Musical Audio Engineering, BS

Announcement: The Bachelor of Science in Musical Audio Engineering (BSMAE) degree program is moving out of the College of Engineering and into the School of Music within the College of Arts and Sciences where it will be renamed as the Musical Audio Technology BS.  The BSMAE program is currently no longer accepting new students.  Students who have already been accepted or enrolled in the BSMAE program have the option to remain through completion and award of the non-accredited BSMAE degree, as described on this page.  Students who decide to opt out and new students interested in similar content are encouraged to apply and enroll in the new Musical Audio Technology BS program beginning Fall 2025.

The Musical Audio Engineering degree program is designed to prepare students for the broadest spectrum of recording studio operations; the equipment used in recording studios; live recording environments; in-depth understanding of equipment design, maintenance, and operations; and detailed knowledge of signal processing for audio applications. Graduates of this program will not only be able to operate audio equipment, but they will be able to design audio equipment as skilled musicians. This unique program includes basic courses in mathematics and physical sciences, broadening courses in humanities and social sciences, foundation courses in electrical engineering, and music courses as well as musical performance.

To participate in this program, students must be accepted into both the School of Music and the College of Engineering. More information can be found on the School of Music’s Musical Audio Engineering website (http://audioengineering.music.ua.edu/) and audition requirements can be found at https://music.ua.edu/apply-audition/.

Program Educational Objectives

The Program Educational Objectives for the B.S. in Musical Audio Engineering are:

• Graduates will excel in engineering careers and/or postgraduate education utilizing knowledge of Musical Audio Engineering disciplines and underlying fundamental principles of science and mathematics, engineering analysis, problem solving, and design;
• Graduates will expand their knowledge of current and emerging issues in Musical Audio Engineering and continue career-long professional development through engagement in lifelong learning;
• Graduates will grow professionally and advance throughout their engineering careers utilizing skills in effective communication; responsible, multidisciplinary teamwork, and adherence to principles of professional accountability and ethics.

Student Outcomes

Graduates of the Musical Audio Engineering program will have:

1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics;
2. An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specific needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors;
3. An Ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences;
4. An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts;
5. An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives;
6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions;
7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies;
8. An ability to solve mathematics problems in probability, statistics, differential equations, linear algebra, complex variables, and discrete mathematics as they relate to problems in Musical Audio Engineering.

Enrollment and Graduation Statistics

The University of Alabama Office of Institutional Research and Assessment maintains annual enrollment and graduate data for the programs in the College of Engineering. Please visit the OIRA Statistical Profiles website to find statistics for student enrollment, degrees awarded and faculty data.