TEE DMT : Sound Engineering and Production - BSc (Hons)

The BSc (Hons) Sound Engineering and Production has been designed to meet the exacting requirements found within the audio industry. There are five key themes running through the programme: industry and visual media, production and synthesis, digital audio and project, acoustics and audio electronics and live and recorded sound. This unique combination of subjects supports entrance into a range of career paths and further study opportunities.

It provides a dynamic study programme that focuses on modern popular and electronic music, concepts embedded in key multimedia and business principles and the inclusion of acoustics and live sound engineering.

Key Facts

• Gain the technical competence and market awareness to impress employers - or go your own way - in the modern audio industry.
• Some of the best sound facilities in the country, including eight recording and mixing studios, sharing five live spaces with different acoustic characteristics.
• Excellent and wide-ranging professional partnerships provide opportunities for you to link with relevant industries.

Why Choose Us?

• School of Digital Media Technology is equipped with over 1200m² of advanced equipment including film/television studios, multi-track recording studios, post-production facilities, and several hundred multimedia stations, with more dedicated equipment planned.
• Taught by experienced academic staff, many having worked in industry for a number of years, bringing with them a wealth of skills and knowledge.
• Close industry links add currency, consistency and colour to your subject, putting you in prime position to take advantage of industrial placements, real-life projects and career opportunities.
• Covers a range of key areas: industry, production, post production, synthesis, digital audio, acoustics, audio electronics and live and recorded sound.

Download the Course Programme Specification

Entry Requirements

• 280 points. Minimum of two 6 unit or one 12 unit A Level (GCE or VCE)
• National Diploma with Merit Merit Distinction
• Advanced Diplomas are accepted
• AGNVQ overall Merit + GCSE Mathematics C
• GCSE Mathematics and English grade C or equivalent must be offered

Application Details

Full Time: Please make your application via UCAS using course code J930

UCAS Information

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is a UK organisation responsible for managing applications to university and college.

UK, EU and international students applying for most undergraduate degree courses in the UK will need to apply through UCAS.

You submit an application via the UCAS website with a list of up to five courses. All choices are confidential during the application process so universities and colleges considering an application cannot see your other choices. Applications must be completed by mid-January of the year that you wish to start university.

You can monitor the progress of your application using the UCAS Apply system.

Fees and Finance

Fees for students from the UK or EU countries?
Start	Mode	Duration	Award	Fees
Sep 2013	FT	3 years	BSc (Hons)	£8,200 per year
Sep 2013	SW	4 years	BSc (Hons)	TBC

Fees for students from non-EU countries?
Start	Mode	Duration	Award	Fees
Sep 2013	FT	3 years	BSc (Hons)	£11,300

The University reserves the right to increase fees broadly in line with increases in inflation, or to reflect changes in government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament.

Additional costs

There are no additional compulsory costs for this course.

Financial Options and Advice

We have deliberately tried to set fees that reflect the cost of course delivery in order to help our students avoid debt.

Full-time students won't have to pay for tuition fees until after their studies - there are government tuition fee loans available. If you are a full-time student, after leaving university you will start to pay back your loan once you are earning over £21,000 a year, at a rate of nine per cent on any income above £21,000. So if you were earning £25,000, you would pay back nine per cent of £4,000, or £30 per month.

Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis offers key facts on fees, loans and grants:

Financial Support

We offer further information on possible financial support. This includes the type of loans, grants and scholarships available both from the government and from Birmingham City University.

University Approach to Employability

Expertly woven into our curriculum and work experience opportunities, and underpinned by a diligent approach to career preparation and the close involvement of professional bodies, the University views employment as one of the principal rewards for a student's ambition, application and academic achievement. It's why the University is one of the country's top 30 universities* for placing students in graduate-level employment.

Our close links with business and the professions mean that our courses are always relevant, up-to-date and meet the exact needs of the current marketplace. Wherever possible, we involve employers in planning the curriculum, while many of our lecturers come from and maintain their links with industry, ensuring they are up to speed with the latest developments.

Employability will be an integral outcome of your studies.

* Sunday Times University Guide 2012

Employment Opportunities

This course is well-respected among the industry and graduates have found positions in a variety of sectors, including live and industry; film and visual media industries; broadcasting; audio product manufacturing; audio journalism; interactive music; digital signal processing; and education.

Qualification could lead to the following career paths
* Entry Level

• Assistant studio engineer *
• DSP engineer
• Music Technician (colleages, schools, HE) *
• Studios electrician
• Junior sound engineer *
• Lecturer
• Teacher
• Broadcast Systems engineer *
• Sound Designer / media composer *
• Live Sound Engineer *
• Junior Audio Designer (video games)
• Audio dubbing engineer
• Dubbing editor (TV)
• Maintenance engineer (professional studio / live sound equipment)
• Marketing assistant - major record label
• Product Manager (digital sales) – major record label
• Audio Technician
• Product developer
• Technical Manager
• Acoustician *
• Production Assistant
• Performing Arts Technician
• Audio Manager (PA Company)
• Audiovisual Technician
• Production Technician (Theatre)

Placements

Students are encouraged to include an industrial placement in their course. This takes place after their second year of study and extends the course duration to four years.

As well as providing relevant workplace experience that is sought by many employers, a placement provides an invaluable opportunity for students to develop their practical expertise, earn money and try out a potential career path. The Faculty’s placements team supports students throughout the placement process.

Placement Profiles

Scholarships and Awards

All students on this course have the opportunity to be nominated by staff for the faculty’s annual Prize Winners Ceremony. Students are put forward by their course teams based on merit, performance, achievements, dedication and commitment. Recent winners can be seen below:

Further Studies

The University has a range of either taught (MSc) or research (MPhil and PhD) postgraduate programmes. Details can be found on the postgraduate section of the website.

About KIS data

From September 2012, all universities and colleges are publishing standardised information for all undergraduate courses in the form of a Key Information Set (KIS). The KIS data is designed to meet the needs of prospective students and allow for informed decision-making when choosing a university course.

Putting our students first

We pride ourselves on our student satisfaction levels which have risen from 73 per cent to 83 per cent between 2010 and 2012. Our dedication to improving the student experience is illustrated by our award-winning student engagement, our close links with business and industry and our £180 million investment in new facilities.

Employability facts

70.8% of graduates from the School of Digital Media Technology responding to this survey went into either employment and/or further study. The average full-time salary for a leaver was £15,400. Leavers from the School were employed at companies including More Radio ltd. and Soundcloud, in positions such as Systems Producer and Community Manager. Others have gone on to enjoy employment within the film industry, education and journalism.

Working with your Students’ Union

Improving student satisfaction is a priority commitment shared by both Birmingham City University and its Students’ Union. In its strategic planning, the Union has pledged to be more accessible, more relevant and provide more opportunity to engage with a diverse student community.

The Students’ Union is already a key stakeholder in supporting an excellent teaching experience at Birmingham City University, through joint projects such as the Extra Mile Teaching Awards and the Student Rep scheme, which allows students to share their ideas on how they are taught.

As Birmingham City University moves towards a two campus strategy where it can better support enhanced learning and student support facilities across a two-mile radius, the Students’ Union will also be better able to implement its commitment to improve communication and engage with its valued student membership.

Course Structure

• The industry and visual media component offers an introduction to the music industry. Students will gain an understanding of the industry from a technical, legal, organisational and ethical standpoint.
• The visual media element of the course allows students to employ the various production techniques learnt through the degree across a range of related industries.
• In the production and synthesis unit, students learn important techniques in sequencing, synthesis and in the use and creation of audio effects.
• The digital audio and project section of the course provides students with detailed instruction in digital audio and DSP. For their project, students research and report on a topic of study that relates to their programme, and is further supported by the Media Production Management module, which is found within the industry and visual media component.
• In the acoustics and audio electronics theme, students will gain an insight into audio electronics and apply their knowledge in the study of audio system design in the second year. The final year module in acoustics and musical instruments provides students with an understanding of acoustic principles as applied to both musical instrument design and to acoustic spaces.
• Live and recorded sound offers students the chance to work in the live sound industry, providing technical knowledge and practical skills. In the second year, students are introduced to the studio and a range of techniques used in recording and mixing. These skills underpin the final year portfolio based module.

Additional Activities

Course Modules

Year 1
Module	Credits
Music Industry	15 Credits
Commercial Production Techniques	15 Credits
Live Sound and Studio Recording	30 Credits
Musical Instrument Acoustics	15 Credits
Audio Electronics	15 Credits
Digital Audio Technology	30 Credits

Year 2
Module	Credits
Media Production Management	15 Credits
Sound Synthesis and Sequencing	15 Credits
Recording and Mixing	30 Credits
Audio Systems	30 Credits
Digital Music Processing	30 Credits

Year 3
Module	Credits
Music and Sound for Visual Media	15 Credits
Digital Audio Effects	15 Credits
Application of Sound Systems	30 Credits
Studio Acoustics	15 Credits
Sound Technology Project	45 Credits

Module Descriptions

Year 1

Music Industry
A broadly based and stimulating curriculum which combines a study of evolving technology, creative and production processes and business skills relevant to the music industry. This module allows students to develop a wide range of transferable and marketable skills and knowledge relevant to employment opportunities within the music and associated industries.

Commercial Production Techniques
This module aims to cover production techniques that will help improve musical arrangement, stylistic approach and technical workflow as an engineer / producer from creation of guide tracks during pre-production to more advanced genre specific creation for final release.

Digital Audio Technology
This module introduces fundamental principles of audio waveforms and digitization, including the capture and processing and compression of digital data. Students will study the concepts of A/D, D/A, sampling, quantization, aliasing, filtering, compression, while evaluating the merits of many techniques relevant to digital audio.

Audio Electronics
This module will develop key understanding of audio systems and electronics. This module relates primarily to the analogue domain and will develop an understanding the equipment found in the studios, how they sound and why, and what makes them important during the recording, mixing and mastering process.

Live Sound and Studio Recording
This module introduces and develops concepts of live sound engineering practice and technology as well as introducing the fundamentals of recording techniques, building skills in audio capture that are built upon in following modules and an important part of live and studio based sound.

Musical Instrument Acoustics
This module allows students to gain a detailed insight into the scientific aspects of musical instruments as well as their materials, design and manufacture. Using a range of testing and analysis methods, students will gain a greater understanding of wave propagation which can be applied to the recording process.

Year 2

Media Production Management
In order to set the skills gained across their degree programme in wider context, students need an appreciation of project management styles. This module gives students the opportunity to explore different approaches and theories as they develop a professional approach to the management of the production process.

Sound Synthesis and Sequencing
The module defines the application of digital audio in the realm of sound synthesis. Thorough analysis of historical and contemporary techniques the popular implementations are explored and discussed. The theory is applied in the context of live sequencing and contemporary dj performance.

Digital Music Processing
The module introduces the techniques and current standards employed in transferring data between electronic equipments, and the advanced DSP techniques used in music technology equipment.

Audio Systems
This module builds upon previous knowledge gained in the first year to increase applied understanding of electronic concepts in a practical and theoretical manner.

Recording and Mixing
This module introduces and develops key concepts in studio recording and mixing techniques. Building on the skills developed in Live Sound and Studio Recording UG1 the module initially builds on aspects of audio capture, before developing advanced skills in mixing and production

Year 3

Music and Sound for Visual Media
This module aims to further broaden the horizons of students by introducing them to the principles and techniques of music sound design for visual media such as TV, films and video games.

Digital Audio Effects
The module defines the application of digital audio in the realm of audio effects. Thorough analysis of processing components, popular effects and plug-ins leads to individual development of audio processing units.

Sound Technology Project
The project simulates typical graduate workplace tasks that require in-depth knowledge and skills in a course specific area, consideration of wider issues and the ability to manage activities and resources, and to generate, implement and report on solutions to meet task objectives. The project therefore provides opportunity to demonstrate technical and general employability preparation for career progression.

Sound Acoustics
The importance of studio and auditorium design is reflected on in great detail through live sound and recording modules, with proper monitoring and performance spaces a major contributing factor to the success of recordings.

Application of Sound Systems
This module is designed to allow students to employ the recording and production skills that they have acquired through the first two years of the programme. The module is based in the studio but also allows students to develop a portfolio pertinent to their future engagement in their industry.

Facilities

• Audix Studio
• Drumtank
• Foley Studio
• Live Sound Reinforcement
• Microphone List
• Mix Rooms
• Outboard List 
• Semi-Anechoic Chamber 
• Studio Live Room 
• Toft Studio 
• Electronics/Technology Laboratory 
• The Orchard 

Assessment Methods

A range of assessment methods is used during the course. These include continuous assessment, in-class tests, examinations, laboratory exercises and project work. Using these methods, students’ all-round ability will be appraised, which offers the best opportunity to excel.

Enquiries

Prospective students from the UK or EU

• Take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions for answers to a range of questions about our courses and studying here.
• If you need further help, you can contact the Course Enquiries Team online by using the Course Enquiry Form.
• Alternatively, call us on +44 (0)121 331 5595.

Prospective students from non-EU countries

• International enquirers from non-EU countries may enquire via the International Enquiry Form.
• Alternatively, call us +44 (0)121 331 6714.

Prospectus

For an overview of our undergraduate courses and range of other information order a printed Prospectus or download a PDF of our 2014/15 Prospectus (16MB).

Further Information

For general enquiries, please contact the School of Digital Media Technology as follows:

School of Digital Media Technology
Faculty of Technology, Engineering and the Environment
Birmingham City University
Millennium Point
Curzon Street
Birmingham
B4 7XG

Tel: +44 (0)121 331 5400
Email: enquiries@tee.bcu.ac.uk

If you haven't already, visit the School of Digital Media Technology website for more information.