Two programs in acoustical engineering offer unique ways to incorporate acoustics into an undergraduate engineering degree from the University of Hartford.
At the University of Hartford's College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture, we believe in fostering well-rounded individuals who can turn their passions into promising careers. The Acoustical Engineering Program not only equips students with a solid foundation in engineering but also allows them to pursue their love for music.
About the Program
Two Programs, One Goal.
Acoustics is the science of sound; how it is produced, how it travels, and how it can be detected. It covers a broad range of disciplines, including mechanical engineering, music, electrical engineering, biology, audiology, and physics. Our students work on real-life acoustics application projects coordinated with sponsors from across the USA.
Our acoustical engineering program offers two distinctive paths to integrate acoustics into an undergraduate engineering degree. In conjunction with The Hartt School, acoustical engineering and music students can explore the science of sound, from its production to its detection.
Similarly, the program in mechanical engineering, BSME, with an acoustics concentration, combines a robust mechanical engineering curriculum with the same core and elective classes as our acoustical engineering and music program.
Why UHart?
The curriculum goes beyond traditional engineering by offering specialized courses in ear training, private lessons, and orchestra participation. These unique offerings encourage students to sharpen their listening skills and develop an acute understanding of sound so they can become not just engineers, but true masters of acoustics. Our immersive labs like the anechoic chamber expose students to the world of music and help enhance their ability to perceive and manipulate sound.
Whether students are interested in high-fidelity sound systems, concert hall design, or the engineering behind musical instruments and hearing aids, UHart’s nationally recognized acoustics program offers a unique interdisciplinary experience. By graduation, students will have developed a well-rounded skill set that sets them apart in the field of acoustical engineering.
Degree and Admission Requirements
The following course highlights and admission requirements are below for each of the acoustics majors:
Acoustical Engineering and Music
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the acoustical engineering and music program is to provide excellent educational experience for its students, with an emphasis on preparing graduates for professional practice in engineering and/or graduate school.
Core Classes
- ME 265 | Fundamentals of Architectural and Musical Acoustics
- ME 242 | Acoustic Engineering by Design Project
- ME 466 | Advanced Topics in Engineering Acoustics
- ME 350 | Vibrations I with Applications
- ME 405 | Vibrations 2
- ME 471 | Acoustic Capstone Preparation
- ME 461 | Acoustics Capstone Design Project for Engineering
Electives
- ES 493 | Acoustic Research Project
- ME 467 | Acoustic Modeling & Auralization
- ME 533 | Turbomachinery Noise Control
OPTIONAL COURSES
- MPT 450, 451 | Sound Technology I, II
- WRT 215W | Introduction to Professional Writing
Music History electives may include:
- AFR 131 | African American Music, 1890–1945
- HTA 340 | History of Music Theatre
- HLM 200 | World Music Survey
- HLM 212 | Perspectives on Music History
- HLM 216 | History of Popular Music in the United States
- HLM 463 | Music Literature of the 20th Century
See a complete list of classes in the Course Catalog.
Acoustical Engineering and Music Admission Requirements
To be accepted into this curriculum, applicants must have the math and science background required of all engineering students and must successfully pass the entrance requirements of The Hartt School, including an audition.
See additional admission requirements for all of CETA here.
Mechanical Engineering with Acoustics concentration
Core Classes
- ME 265 | Fundamentals of Architectural and Musical Acoustics
- ME 242 | Acoustic Engineering by Design Project
- ME 466 | Advanced Topics in Engineering Acoustics
- ME 350 | Vibrations I with Applications
- ME 405 | Vibrations 2
- ME 471 | Acoustic Capstone Preparation
- ME 461 | Acoustics Capstone Design Project for Engineering
Electives
- ES 493 | Acoustic Research Project
- ME 467 | Acoustic Modeling & Auralization
- ME 533 | Turbomachinery Noise Control
OPTIONAL COURSES
- MPT 450, 451 | Sound Technology I, II
- WRT 215W | Introduction to Professional Writing
See a complete list of classes in the Course Catalog.
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING WITH ACOUSTICS CONCENTRATION ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
To be accepted into this curriculum, applicants must have the math and science background required of all engineering students.
See additional admission requirements for all of CETA here.
Career Outlook
Our acoustics program is designed to prepare you for career success.
Our graduates have gone on to work at:
- Apple
- Bose Loudspeakers
- Cerami Consultants in Acoustics
- General Dynamics Electric Boat
- Starkey Hearing Aids
- Pratt & Whitney
- Telefunken
Our Facilities
The Acoustics Laboratory, part of the Engineering Applications Center, is a professional acoustics facility that serves the educational needs of our students, the research needs of faculty, and the consultation needs of businesses and organizations throughout the United States.
Our new Acoustics Lab features the Paul S. Veneklasen Research Foundation (P.S.V.R.F.) Anechoic Chamber (dedicated October 2010), and a Reverberation Room (dedicated May 2014). Both are Eckel Chambers and have 100 Hz third-octave low-frequency cutoffs.
Equipment includes:
- Brüel & Kjær Pulse spectral measurement systems
- Dual–Channel FFT and 1/24 octave spectrum analyzers
- Portable sound level meters
- Impedance tube
- Community noise monitoring equipment
- Vibration & modal analysis equipment
- Room acoustics & auralization simulation software.
Accreditation
The acoustical engineering and music program and mechanical engineering program are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org.
The acoustical engineering and music program is also accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).
Accreditation for Acoustical Engineering and Music
The acoustical engineering and music program seeks to prepare men and women for productive, rewarding careers in the engineering profession.
During their careers our alumni:
- Will become successful practicing engineers in a wide range of acoustical engineering fields and will advance professionally by accepting responsibilities and, potentially, pursuing leadership roles;
- Will advance their knowledge of engineering and music, both formally and informally, by engaging in lifelong learning experiences; and
- Will, as contributing members of multidisciplinary engineering teams, successfully apply the fundamentals of engineering analysis and design to the formulation and solution of emerging technical problems.
The student learning outcomes are aligned with the student learning outcomes of ABET EAC (1 through 7), and prepare graduates of the program to attain the program educational objectives.
Student outcomes (1) through (7) are articulated as follows:
(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 specified 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 understanding of musical theory and history, and a demonstrated ability in ear training and music performance or composition.
The mission of the acoustical engineering and music program is to provide excellent educational experience for its students, with an emphasis on preparing graduates for professional practice in engineering and/or graduate school.
| Academic Year | First-Year | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | Total Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-21 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 10 | 7 |
| 19-20 | 5 | 11 | 5 | 14 | 10 |
| 18-19 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 20 | 14 |
| 17-18 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 15 | 7 |
| 16-17 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 18 | 13 |
Accreditation for Mechanical Engineering with Acoustics concentration
The mechanical engineering program seeks to prepare men and women for productive, rewarding careers in the engineering profession. During their careers our alumni:
- will become successful practicing engineers in a wide range of mechanical engineering fields and will advance professionally by accepting responsibilities and, potentially, pursuing leadership roles;
- will advance their knowledge of engineering, both formally and informally, by engaging in lifelong learning experiences; and
- will, as contributing members of multidisciplinary engineering teams, successfully apply the fundamentals of engineering analysis and engineering design to the formulation and solution of emerging technical problems.
The engineering design experience is distributed over the entire engineering curriculum. The curricular sequence ensures that there is one-half year of credits devoted to design content, which begins in the first-year course Engineering and Design and continues through the senior year's Capstone Design Project. The majority of the design work is incorporated into the junior and senior years to ensure that the students have taken sufficient preparatory engineering science courses.
Basic concepts of physics, chemistry, and mathematics create the foundation on which all engineering education is built. Basic tools of engineering practice, such as graphic communication, computer-aided drafting/design, and computer programming and applications, are also required knowledge. The basic engineering sciences, such as statics, dynamics, mechanics of materials, material science, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, electrical circuits, design of machine elements, and control theory, complete the introductory phase of the program.
Mechanical engineering is generally considered to consist of a number of engineering subject areas, such as:
- Energy Conversion
- Fluid Flow
- Heat Transfer
- Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning
- Instrumentation
- Machine Design
- Manufacturing Industrial Engineering
- Materials
- Mechanics of Solids
- Mechanisms
- Noise Control
Refrigeration
System Control
All mechanical engineering students have the opportunity to take elective courses in any of the above subject areas. Through proper choice of electives, a student may become specialized in one or two of these areas. The Mechanical Engineering department has formalized three of the areas (acoustics, energy and sustainability, and manufacturing) as designated concentrations, with a separate curriculum listing.
Extensive laboratory experience enhances the theoretical course work. There are several required laboratory courses in the sciences and engineering. Written and oral communication of laboratory results is required.
Oral presentation by the students is introduced in the first year and continues through to the capstone design course, as well as in several other required advanced and elective courses.
Through participation in the All-University Curriculum and in additional elective courses in the humanities and/or social sciences, students are given the opportunity to broaden their perspectives and to take part in the larger learning community of the University. It is imperative that engineers understand and appreciate the special role that technology plays in our society and the interactions between and among the various components of our society.
The student learning outcomes of the Mechanical Engineering program leading to BSME degree are aligned with the student learning outcomes of ABET EAC (1 through 7), and prepare graduates of the program to attain the program educational objectives.
Student outcomes (1) through (7) are articulated as follows:
(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 specified 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.
| Academic Year | First-Year | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | Total Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-21 | 30 | 29 | 39 | 57 | 42 |
| 19-20 | 37 | 37 | 41 | 73 | 55 |
| 18-19 | 48 | 43 | 42 | 73 | 69 |
| 17-18 | 59 | 49 | 49 | 75 | 51 |
| 16-17 | 56 | 54 | 45 | 76 | 52 |