The generation, manipulation and reproduction of high quality audio are core elements of the rapidly expanding communication, entertainment, music and sound engineering industries. This course is aimed at graduates of numerate science disciplines, who wish to make the transfer into this exciting and growing sector. Building on the engineering fundamentals you already know, it will provide you with the specialist expert knowledge required to become a future leader in audio technology. The University of Salford has a long history of research and teaching in audio and acoustics - by taking this course you will be joining a community of alumni who can be found at the heart of many leading organisations both in the UK and abroad.
You will study core topics including architectural acoustics, psychoacoustics, dynamics and vibration, computer modelling and measurement. Beyond this, the course provides specialist modules in digital signal processing and advanced loudspeaker and microphone design. Further specialisation is then developed in the Project module.
You will be based in the university’s internationally-renowned Acoustics Research Group. The 2014 Research Excellence Framework panel praised our outputs, saying that the Salford submission showed “particular strengths in acoustics”, and our industrial links led our REF impact case study to be singled out by the EPSRC and Royal Academy of Engineering for highlight the economic benefits of engineering and training.
This course is accredited by the Institute of Acoustics for the purposes of meeting the educational requirements for Corporate Membership of the Institute. Graduates may attain Engineering Council registration via the Institute of Acoustics.
This course offers a variety of flexible study formats, including full and part-time modes, either on campus or via distance learning. Those considering part-time study should bear in mind that the programme is intensive, and that generally, we advise that part-time means half time, i.e. you would need to allocate half the week to you studies ≈ 19 working hours.
This course comprises eight 15 credit taught modules, followed by a 60 credit project module leading to the dissertation. For full-time students, the taught modules all take place in trimesters one and two, followed by the project module in trimester three. For part-time students, the taught modules are spread over trimesters one and two of two years, followed by the project module in year three.
The majority of teaching and learning takes place through tutorial and seminar groups. There is a strong focus on guided self-learning. Assessment is generally in the form of assignments, which improve problem solving and other skills as well as providing a strong background in the subject area. The ‘Measurement, Analysis and Assessment’ module also includes practical group work.
All students benefit from the supply of a range of high-quality teaching materials, text books and software. Interaction with students is face-to-face wherever practical, but we also use web-based learning support packages (databases of materials, discussion boards etc.) to support the cohorts. Distance learning students are able to stream classes via our Virtual Learning Environment, either to participate live or watch back later.
Our MSc Audio Acoustics 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 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 (smart speakers), at work (virtual and augmented environments) and in transport (car audio or ‘infotainment’).
The audio acoustics industry is diverse. It includes major firms with 'core' audio-related market share such as Philips, Sony, Dolby, B&O and KEF. Many other businesses employ specialists in acoustics from Salford: Apple, Bentley, JLR 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 our area) employ graduates from our courses. Students also go on to study for a higher degree by research, here at Salford or elsewhere.
Acousticians with engineering, science and mathematical skills are currently in short supply, and Salford MSc Audio Acoustics graduates are in a very strong position in the jobs market. The University of Salford has over 25 years’ experience of placing graduates in key audio and acoustic industries carrying out consultancy, research, development and design. These include well-known companies such as Apple, Dolby and the BBC, and with almost every major acoustic consultancy in the world.
Typically our graduates go into:
In 2013, A survey of 500 of our acoustic and audio alumni found 1 in 5 of our graduates live outside the UK and 45% are in Senior jobs or are Directors. The 6 most popular industries were: research (15%), environmental (11%), university (10%), construction (9%), architecture (9%) and consumer electronics (6%).
Music Technology is a rapidly evolving field of study with a diverse and expanding range of possibilities.
The MSc in Audio Technology is designed to go beyond the simple provision of training, and to instead enable you to engage with current debates and actively participate in some of the most vibrant areas of contemporary research.
Throughout the course you will be encouraged to demonstrate self-direction and autonomy as you critically explore and define your position within the wider field. One overarching aim is that you should leave the course as not only an adept user of various hardware and software technologies, but as someone able to actively shape and develop their own, responding as necessary to future developments.
Thus, in addition to developing your theoretical and methodological understanding, the MSc in Audio Technology features a strong emphasis on practical work in a number of different (but related) areas. For example, you will study modules in Advanced Studio Practice, Sound on Screen, Music Computing and Musical Human-Computer Interaction. These are supported by a technology-orientated Research and Development module that provides robust foundation for the final Audio Technology Project.
Acting as summary of all that you have learned and a portfolio going forward, the Audio Technology Project provides an opportunity to plan and execute a substantial project in an area of personal specialism or interest. Innovative projects are encouraged, and there exists the potential for interdisciplinary and/or collaboration with practitioners in other fields.
Advanced Studio Practice
This module explores various methodologies employed in the planning, recording, editing, mix down and mastering stages of audio production. You will conduct research into genre and equipment-specific working practices, which will lead to the development of innovative engineering concepts and techniques. You will evaluate and use a variety of software and hardware tools and produce work in both stereo and surround sound.
Sound on Screen
The module aims to investigate the relationship between sound and the moving image in contexts such as film, television, advertising and video games. Throughout the module you will develop your understanding of theories, practices and techniques used in the production of music intended to be experienced in conjunction with other media. This will initially involve analysing and deconstructing a range of audio-visual media, examining their aims and how effectively these aims are met. You will then use your understanding of the work of others in the field to critically inform and evolve your own approaches. Using a variety of techniques and technologies, you will create a number of short practical pieces to accompany a variety of linear and non-linear media.
Music Computing
In this module you will explore the relationship between theories of music and computing and creative practice. More specifically, you will study perception and cognition of sound, the ways in which computers can analyse music and audio, generative musical structures, and how these compositional processes can be applied to the generation and transformation of audio. In carrying out the practical assignment, you will critically evaluate, understand the differences between, and demonstrate mastery of common musical programming languages in the realisation of your ideas.
Musical Human-Computer Interaction
Musical interaction is a vibrant area of contemporary research with considerable crossover into more established areas such as Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Physical/Ubiquitous Computing. In the first part of the module you will look at recent work by the New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME) community, using these examples to examine and explore a range of pertinent design issues. These include: novice versus virtuoso users (i.e. ease of use versus the potential for mastery), single versus multi-user, discrete versus continuous data control, the provision of haptic feedback, and causality of sound. Using appropriate Physical Computing technologies (e.g. Arduino, Beagleboard, sensors, actuators, basic electronics), you will then design and implement a musical interface for a chosen real-time application (i.e. analysis, composition, or performance). Finally, you will consider how HCI-inspired evaluation methods may be applied to your work, and document your design (online) in such a way that it can be recreated and developed further by interested others.
Research and Development
The Research and Development module initially explores the nature of innovation, then moves on to examine research process including design and development, fundamentals of both quantitative and qualitative traditions, and HCI-inspired methodologies for the evaluation of audio software, musical interfaces and other technologies. Towards the end of the module the emphasis then shifts to the development of an individual research design/proposal that may form the basis of your final Audio Technology Project.
Audio Technology Project
The Audio Technology Project is an opportunity for students to pursue a substantial, self-directed project in a chosen area of audio or musical technology.
The course will actively equip both graduates and those already in industry with a diverse range of skills to enhance their career prospects. It will also develop a range of opportunities for experience and employment in areas such as studio recording, media production and content creation, video game and software development, education (FE/HE), research assistantships/studentships, and employment in HE institutions.
In addition to subject-specific practical skills, you will also acquire a range of transferable skills relevant for pursuing a research degree. These include critical, analytical, project management and research skills from the study of a broad spectrum of literature, research, and external projects.
https://www.kent.ac.uk/locations/medway/
The MA in Music Technology focuses on the use, development and implementation of technology within the wider musical context, exploring issues such as interactivity, audio programming, sound spatialisation and multimedia. Modules include Programming and Production Techniques and a Music Technology project.
The University of Kent has invested over £5 million in Music facilities, to provide you with the best possible study and research environment. A number of historic buildings in the atmospheric Chatham Historic Dockyard have been renovated to provide a new range of professional standard facilities. Our new specialist facilities include a large Neve recording studio, a Foley recording space, surround-sound studio and post-production rooms. All have been designed to the highest standard in order to provide an excellent environment for postgraduate work.
Visit the website: https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/155/music-technology
Work is developed through individual enquiry as well as sharing and critiquing ideas through group seminars, designed to provide a forum for debate as well as practical instruction. There will also be significant opportunity for collaborative and interdisciplinary work taking into account other subjects at Medway and Canterbury.
All MA programmes are designed to provide knowledge and skills in practice-based research, as well as giving you experience of current research practices in various areas of critical and analytical thinking.
You take common modules in research methods and postgraduate study skills, while giving you the opportunity to foster your subject skills in specialist modules. Work is developed through individual enquiry as well as sharing and critiquing ideas through group seminars, designed to provide a forum for debate as well as practical instruction.
The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This list is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take modules from other programmes so that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas that interest you.
- Advanced Audio Skills (30 credits)
- Music Technology Project (60 credits)
- Technology in Performance (30 credits)
- Cinema for the Ears (30 credits)
- Ensemble Performance (30 credits)
- Audio Electronics (30 credits)
- Dissertation (60 credits)
Assessment is by a range of coursework, including individual projects, skills-based tasks, seminar presentations and written work.
A postgraduate degree in the area of music and audio arts is a valuable and flexible qualification, which can lead to career opportunities within the creative industries, music recording and production, audio software development, sound for film, composition and academic careers.
These possibilities are augmented by work in video games, the Internet, live sound for theatres and festivals, audio installations for museums, sonic arts and computer music. Postgraduates interested in a research career are supported by the University’s Graduate School Research Development Programme. The University’s Employability Weeks can also provide valuable support in terms of planning future careers.
How to apply: https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/apply/
- Kent is ranked 21st in the Times Higher Education (THE) ‘Table of Tables’ 2017.
- Kent is ranked 22nd in The Guardian University Guide 2018.
- Kent is ranked 25th in The Complete University Guide 2018.
- Of Kent graduate students who graduated in 2016, 98% of those who responded to a national survey were in work or further study within six months (DLHE).
- For research quality, Music at Kent was ranked 13th in The Complete University Guide 2018 and 16th in The Times Good University Guide 2018.
- For graduate prospects, Music at Kent was ranked 14th in The Times Good University Guide 2018.
Find out more: https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/why/
We have a scholarship fund of over £9 million to support our taught and research students with their tuition fees and living costs. Find out more: https://www.kent.ac.uk/scholarships/postgraduate/
If you need to improve your English before and during your postgraduate studies, Kent offers a range of modules and programmes in English for Academic Purposes (EAP). Find out more here: https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/international/english.html
In this master's programme you learn to correctly assess the workings and impact of various electronic technologies. You learn to design and implement existing analogue and digital electronic systems and leverage this knowledge to complex information and communication systems.
Intelligent Electronics option
Intelligent Electronics refers to the combination of hardware and software used to develop and implement so-called embedded systems (cell phones, MP3 players, digital cameras, etc.). You learn to take into consideration limitations in the areas of I/O possibilities, memory, speed and energy consumption.
Internet Computing option
Internet Computing follows the trend of a more broadly distributed approach to developing computer applications. The advantages to this are high reliability, scalability, high performance, easy maintenance, low cost price, etc. Examples of applications based on this approach include web-based and internet applications like search robots and voice-over IP, as well as e-commerce, enterprise resource management, and user applications in the area of info-/edu-/entertainment.
Add an in-company or project-based learning experience to your master's programme
You can augment your master's programme with the Postgraduate Programme Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Engineering. This programme is made up by a multifaceted learning experience in and with a company, with an innovative engineering challenge as the central assignment. It is carried out in a team setting, has a distinct international dimension, and usually requires a multidisciplinary approach. Entrepreneurs and students alike are encouraged to innovate, transfer knowledge and grow. It is a unique cross-fertilisation between company and classroom.
The Faculty of Engineering Technology maintains close ties with universities around the world. At Campus Group T, more than 20% of the engineering students are international students. They represent 65 different nationalities from all over the world. This international network extends not just to Europe, but also to China, Southeast Asia, India, Ethiopia and beyond.
Campus Group T is the only campus of the faculty who offers all the degree programmes in the business language par excellence: English. The language is ubiquitous both inside and outside the classroom. If you've mastered English, you feel right at home. And if you want to explore more of the world, you can do part of your training at a university outside Belgium as an exchange student.
This master's programme brings students to the advanced level of knowledge and skills that is associated with scientific work in the broad sense, and more particularly to those areas of the engineering sciences that are related to electronics and IT/communications systems. This programme offers a broad academic training in the analysis, modelling and design of electronics and IT systems. The Electronics major focuses on the hardware of digital and analog systems. In the IT major, the emphasis is on computer systems, application software and communication networks.
Degree holders are able to apply the acquired scientific knowledge autonomously and in a broad social context. They possess the necessary organisational skills to hold executive positions.
On completion of the programme, you will be an industrial engineer with a broad foundation of general skills and technical knowledge. At the same time, you will be familiar with the fascinating world of information processing, which plays a crucial role in many social sectors. Often, you will also play a key role in the development of a variety of digital media applications ranging from modern consumer products (positioning and navigation systems; smartphones; digital audio and video) to custom stand-alone or networked applications.
This course provides an in-depth knowledge of cutting-edge compositional techniques, methodologies and associated aesthetics in creative work that intersects with technology and other artistic or scientific forms. It serves as excellent preparation for a career as a composer working with technology and audio-media, and it provides all the training necessary for embarking on and envisioning novel strands for a PhD in electroacoustic composition, including those informed by other scientific and arts form.
All teaching, research and compositional work is carried out in the NOVARS Research Centre for Electroacoustic Composition, Performance and Sound Art with its state-of-the-art £2.5 million electroacoustic studios. Opportunities for the performance of new works are offered using the 55-loudspeaker sound diffusion system of MANTIS (Manchester Theatre in Sound) and through events such as the Locativeaudio Festival (locativeaudio.org) and Sines and Squares Festival for Analogue Electronics and Modular Synthesis (sines-squares.org). Acousmatic, mixed, live electronic and multimedia works are all possible, with composers able to incorporate the spatialisation of sound and interactive new game-audio media into the presentation of their work.
In addition to the final portfolio, all electroacoustic music and interactive media composition students take the compulsory course unit Composition Project and the further compulsory taught course unit,Fixed Media and Interactive Music . Optional course units normally include Aesthetics and Analysis of Organised Sound, Interactive Tools and Engines, Contemporary Music Studies, Advanced Orchestration, and Historical or Contemporary Performance. There are also choices outside the MusM Composition (subject to course director approval), such as Computer Vision, Mobile Systems, Mobile Communications, Ethno/Musicology in Action: Fieldwork and Ethnography , and Work Placement (Institute of Cultural Practices).
For more information visit the NOVARS website .
SALC Placement offers students the opportunity to spend a minimum of 20 days over a period of up to 12 weeks with an arts and cultural organisation, business or service provider. Placements will be established in Semester 1 to take place early in semester 2; they will be supervised by a work-based mentor and overseen by an academic staff member. The placement may take the form of an investigation of a specific business idea, development strategy or management proposition to resolve a problem or particular issue, and will result in a placement report, proposal or essay.
This programme aims to:
The NOVARS studio complex supports a broad range of activities in the fields of electroacoustic composition and new media. The studios incorporate the newest generation of Apple computers, Genelec, PMC and ATC monitoring (up to 37-channel studios) and state-of-the art licensed software (including Pro Tools HD, Max MSP, GRM Tools, Waves, Ircam's Audiosculpt and Reaper and, for Interactive Media work, Oculus Rift, Unreal Engine 4, Unity Pro and open-source Blender3D). Location and performance work is also supported by a new 64-channel diffusion system.
Postgraduate students at the NOVARS Research Centre play an active role in the planning, organisation and execution of performance events such as the Sines & Squares Festival and MANTIS Festival (over 20 editions since 2004), and projects such as LocativeAudio and our regular Matinée presentations. Relevant training, including rigging and de-rigging the MANTIS system, health and safety, sound diffusion workshops, organisation of Calls for Works when needed, etc., is an important part of the course.
There are a number of internal composition opportunities offered to MusM students, allowing them to compose for our world-leading ensembles in residence and association. For more information, see ourComposition at Manchester site .
The MusM degree consists of 180 credits in total, made up of four 30-credit taught course units and a 60-credit portfolio. Full-time students take two course units per semester; part-time students take two course units but across the two semesters. Most course units are delivered via regular seminars and/or tutorials, supported where appropriate by practical workshops. The portfolio is supported by one-to-one supervision and is submitted at the beginning of September. (Part-time students may submit in either September or December following their second year of study.) Members of the academic staff are also available for individual consultation during designated office hours.
Alongside their taught units, students have access to a range of non-assessed seminars, workshops and training sessions offered by the Graduate School of the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures. All postgraduate students are expected to undertake their own programme of self-directed learning and skills acquisition. This may also involve wider reading, language work, computer training and attendance at research seminars in other parts of the university.
There are no formal examinations. Taught course units - all of which must be satisfactorily completed - are assessed by compositions or other coursework tasks, normally submitted at the end of each semester (January and May). Assessments may involve the premiere of new compositions, oral presentations of repertoire, musical analysis or essay topics in the field. The portfolio is created over the entire duration of study and is submitted at the end of the academic year (after the summer vacation). Topics and focus are to be discussed with project supervisors and can include compositions involving fixed or interactive media, locative and game-audio technologies. All work is double-marked internally and moderated by the External Examiner.
KU Leuven is already preparing the next generation of integrated systems - will you be involved? The Electrical Engineering Department (ESAT) is the largest department within the university and was the starting point of imec and many spin-off companies. With such an excellent reputation within an innovative industry, the programme exemplifies the link between education, research and valorisation. The Master in Electrical Engineering programme gives you in-depth training in the software and hardware design of electronic systems, with an emphasis either on circuit design or the design of applications. Your Master's thesis, carried out in close co-operation with the department's on-going research, will expose you to cutting-edge research.
Core education
The core education consists of courses which provide the common hardware and software basis for electronic platforms, analogue and digital circuits, signal processing and telecommunications. It also comprises the finalizing Master’s thesis.
Options
The choice of an option gives you the opportunity to specialise in one of the two approaches to create electronic systems.
Elective courses
The remaining 24 credits are available for elective courses to allow you to personalise your programme. A student can make a programme ranging from much specialised (e.g. following courses from both options) over interdisciplinary (e.g. following courses from other engineering masters) to rather broad (e.g. including many non-engineering courses). It also allows for internships and international courses.
At the Faculty of Engineering Science, students are given the opportunity to complete one or two semesters of their degree within the Erasmus+ programme at a European university, or a university outside Europe.
Students are also encouraged to carry out industrial and research internships abroad under supervision of the departmental Internship Coordinator. These internships take place between the third Bachelor’s year and the first Master’s year, or between the two Master’s years.
Other study abroad opportunities are short summer courses organised by the Board of European Students of Technology (BEST)network or by universities all over the world.
The Faculty of Engineering Science is also member of the international networks CESAER, CLUSTER and ATHENS, offering international opportunities as well.
More information on the international opportunities at the faculty is available on the website.
The Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT) is the university's largest department and was the starting point of imec (a world leader in nanotech research and products) and many spin-off companies. The faculty also has excellent professional connections with industry leaders. Thanks in part to the programme's strong link between education and research, employment perspectives for programme graduates are excellent - not only in Belgium, but also in Europe and the rest of the world. Our graduates are in great demand.
IED is set within the vibrant mixed studios of the RCA’s School of Communication, each of its pathways with a specialist Lab as its hub. Professor Neville Brody, who provides inspiration and instigation, calls IED an interface between information and experience, and a platform for exploring post-screen, post-digital and post-disciplinary practice. Our students and researchers work alongside the School’s graphic designers, animators and illustrators, and in interdisciplinary teams with other RCA programmes as well as external scientists, companies, architects and academics.
IED develops a mindset as well as a skillset. No specific technical skills are required; applicants come from diverse backgrounds in design, science, fine art, engineering and technology, with a common critical interest in data, design and making. Graduates may go on to work in visualisation, data science, advanced design practice, cultural and educational institutions, research labs or studio practice.
The three distinct pathways offered by the IED programme of Sound Design, Moving Image Design, and Experimental Design, one of which students select as part of their application, are interrelated, focused around different ways of approaching IED’s core aim of transforming information into experiences.
IED offers:
