With this degree, you’ll learn the basics of a variety of audio technologies, as well as studio management and recording. No matter where you want to take your skills, knowledge of the entire audio production process will get you where you’re going. Broadcast, sound, and video technicians set up, operate, and maintain the electrical equipment for radio programs, television broadcasts, concerts, sound recordings, and movies.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average median salary for Broadcast, Sound, and Video Technicians in 2020 was $50,000 per year.
While this answer used to be four years to earn a B.A. Degree in Audio Production, this was when most students attended their classes on-campus full time. Now, students have some additional choices, including the online option. Depending on how an individual university has this structured, an undergraduate student who takes at least 15 credit hours each semester can earn their degree in close to four years. However, most students decide to take only the minimum 12 credit hours per semester. This makes their program run close to five or even six years. Depending upon how flexible the university is with courses being offered (and how long a term or semester runs), students can anticipate graduating in five years, on average.
Before choosing a major there are some important facts you should know about. Before you enroll in a college, make sure that they have the major you are considering. For Audio Production, many universities have whole departments devoted to the subject. If that is the case, then make sure they have the specific branch of Audio Production that interests you. If you are starting out at a community college, they may not have a specific degree for Audio Production, but they may offer the right math and science courses you will need as prerequisites. Investigate how well your community college work will synch with your later work in a university before registering.
This is a very important question to ask yourself. Your major should play a big part in the schools you are considering. Not every college may offer the major of your choice, so doing your homework is the first step of the selection process.
Before you declare a major in Audio Production, you should have an idea of what kind of timeframe you're looking at. If you are trying to achieve an associate degree, you will only need to finish about 60 credit hours over 2 years. However, if you are going for you bachelor's (B.S. or B.A.) degree in Audio Production, you will need to complete 120 credit hours over four years. And, if you want to attain a master's degree as well, you will have to finish your bachelors first and then spend around 2 years completing 60 more credit hours. Some of the coursework you will find in a typical Audio Production degrees are:
About 41% of college students complete their four-year Audio Production degree on time. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center study if the question suggests that money is a large factor in the rate of non-achievement. In-state public college tuition rates have traditionally been the lower range for leading schools. Today, the annual in-state tuition average is over $9,000 per year. Private schools average more than $30,000 per year. Many students run out of money and take reduced course loads to accommodate increased work and other money-making activities. Low per-semester credit-hour rates means more time required to complete a Audio Production degree. Reducing the per semester course load from 15 to 12 credit hours can add a year to the time needed to complete a degree.
Among the reasons cited for the low rate of four-year completion were student decisions in course selection. Many students choose interesting subjects and neglect to grab key courses when available. The failure to take a required course when offered can add a semester to the completion of a major or concentration.
The student experience is a vital piece of information. The graduation rate is often a predictor of the student experience. Factors that can influence late graduation include the availability of required coursework and dropouts for financial reasons. School surveys often have information similar to customer satisfaction information on other businesses. It may be useful to see responses from recent graduates about their experiences. The student survey observations will not predict your experience, but they can lead to productive questions about the school and the Audio Production degree program.
Accreditation is an important part of selecting a school for Audio Production education. Much depends on accreditation and the type of accreditation. There are two main types of accreditation; regional and national. Regional accreditation agencies work with research-based schools, private schools, public schools, and some for-profit schools. National accreditation works primarily with for-profit and career-related education.
Regional Accreditation
There are two types of regional accreditation; they are Audio Production program accreditation and institutional accreditation. Institutional accreditation uses a group of states as the base to compare the school with other colleges and universities; the group of states comprises the region assigned by the Department of Education.
Programmatic Accreditation looks at specific programs or parts of a college or university. This type of accreditation has the same type of respect and acceptance as regional accreditation for institutions. Regional employers and other educational institutions regard regional accreditation as proof of high-quality education.
National Accreditation
National accreditation has a Faith-based branch and a career- related education branch. Faith-based institutions have a different set of standards that recognize the role of faith in instruction. The for-profit branch of national accreditation covers the special purpose and non-traditional schools such as vocational schools. The career-related education requires standards that place appropriate weight on general knowledge and education. Some regionally accredited schools do not accept credits from career-related schools.
Did you know that your salary is not always just based on what level of degree you received, but it also could be based on what school you attended? Many employers actually have their own rankings and rating systems of schools. That is to say, if you received your degree from a college that was accredited by a low rated agency, your salary may actually be decreased by a certain percentage where a high-ranked, well-known, accredited school, can raise that mark significantly.
The cost will depend on several factors. Are you pursuing your Audio Production degree online or in a traditional setting? If you attend your courses on campus, you will also need to pay for food, room and board, and other fees. This can increase the cost of your Audio Production education significantly unless you have a plan in place to keep these costs low. If you attend a public, state school, it will depend on whether or not you are a resident. In-state students usually pay much lower rates than out-of-state students. However, this can be overcome by attending classes online, as most institutions charge in-state rates for all online courses. Either way, you need to research the costs for each Bachelor of Arts in Audio Production program you are considering applying to, as each institution will have their own rates.
Many colleges offer career services and job placement programs to help you get on the fast track to employment. Although you may assume that all Audio Production colleges offer this service, some don't provide as much assistance as you are led to believe. The best programs for post-graduate assistance include help with job placement both before graduation and continued support as you advance in your career. These programs can also assist you in preparing your resume so it maintains a competitive edge on the job market, work with you as you prepare for job interviews, and advise you on your job performance.
