Undergraduate acoustical engineering programs typically offer a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering with a concentration in acoustics. Graduate programs offer degrees specifically in acoustical engineering and generally take students an additional one to two years to finish. Distance learning programs also allow students to pursue engineering degrees, which is especially appealing to nontraditional students pursuing graduate level degrees while still maintaining their full-time engineering jobs.
The coursework in acoustical engineering programs focuses on acoustics and teaches students the fundamentals and practical application of sound and vibration. In addition to a college's list of required courses, some examples of courses specific to acoustical engineering include marine acoustics, computational acoustics, noise reduction, acoustics theory, advanced engineering mathematics and audio engineering. Some colleges may even have specially designed laboratories and rooms for students to conduct hands-on sound and vibration experiments as part of class projects.
Acoustical engineering programs teach students how to measure the way materials absorb or reflect sound, which prepares them for careers that design structures and rooms for the best sound optimization and vibration control. These careers often involve acoustical engineers traveling all over the world to work on projects like designing performance centers and residential or commercial structures. Projects can also include implementing noise control in automobiles and airplanes. Additionally, acoustical engineers may set up and optimize sound equipment and all furniture and structures in a room.
The University of Texas at Austin offers both undergraduate and graduate level programs in acoustics within its engineering department. At the university, students take various acoustics-related classes and study in a specially equipped electroacoustics laboratory and reverberation room. Another school offering coursework in acoustics is the University of Pennsylvania, which offers graduate-level degrees in acoustics in both resident and distance learning programs. Additionally, with the completion of five courses students at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth achieve a graduate-level certificate in acoustics.