A new Bachelor of Arts in Audio Arts and Technology (AAT) within the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering introduces a less technical alternative to the Audio and Music Engineering (AME) program. New York State approved the new B.A. program in July 2023 after a new major proposal was originally submitted to the College Curriculum Committee earlier that year.
Described as “providing students with the creative and expressive abilities and technical skills to build productive careers in many fields in which sound and audio are central,” the program was designed for students who want to learn about audio and sound without needing to take the more technical courses required in the AME major. Unlike AME, this program is not accredited as a professional engineering program and is not a path to professional licensure.
The new program only requires 54 credit hours in the major, which is less than half of the 130 required credits for a B.S. in AME. With a 2-credit upper-level writing course, students are also required to complete a capstone project, AME385, to graduate. According to Undergraduate Coordinator Barbara Dick, “We kept the requirements to a minimum to encourage students who want to complete a double major in areas such as music (including Eastman students), computer science, BCS, business, or any other area.”
Currently, there are 10 students enrolled in the AAT program since it was offered to prospective students applying for the 2024-2025 academic year. In 2024, only 15 students received AME degrees, compared to 17 in 2023.
