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Audio Engineering

Summer 2026

Spokane Falls Community College
3410 West Fort George Wright Drive
Spokane, WA 99224-5298
https://sfcc.spokane.edu/

Enrollment:

Fall

Degrees and Certificates

AAS - SFCC

Program Website:

View the program website

Program Description

The objective of this program is to prepare students for entry–level jobs and for self–employment in the entertainment industry in the areas of audio production, recording, live sound engineering and as broadcast and audio equipment technicians.

The certificate and first year of the AAS degree provides a basic understanding of the music technology/audio engineering field. Students learn principles and procedures of studio recording live sound reinforcement, location recording, basic principles of synthesis and MIDI technology and gain a thorough understanding of the delivery formats used in music production. Students also receive training on state of the art digital audio workstations. Starting the first year and again in the second year of study, each student completes a major studio-recording project that involves recording, editing and mixing a student or professional band and culminates in developing an audio portfolio for inclusion in their professional resume. The first year also includes basic music theory, functional piano skills and study of the business aspects of the music and entertainment industries.

The second year of the degree program provides intensive study of digital audio workstations as well as advanced study and implementation of recording techniques and live sound engineering as students develop their recording, editing and mixing skills. Students will also hone their audio production skills with classes in advanced MIDI production and arrangement techniques, contemporary harmony, song writing and scoring for film, TV and multi-media. System set up and maintenance is also addressed in the second year providing students with an understanding of electronics and maintenance procedures relative to the recording industry. Finally, in the sixth quarter of study, students participate in an audio internship where they gain experience working on location at a professional recording studio, post-production facility or live sound venue.

Admission Requirements

Admission to Audio Engineering requires students to complete an application process, which includes a college application, placement scores in reading, writing and math, an essay and an interview. So long as there is room in the program, ALL students who complete the application process are admitted. If the number of applicants exceeds the number of available slots, students are selected for admission based on their placement scores (reading, writing, and math), knowledge of audio engineering and music, communication skills (written and spoken) and goals. For detailed information regarding the application process, visit the Audio Engineering website and select the "Special Application Requirements" tab.

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Graduates of the Audio Engineering program will demonstrate technical proficiency operating audio consoles and signal processing equipment in both recording studio and live sound applications.
2. Graduates of the Audio Engineering program will demonstrate technical proficiency operating digital audio workstations.
3. Graduates of the Audio Engineering program will possess the musical vocabulary necessary to communicate effectively with musicians in a recording studio or live performance context.
4. Upon graduation, Audio Engineering students will have created an electronic portfolio (interactive PDF documents with embedded media examples of their work) showcasing knowledge, skills and abilities acquired in the program for presentation to future employers, peers and colleagues.

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