Audio Engineering

Audio engineering is the technical discipline concerned with the recording, manipulation, production, and reproduction of sound. It encompasses the electronics and signal processing that underpin audio systems, the creative and practical skills of recording and mixing music, and the design of the hardware and software tools that professional audio work depends on. The field sits at the intersection of electrical engineering, acoustics, music, and computing, and it serves the music industry, broadcasting, film and television, games, and the growing range of immersive audio applications that include virtual reality and spatial audio.

At Queen's University Belfast, this three-year, full-time programme is designed for students interested in engineering careers within the audio and digital media industries. You will develop technical skills and knowledge in electronics, embedded systems, programming, and mathematics alongside the practical experience of recording, editing, mixing, and mastering music using professional studio facilities. The programme also develops your capacity to design new hardware and software musical instruments and interfaces, placing you at the creative technical frontier of the audio world.

Queen's strong engineering faculty and Belfast's growing creative and digital industries provide an excellent context for developing both technical and professional skills.

A typical entry tariff of 152 points reflects the combined technical and musical demands of the programme. Graduates from audio engineering programmes go on to careers as audio engineers, sound designers, recording engineers, mastering engineers, broadcast engineers, music technology developers, and acoustic consultants. The combination of electrical engineering knowledge and practical audio skills is valued across music, broadcasting, games, film post-production, and the rapidly expanding field of audio technology development.

Many graduates pursue further professional development or postgraduate study in audio engineering, music technology, or electrical engineering, while others move directly into technical roles in studios, broadcast companies, and technology firms.