BFA.SOUND.120 - BFA in Sound

2025 - 2026 | Curriculum | 4-year program

Each fall and spring for the duration of the degree program, Sound majors take core studios alongside their peers in the Computation, Technology and Culture (CTC) department’s Art and Computation BFA program. These studios introduce you to core themes in computational art and design, including interaction, networks and simulation, with the each studio building on the previous with more advanced concepts and skills.

In sophomore year you engage in hands-on practice in the areas of programming and immersive 3D sonic design, complimented by examinations of the history, philosophy and politics of sound. Junior year brings you deeper into the realm of sound composition and performance, toward the development of an individualized creative practice that culminates in your senior year with a final degree project.

Learning outcomes

Graduates of the BFA program are prepared to:

• Design for human computer interaction with an emphasis on auditory display, sound-based interactions, and new interfaces for musical expression.

• Construct and compose sound-based works using digital audio workstations, modular synthesizers, DIY electronics, custom software, and embedded programming platforms.

• Author code in audio programming languages for sound synthesis and signal processing to create custom instruments, interfaces, installations, compositions, performances, and sound art.

• Demonstrate critical listening and analysis skills for creative, technical and social applications.

• Situate sound-based artists, designers, and works within broader socio-political, historical, and cultural contexts.

• Bridge sonic arts and sound design disciplines with other fields and conduct individual and collaborative research projects.

• Engage with international platforms for sharing sound-based practice, research and scholarship through speaking, writing, exhibition, performance, documentation, and other forms of exposition.