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MSc Audio Engineering

Why choose Herts?

Excellent reputation: Ranked 1st as best creative media and entertainment school in the UK (Rookies, 2021)

Teaching excellence: Delivered by Bruce Aisher, a music producer, songwriter, composer, remixer, sound designer and technology journalist with featured work in over 100 commercially released tracks (including a US Billboard Club Chart No.1) and on TV programmes such as ‘CSI’ and 'Top Gear', and products by Apple, Clavia, and Native Instruments.

Employment prospects: Graduates work as exciting composers, producers, technician managers, technical editors, and sound engineers for organisations such as Apple, Channel 4, and Creative Assembly.

  • Entry requirements and key information

    A Bachelor degree in Music Technology or related subjects. All applicants will be expected to have a solid prior knowledge of standard music studio devices, including practical experience across a range of typical audio software. Applicants lacking formal qualifications may be considered if they can demonstrate significant relevant industry experience.

    If you do not have the required level of English for entry, our academic English courses can help you to achieve this level.

    Institution code

    		 H36

    School of study

    		 School of Creative Arts

    Course length
  • Full Time, 1 Years
  • Part Time, 2 Years

    • Location
  • University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield
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  • Employability

    Careers

    When you graduate from these awards you will be ideally positioned to act as an interface between various music technologies and composers/producers. You may also consider a range of related positions such as lecturer, technical editor for music technology publications and other similar professions in the music industry or consider further study at doctoral level.

About the course

  • explore the most advanced studio techniques, technologies and processes at the forefront of current music production
  • unleash your creative potential and cultivate your own individual style to produce original arrangements, mixes, re-mixes and mastering work
  • deliver comprehensive solutions and support for live sound in a variety of performance settings
  • on this postgraduate degree you will create your own A/V interfaces, plug-ins, and programming codes.

Why choose this course?

Music and Sound Technology in Audio Engineering is designed to provide industry-relevant post-graduate education aimed at forming creative professional for the audio, production, and post-production industry, who wish to pursue careers as creative Audio Engineers within recording, production or live sound settings. Students take hands-on sessions in the University's state-of-the-art facilities, including a top-class SSL studio, guided by dedicated tutors with significant industry experience. The postgraduate curriculum covers all the most relevant and current skills of the field, and sessions and assessment are designed to reproduce, as far as possible and appropriate, the realities of the commercial environment.

We are one of the largest music department in the UK, offering a rich portfolio of forward-looking music programmes uniquely designed to develop the most relevant skills in the current industry. The environment is friendly and supportive, and students benefit from being part of a large community of creatives in all fields: from film, to new media, performance, and fine arts.

Our top-class facilities include:

  • a large recording studio featuring a 32-fader Neve Genesys Black analogue mixing console (with Neve 1073 mic-preamps + 88R and 1084 EQ) / 64-channel Protools HD MADI system / PMC IB2S-A midflield monitors / Neumann surround monitoring / two racks of high-end analogue and digital outboard compression, EQ and effects (Neve, Focusrite, Drawmer, 1176, LA2A, Pultec) / UAD DSP processing with full suite of plug-ins
  • medium-size studio featuring a Neve Genesys / Protools HD system with RedNET and Neumann 5.1 monitoring
  • acoustically-treated, surround-equipped, iMAc mix/production spaces with Slate Raven Mti touchscreen control and REDNet, and Kawai acoustic pianos
  • live recording booth/spaces
  • monitoring spaces for surround sound mixing
  • dubbing suite for A/V work (foley, ADR, etc.)
  • dual-monitor Apple iMac labs (each with a large range of s/w - including Logic, Ableton Live, Reason, ProTools, MaxMSP, Native Instruments Komplete, East West Composer Cloud)
  • a state-of-the-art performance venue with Soundcraft vi1 console and full RedNET integration
  • outboard including Digidesign Pro Tools, Lexicon TLAudio, TC Electronic and Focusrite
  • top-quality dynamic, condenser and ribbon microphones, including Soundfield, Neumann, AKG, Coles, Shure, Audio-Technica, Beyerdynamic.

What will I study?

Lecture, seminars and tutorials are typically scheduled over two consecutive days a week, plus some extra sessions for particular workshops, performance and recording. In addition to scheduled sessions, students are expected to engage in continuous self-directed study and studio practice.

  • Level 7
    Module Credits Compulsory/optional
    Research and enterprise in the music and sound industries 30 Credits Compulsory
    Major project in audio engineering 60 Credits Compulsory
    Studio technologies, processes and practices 30 Credits Compulsory
    Audio engineering 30 Credits Compulsory
    Audio production and design 30 Credits Compulsory

    • Key staff

    Rob Wright
    Head of Music, School of Creative Arts.

    Dr Roberto Filoseta (PhD, FHEA)
    Programme Leader for MSc Music, Roberto is a composer, sound artist and performer whose expertise span the spectrum of acoustic and electro-acoustic composition.

    Further course information

    Course fact sheets
    MSc Audio Engineering Download
    Programme specifications
    MSc Audio Engineering Download
    Additional information

    Sandwich placement or study abroad year

    n/a

    Applications open to international and EU students

    		 Yes

    Student experience

    At the University of Hertfordshire, we want to make sure your time studying with us is as stress-free and rewarding as possible. We offer a range of support services including; student wellbeing, academic support, accommodation and childcare to ensure that you make the most of your time at Herts and can focus on studying and having fun.

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