Creative Audio
Our Bachelor of Science (BSc) Creative Audio degree provides a hands-on, project-focused approach to sound and music production. Discover the creative possibilities of audio while acquiring the technical skill and theoretical base needed to service your career in the constantly evolving creative industries. If you have a passion for sound, this degree will help you in developing the in-depth understanding needed to produce engaging listening experiences.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor at UK Level 6 |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | |
| Awarding Body | Ulster University |
| NFQ Level |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor at UK Level 6 | Ulster University |
Duration
3 years full-time.
Attendance
This is a full-time three year course with an additional, optional placement year.
Attendance at all sessions is mandatory. It is expected that you will not only engage with the taught elements but also participate in independent learning in the studios and labs - it's here that your individual learning can be expanded through informal conversations with your peers.
For further information, please visit our website: https://www.creativeaudio.io/about
Entry Requirements
Irish Leaving Certificate
112 UCAS tariff points to include a minimum of five subjects (four of which must be at higher level) to include English at H6 if studied at Higher level or O4 if studied at Ordinary Level.
Careers / Further progression
Graduate employers
Graduates from this course are now working for:
Rotor Video
Hedgehogs vs Foxes
BBC
Job roles
With this degree you could become:
Sound Designer
Music Producer
Sound Engineer
Post Production Engineer
Creative Technologist
Composer for Screen Media
Musician
Career options
This programme has been developed to meet the emergent needs of the creative industries. Students acquire a broad range of industry-focused skills and know-how that are applicable across a number of domains. Your future trajectory is our priority.
Those wishing to research and develop their own work to a higher level go on to pursue a Masters qualification either at the Ulster University or at other institutions in the UK and further afield. There is also the potential for entry onto a PhD.
Lastly, there are opportunities for those wishing to teach after the completion of a postgraduate teaching qualification (PgCE).
Further information
Start date: September 2024
Deadlines for on-time applications
2024 entry application deadlines
For courses starting in 2024 (and for deferred applications), your application should be with us at UCAS by one of these dates – depending on what courses you apply for. If your completed application – including all your personal details and your academic reference – is submitted by the deadline, it is guaranteed to be considered.
16 October 2023 for 2024 entry at 18:00 (UK time) – any course at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, or for most courses in medicine, veterinary medicine/science, and dentistry. You can add choices with a different deadline later, but don’t forget you can only have five choices in total.
31 January 2024 for 2024 entry at 18:00 (UK time) – for the majority of courses.
Some course providers require additional admissions tests to be taken alongside the UCAS application, and these may have a deadline. Find out more about these tests at https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-university/admissions-tests
Check course information in the search tool to see which deadline applies to you at the application weblink below.
Apply as soon as possible: Student funding arrangements mean that as offers are made and places fill up, some courses may only have vacancies for students from certain locations. It’s therefore really important that you apply for your chosen courses by the appropriate deadlines mentioned above, as not all courses will have places for all students.
All applications received after 30 June are entered into Clearing - find out more about Clearing at https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/clearing-and-results-day/what-clearing
Overview
Exploring the creative applications of music and sound.
Summary
Our Bachelor of Science (BSc) Creative Audio degree provides a hands-on, project-focused approach to sound and music production. Discover the creative possibilities of audio while acquiring the technical skill and theoretical base needed to service your career in the constantly evolving creative industries. If you have a passion for sound, this degree will help you in developing the in-depth understanding needed to produce engaging listening experiences.
About
We want you to become a multi-skilled practitioner able to work in several areas of sound and music production. In this way, you can build a sustained career in the creative industries.
You will develop a broad understanding of production technology within the context of the creation, manipulation, and presentation of music and sound in a range of contexts including film, TV, animation, games, AR and VR. Taught by a team with extensive creative industries experience, you will learn and practice using industry-standard equipment in our studios, labs and performance spaces. The Creative Audio programme is also flexible, so you can personalise it to match your interests. We are committed to being relevant, practical and forward–thinking.
Using leading–edge tools and technologies, this course develops your skills in recorded sound, live sound and post-production. You will learn modern production and performance methods and techniques including: sequencing, sampling, synthesis, recording, composition and arranging, programming, electronics, processing, editing and post-production.
Collaboration is an important aspect of the creative industries. You will have the opportunity to extend your professional network by studying alongside Cinematic Arts, Game Design, Animation and Drama students – as well as other Music students. In parallel, you will also acquire transferable skills and practical strategies for producing and managing creative projects.
As a graduate of the Creative Audio programme, you will be technologically literate and comfortable creating and communicating ideas within and beyond the audio domain. You will also understand music, sound and technology within the context of cultural developments and in collaboration with other arts fields, supporting work which engages with a range of cultural, community and creative industries opportunities.
For further information, please visit our website: https://www.creativeaudio.io/about
Here is a guide to the subjects studied on this course.
Courses are continually reviewed to take advantage of new teaching approaches and developments in research, industry and the professions. Please be aware that modules may change for your year of entry. The exact modules available and their order may vary depending on course updates, staff availability, timetabling and student demand. Please contact the course team for the most up to date module list.
Sound, Technology and Culture
Audio Production 1
Designing Sound
Audio Production 2
Live Sound and Production
Music Creation - Optional
Composition & Orchestration - Optional
Year 2
Creative Computing
Acoustics and Cognition
Sound Recording and Production 1
Sound Design for Games - Optional
Sound Recording and Production 2 - Optional
Composition and Orchestration 3 - Optional
Composition and Orchestration 4 - Optional
Music and Sound Practices - Optional
Year 3
Industrial Placement - Optional
Diploma in International Academic Studies - Optional
Year 4
Final Project (Practice)
Final Project (Theory & Context)
Professional Practice
Interactive Music Systems - Optional
Music Technology Project - Optional
Game Audio Implementation - Optional
Music and Moving Image - Optional
Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments. This feedback may be issued individually and/or issued to the group and you will be encouraged to act on this feedback for your own development.
Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification, the assessment timetable and the assessment brief. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised. The module pass mark for undergraduate courses is 40%. The module pass mark for postgraduate courses is 50%.
Associate awards
Diploma in Professional Practice DPP
Diploma in International Academic Studies DIAS
Diploma in Professional Practice International DPPI
Professional recognition
Joint Audio Media Education Services (JAMES)
Accredited by Joint Audio Media Education Services (JAMES) on behalf of Audio Technology, Music, Recording, Music Production, Games, Media and Audio Post Production Industries.
Work placement / study abroad
In third year, you have the option to spend a minimum of 25 weeks working in industry. Here, you'll be expected to work as part of a professional practice designed to acquaint you with alternative business cultures and protocols to enhance your personal and professional development.
Alternatively you can study in a wide range of approved institutions around the world.
Successful completion, obtaining a total mark of 40%, of the placement year leads to the award of the Diploma in Professional Practice (DPP) or (DPPI) International or a Diploma in International Academic Studies (DIAS) upon graduation. A mark of 70% and above will enable the award to be granted with commendation.
Ulster University,
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Londonderry
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T: 02870 123 456