The graduate program in Acoustical Studies seeks high-achieving candidates, from a variety of backgrounds, with a deep passion for understanding aural-spatial interaction, critical listening and the human condition. Acoustics is an interdisciplinary pursuit, which is both calculated and perceived. As such, students come from varied undergraduate disciplines, including architecture, audio/music technology, electrical or mechanical engineering, physics, computer science, recording sciences and music. Regardless of background, students must be capable of nimbly functioning at the intersection of spatial, technical, musical and creative thought.

Highly desirable candidates might include (i) a student of physics or wave mechanics, who is also an accomplished musician, (ii) a technically-minded student of architecture with a specific interest the design, modeling and perceptual implications of spaces for performance, (iii) an engineering student who studies signal processing and has interest in understanding spatial room acoustics measurements for analysis or simulation, or (iv) a student of music or music technology, with a solid math and physics foundation, and an interest in the perception of music and speech, in various urban environments, with differing noise conditions.

Due to the distinctiveness of this program, requiring an uncommon mix of capabilities, each applicant is evaluated individually, based on his/her background, education and experiences. Admission is selective, as student cohorts are small, and the varied education and experiences of the students contributes to the richness of the program.

Regardless of previous experience or education, as a part of his/her undergraduate education, each candidate must have successfully completed one year of coursework in college physics, one year of calculus, and one year of audio/acoustics fundamentals, basic audio engineering, music technology, or equivalent. A background in music, with the ability to play one (or more) instruments at a high level, is expected, although a Bachelor of Music is not required.

We look forward to the mix of applicants and unique backgrounds, each year, and we look forward to your application to the Acoustical Studies program. The Application Deadline is December 1, each year, for enrollment the following Fall Semester. International students must demonstrate competencies in English commensurate with expectations for Peabody’s Master of Music degree program.

For more information please see the Application Instructions. Note: An interview will be set up as part of the application process.