibration, audio signal processing and transducer design.

Career Prospects

Acousticians with engineering or mathematical skills are currently in short supply, and Salford MSc Audio Acoustics graduates are in a very strong position in the jobs market. Salford University has over 25 years experience of placing graduates in key audio and acoustic industries carrying out consultancy, research, development and design.
Typically our graduates go into:
Acoustics and Audio Engineering Research
Acoustics and Noise Consultancy
Broadcast Engineering
Entertainment Audio and Sound System Engineering
Loudspeaker and audio system design
Product sound 

Alumni Profile

Anthony Churnside joined the BBC R&D's trainee technologist scheme after studying Audio Acoustics at The University of Salford.

His first placement was with the Technology Consultancy Team helping define the technology requirements for MediaCityUK.
 
His second placement looked at the possible future of surround sound, both in terms of what benefits it can offer our audiences and how hard it would be to incorporate into BBC production processes and the broadcast infrastructure. This project allowed him to record the Last Night of the Proms in 3D sound. He presented this research at a number of high profile events, including presenting to the Director of Audio and Music, the Director of Future Media & Technology (FM&T) and members of the BBC Trust.

The 3D sound project was recognised by the Royal Television Society and Tony was awarded Young Technologist 2010, the prize was to attend the International Broadcasting Convention in Amsterdam.

His final placement was with the Prototyping Team. This is a group of engineers and designers who build prototypes that explore new ways of presenting BBC content. Examples of prototypes that he has built range from a conduct your own orchestra installation for Radio 3 to a brainwave controlled remote control for a television set top box.

Tony now works at MediaCityUK for BBC R&D and has recently registered to study a PhD at the Acoustics Research Centre at Salford University.

Industry Links

Staff have strong links with industry either through collaborative R&D projects with industry through the Acoustics Research Centre and our commercial test laboratories. The course also has strong links to industry through the industrial placement year.

Further Study

Some of our students go on to study a PhD at our world-class Acoustics Research Centre.