Major Requirements
BS Degree Requirements
Students majoring in audio and music engineering (AME) will complete a total of 130 credits in the following areas:
- Basic Science & Mathematics: 32 credits
- Engineering: 60 credits
- Writing: 6 credits (WRTG 105 & WRTG 273)
- Hum & Soc. Sci 20 credits
- Free Electives: 12 credits
Basic Music Competency
All AME students must take a minimum of 10 credits of music courses, either from the River Campus Music Department or at the Eastman School of Music. This includes 8 credits of music theory and 2 credits of musicianship. The minimum requirement is completion of MUSC 101 and MUSC 111, however students with appropriate background and demonstrated proficiency in music theory may begin in a higher-level course such as MUSC 110 followed by MUSC 111. The appropriate starting course is determined by placement exam administered by the River Campus Music Department, or for Eastman students placement in Music Theory is determined by the ESM faculty. To meet the musicianship requirement, students normally would complete two one-credit courses MUSC 109, MUSC 113, MUSC 114, MUSC 115 or one 2 cr. course MUSC 201 or MUSC 202. Courses taken to fulfill the AME music requirement also may be counted toward a Music Cluster to meet the general AME Humanities or Social Science cluster requirement.
Core Requirements
Mathematics (Complete one calculus sequence)
Calculus sequence option A:
- MATH 161: Calculus IA*
- MATH 162: Calculus IIA*
- MATH 164: Multidimensional Calculus
- MATH 165: Linear Algebra with Differential Equations or MATH 163 Ordinary Differential Equations I
Calculus sequence option B:
- MATH 171: Honors Calculus I
- MATH 172: Honors Calculus II
- MATH 173: Honors Calculus III
- MATH 174: Honors Calculus IV
*MATH 141, 142, 143 may be substituted for MATH 161 and 162.
*NOTE: ECE 270: Probability for Electrical Engineers is a required course
Physics (2 courses)
PHYS 121: Mechanics , PHYS 122: Electricity and Magnetism
OR
PHYS 113: General Physics I and PHYS 114: General Physics II
OR
PHYS 141: Honors Mechanics and PHYS 142: Honors Electricity and Magnetism
Other Science and Mathematics (1 course)
The remaining course may be in astronomy, biology, brain and cognitive sciences (depends on the course and if used in a cluster – check with dept.), chemistry, earth and environmental sciences, mathematics, physics, or statistics. (PHYS 123 or higher, ASTR 111 or higher, CHEM 103 or higher, BIOL 110 or higher, EESC, 101 or higher, BSCS 110 or higher)
The BS AME major requires completion of courses and Portfolio projects in five subject areas:
The required and elective courses for the BS AME degree are listed below. All courses are 4 credits unless indicated otherwise. Optional elective courses are shown in italics.
All AME BS students complete the Foundations Courses:
AME 140: Intro to Audio and Music Engineering
AME 141: Fundamentals for Digital Design
1. Recording Arts and Sound Design
The focus is on audio and music recording and production, audio content creation, and sound design:
AME 191: Art and Technology of Recording
AME 192: Critical Listening for Audio Production
AME 193: Sound Design
AME 194: Audio for Visual Media
AME: 240: Revolutions in Sound: Artistic and Technical Evolution of Sound Recording
AME 391: Applied Recording Arts
AME 393: Applied Sound Design
Studies in acoustics range from fundamental acoustics, architectural acoustics, acoustic design, the acoustics of musical instruments, hearing and auditory perception:
AME 233/PHYS 233: Musical Acoustics
AME 292: Acoustics Portfolio (2 credits)
ECE 439: Electroacoustics and Spatial Audio
AME 140: Intro to Audio and Music Engineering
ECE 113: Circuits and Signals
AME 223: Audio Electronics
AME 295: Audio Electronics Portfolio (2 credits)
ECE 216: Microprocessors and Data Conversion
ECE 222: Integrated Circuits: Design and Analysis
ECE 261/461: Introduction to VLSI
Digital signal processing is the core of digital audio. The following courses are offered:
ECE 241: Signals
AME 272: Audio Signal Processing
AME 294: Audio DSP Portfolio (2)
AME 277/477: Computer Audition
ECE 246/446: Digital Signal Processing
The principles and practice of programming and software development for audio:
ECE 114: Introduction to Computers and Programming
AME 262: Audio Software Design
AME 264: Audio Software Design II
AME 196: Interactive Music Programming
CSC 172: The Science of Data Structures
CSC 210: Web Programming
Senior Design
All AME BS students must complete a one-year senior design project:
AME 386/387: Senior Design Project I and II
Humanities/Social Science Requirement
All AME majors must take a minimum of 5 humanities and/or social science (H&SS) courses. This includes the three courses taken to satisfy the University Cluster requirement. These five courses can be chosen from any recognized Humanities and/or Social Science field listed below. Students also are expected to take some of these courses beyond the introductory level. Ordinarily, H&SS Clusters will count for three of the five required courses, but if questions arise, students should consult their advisors. Language courses at the 101 level are only accepted when followed by another, more advanced course in the same language. A minor of 5 or more courses in one area will satisfy the H/SS requirement. If pursuing a music cluster, some required music courses may count toward the 12 credit cluster requirement. In this case, additional electives in H /SS are needed to reach the 20 credit requirement. If pursuing a music cluster, some required music courses may count toward the 12 credit cluster requirement. In this case, additional electives in H/SS are needed to reach the 20 credit requirement.
Acceptable Social Sciences Courses: Any course in anthropology, brain and cognitive sciences (depends on the course and if used in a cluster – check with dept.), economics, entrepreneurship, health and society, history, linguistics, political science, psychology, sociology, or women’s studies.
Notes – Students can not take BOTH MUSC 101 and MUSC 110 for the requirement.
Business courses from the Simon School may not be used to satisfy the H/SS distribution requirement. Also, no computer courses offered in the humanities or social sciences may be used as a H&SS distribution course.
Ordinarily, courses taken at the University of Rochester to meet the requirements in H&SS are 4 credit hour courses. Consult your advisor concerning 2 or 3 credit courses (including transfer courses). You may need to petition the Undergraduate Committee to use such courses for the H&SS distribution requirement.
The following restriction applies to all courses used to satisfy the distribution requirement: Two 2-credit courses may be combined to fulfill one 4-credit distribution requirement only if both courses are from the same discipline. No more than two courses may be combined to count toward a distribution requirement. However, any number of two, 2-credit courses from different disciplines may be substituted for other 4-credit free electives.
Upper-Level Writing
The University's upper-level writing requirement applies to all majors. The students in this program satisfy this requirement through AME 192, AME 193, AME 233, AME 262, and AME 386.
Students who transfer credit for any one or more of these courses from another institution to the UR must consult with the AME undergraduate coordinator to determine if their program satisfies the writing requirement.
For more detailed information about the Audio and Music Engineering Program here at Rochester, check out the program objectives page and AME Curriculum Guides below (PDF).
AME Curriculum Guide Class of 2020-2022*
*This guide sets forth the requirements for the AME major for students in the classes of 2020, 2021, and 2022. The AME curriculum was revised substantially in 2019. AME students in the classes of 2021 and 2022 may choose to follow either the old requirements given in this guide or the new revised requirements given in the “Revised Audio and Music Engineering Curriculum Guide" below.
AME Curriculum Guide Class of 2023 and beyond*
*This guide sets forth the requirements for the AME major for students in the classes of 2023 and beyond.
**Please note that the AME Curriculum was revised substantially in 2021. AME majors in the class of 2023 and beyond must satisfy the new revised requirements set forth in this edition of the AME Curriculum Guide.
Overlap Policy
- New Policy for declaring majors and minors