The electrical and computer engineering department of the School of Engineering at UMass-Dartmouth offers six graduate certificates, including the acoustics certificate. The acoustics certificate, like the other five, is obtained as a part of the standard curriculum for the master of science in engineering degree. The master's degree, in either electrical or computer engineering, requires at least 30 hours of coursework, 15 of which are courses in acoustics.
Four courses are required for the acoustics certificate: Random Signals and Systems I, Fundamentals of Acoustics, Discrete-Time Signal Processing and Underwater Acoustics I. Students also can take one of the following courses: Sonar Signal Processing, Underwater Acoustics II, Geophysical, Radar and Speech Signal Processing, Acoustic Transduction and Electroacoustic Transducers.
Those seeking an acoustics certificate must apply and be approved before taking courses. Applicants must submit an official transcript, an essay and a brief application. Applications are available through the Office of Graduate Studies. Graduate Record Examination scores and letters of recommendation are not required (these must be submitted separately in the application for acceptance into the master's program). Students in a bachelor of science/master of science program may take no more than two courses toward the certificate as undergraduates.
Certificates in acoustical engineering are offered at only a handful of engineering institutions in the United States, so the skill set is somewhat rare and in demand. An individual with an master of science in electrical or computer engineering and a certificate in acoustics could work as an acoustic consultant to a construction company, an expert in soundproofing technology or a designer of sonar devices.