Acoustical and Audio Engineering with Foundation Year

Acoustical and audio engineering is the discipline that applies the science of sound to the design and optimisation of everything from concert halls and hearing aids to recording studios and active noise cancellation systems. Acoustics is the physics of sound, including its generation, propagation, and reception, and the engineering dimension asks how physical systems can be designed, built, and measured to achieve specific acoustic outcomes. The field spans architectural acoustics, underwater acoustics, audio electronics, signal processing, and the rapidly advancing domain of AI-enabled audio.

At the University of Salford you will study across four years on a full-time programme, with a foundation year available to provide scientific and mathematical preparation, and a sandwich year with work placement integrated into the degree. Salford has a global reputation in acoustics and audio engineering, with specialist facilities and research groups active at the frontier of the field, including work on the next generation of hearing aids, architectural noise control, and the acoustics of built environments. The curriculum covers the physics of sound, digital signal processing, electroacoustics, room acoustics, audio engineering, and measurement techniques, alongside the practical engineering and design skills the profession requires.

Hands-on work in well-equipped studios, anechoic chambers, and measurement laboratories is central to the degree, and the sandwich year provides sustained professional experience in industry.

Graduates of acoustical and audio engineering work across a wide range of sectors. Acoustic consultancies that assess and mitigate noise in buildings and public spaces are major employers, as are audio equipment manufacturers, broadcast and recording studios, consumer electronics companies, and the film and games industries. Healthcare technology companies developing hearing aids and audiology devices are a growing employment area.

Government agencies, transport authorities, and construction and engineering firms also recruit acoustic engineers. Chartered engineer status is a valued professional goal, and further study at postgraduate level in acoustics, audio engineering, or signal processing supports progression in both research and industry roles.