Sound, Light and Live Event Engineering
Sound, light, and live event engineering is the technical backbone of the live events industry, encompassing the design, operation, and management of the audio, lighting, and production systems that make concerts, festivals, theatre productions, corporate events, and broadcasts possible. The live events sector depends on engineers and technicians who can work with increasingly sophisticated technology under the pressure of real performances, who understand both the creative purposes that technology serves and the technical precision needed to make it work reliably.
At the University of Derby, this part-time programme has been delivered for over 25 years, producing graduates who work across the industry and around the world at the highest levels. The programme includes a foundation year for those who need additional preparation, a sandwich placement year for extended industry experience, a year abroad, and work placement throughout. This combination of structural features, alongside Derby's 25-year track record in this specialism, gives you extensive real-world experience before you graduate.
You will gain practical experience mounting live events, guided by professionals with direct industry experience, developing technical skills in audio engineering, lighting design, rigging, production management, and the systems integration that brings complex events together.
Graduates from sound, light, and live event engineering programmes go on to careers as audio engineers, lighting technicians and designers, production managers, stage managers, systems technicians, and technical directors across the live events, broadcast, and theatre sectors. The skills developed are in genuine demand: the programme notes that the growing technical sophistication of the industry has created an urgent need for more qualified engineers and technicians. Many graduates develop careers that take them to major venues, festivals, and productions internationally.
Postgraduate study in relevant technical or management fields is an option for those who wish to develop further expertise or move into senior roles.