In close consultation with the Director of the School of Music and the Department Head of Electrical and Computer Engineering, I worked diligently to help develop this new degree program which uniquely coupled the College of Arts & Sciences with the College of Engineering. One of the principal goals was to form a program which requires considerable levels of competency in both disciplines. A carefully calculated plan of study was crafted. It is admittedly rigorous and will be a viable option for only a select community of first-rate students. This degree program is specifically designed to train students in the broadest spectrum of recording studio operations, the equipment used therein, live recording environments, and an in-depth understanding of equipment design, maintenance, and operation(s).

Graduates of the program will be fully prepared to pursue a wide range of possible professions including, but not limited to:

Audio recording engineer (specific to musical contexts)
-Studio and live (on location) environments
-Audio equipment designer and manufacturer
-Audio equipment consultant
-Audio equipment representative

Possible places of employment include but are not limited to:

-Recording studios of all types
-Independent professional studios
-Educational institutions
-Religious and affiliated institutions
-Equipment manufacturers
-Recording/acoustical consultants

In addition to numerous possible employment opportunities, graduates of this program will also be prepared to pursue diverse opportunities of continued education. Market research shows that there is a wide demand for individuals with this unique skill set, as very few academic programs of this nature yet exist. Specifically, NASM (National Association of Schools of Music), our accrediting institution, and ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) have already recognized the need for such training and education and proactively offered the opportunity for joint accreditation by both agencies for any institutions bringing a qualified program forward. As both fully trained audio experts and qualified audio engineers, with a direct understanding of music and its context(s), graduates of this program will be at the cutting edge of the current discipline and are predicted to be in high demand in the marketplace.

After garnering uncontested approval from the School of Music Undergraduate Council and support of the full faculty of the School of Music, a motion to approve this program was unanimously approved by the full faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences during the Spring 2017 faculty meeting. Immediately following, I delivered the proposal, the Notification of Intent to Submit a Proposal, curricular information, and resolution to the UA's Director of Institutional Effectiveness. The proposal was reviewed and approved by the University of Alabama Board of Trustees. It was approved by the state on Friday, September 14, 2018.

The degree program will welcome its first cohort of students in Fall 2019.