Associate Degree of Audio
GET ON TRACK TO YOUR DREAM AUDIO AUDIO CAREER
Indicative Total Course Fees*
$53,236 AUD
* The Indicative Total Course Fee reflects the students are charged fees on a per unit basis and the fee for a unit may increase.
Complete your course faster by studying units over 15 months. (4 trimesters)
Complete your course faster by studying units over 15 months. (4 trimesters)
Whilst still classified as a full-time study load, you will complete the units over two years. (6 trimesters)
If you want to take a little longer, that’s ok too. We’ll help you work out the best study load to suit your needs.
Note: Part-time is not available for international students.
September 2023
February 2024
May 2024
September 2023
February 2024
May 2024
September 2023
February 2024
May 2024
September 2023
February 2024
May 2024
September 2023
February 2024
May 2024
September 2023
February 2024
May 2024
ASSOCIATE DEGREE OF AUDIO
At SAE we can offer small classes and one-on-one mentoring opportunities you may not find in a larger university. You’ll apply theoretical knowledge and best practices while accessing studios to amplify your talents on cutting-edge equipment like the Neve, or an SSL, or an Audient console. All the while you will gain proficiencies on software like Pro Tools, Logic Pro X, and Ableton Live.
Your growth and development as a creative practitioner will be assessed through the completion of industry-based projects. This will ultimately help you build up a body of work and portfolio to share with potential employers or your first client.
In preparation for an industry that commands agility and adaptability, you’ll cut your creative teeth on projects initially in partnership with your course peers. As your skills develop and you work on more dynamic projects, you’ll apply your capabilities to cross-discipline projects in games, film, music, and animation. By the end of your course, you could be collaborating with fellow students across all SAE disciplines.
Ultimately, a qualification from SAE in Audio will expand your career. As part of your course, you will be provided practical experience and work with others to help build your network. We’ll also equip you with employability skills, giving you professional strategies in communication and self-promotion.
With an Associate Degree of Audio, you’ll be ready for cutting-edge industry roles using modern creative business concepts and strategies. Career options include Games Audio Specialist, Audio Engineer, Sound Editor in film, live music, broadcast media, or games development.
Enjoy the benefits of being SAE trained – our audio students have achieved great success in the creative industries. SAE graduates are known within the industry for their high-level skills and are in demand.
CAREER OUTCOMES
What jobs will this course lead to?
Studio Engineer
Music Producer
Game Audio Specialist
Sound Editor
Staging Crew
Audio/Visual Technician
Sound Designer
Live Sound Engineer/Operator
Radio Broadcasting
Aldo Arechar
"Getting to meet other creatives [at SAE] who had other passions was very satisfying, as we were then able to collaborate on music and other projects." SAE Alumni | Current Job: Hans Zimmer's Remote Control Productions company in LA
Charles Inopiquez
"Studying at SAE is probably the best thing I’ve ever done. I’ve met so many talented people, and it’s awesome to share ideas and collaborate on projects with them." SAE Alumni | Current Job: Signed Music Producer
Expert Spotlight: Dr Mark Bassett
Dr Mark Bassett launched the SAE Audient ASP4816 Simulator, developed as part of SAE’s Virtual Tools project. The simulator provides students with remote access to a fully functional photorealistic simulation of the Audient ASP4816 analogue console. He has also released the SAE Mackie 1604VLZ4 simulator & more recently the SAE Parametric Equaliser Training software. Mark holds a PhD in psychoacoustics (critical listening and technical ear training) and a Master’s Degree in Design Science (Audio & Acoustics)(Honours). Dr Mark Bassett | Postgraduate & Audio lecturer
SAE Associate Degree of Audio offers:
Record your preferred music genres and participate in real-world audio projects while being mentored by our network of expert practitioners.
Gain industry-specific skills and knowledge using world-class audio facilities.
SAE has a range of approaches to learning and teaching - virtual and on-campus - to provide flexibility and real-world application.
YOUR CAREER IN AUDIO BEGINS NOW
TOOLS & SOFTWARE
THIS COURSE COVERS:
Course Structure
The Associate Degree of Audio has two stages that provide foundational learning and applied skill.
Thinking about Audio will introduce you to creative and scholarly thinking in your discipline. By examining leading thinkers and movements in your discipline, you will develop an understanding of key practical and transferable skills that will enable you to develop a deeper understanding of the learning process, research, and the nature of creativity and scholarship. This forms an essential foundation for your studies and your future career by fostering your skill as an independent learner and reflective practitioner.
Establish a basic knowledge of the principles of sound, foundational acoustics, human hearing, perception of sound and the range of technical terms related to audio. You'll sonically assess a listening environment and be able to communicate your ideas using industry terminology.
Potential projects:
Improve the acoustic properties of a home studio setup. Using technology analyse the sound of different rooms.
Gain the audio recording skills required to operate studio equipment and a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) system by undertaking simple recording and mixing projects.
You'll be able to demonstrate an understanding of session planning, studio etiquette, microphone placement, signal flow, multi-track recording and signal processing (EQ, filters and dynamics processing) and be able to edit your session in preparation for mixdown.
Potential projects: Develop a plan for a professional recording session. Analyse sound recordings and create multiple mixes using balance, pan, equalisation, automation and FX processing.
This unit will introduce you to the mindset and skillset of the creative entrepreneur, and transform your approach to problem-solving. You will analyse historical and contemporary models of leadership and best practice in entrepreneurship, and use tools for project design that include ideation, problem framing, and pitching. The skills in this unit will assist you in developing your creative thinking, exploration, and experimentation methods, allowing you to experiment with project design and content for creative media.
An introduction to the technology used in various audio systems such as recording studios, live, and audio-visual sound reinforcement systems.
Develop basic soldering and electronics fault-finding skills and investigate the connectivity and terminology of small-scale audio systems.
Potential projects: Safely set up and operate small live sound or audio-visual systems for music or spoken presentations.
Apply your acquired production skills in real-life audio, music or sound design projects, one ‘in the box’ and one in the recording studio.
You'll deliver to a brief, using production skills and researching comparable works to create well-rounded products through iterative processes.
Potential projects:
First project: Enhance an audio production using sequencing, sampling and synthesis for music composition or sound design project.
Second project: Working on a collaborative studio production, You'll apply project management skills to demonstrate effective use of time and resources, whilst documenting and reflecting on the production process, identifying areas for improvements and responding to feedback from your your classmates and facilitator.
In CIM210 you will be working on interdisciplinary projects that relate to some of the most important concepts in contemporary media production. You will learn practical and analytical skills in order to help you develop your creative powers and meet briefs that take you out of your comfort zone. You will need to bring all of the skills you have learned so far: technical skills, research skills, communication skills and a growth mindset, and be prepared to encounter new concepts and new ways of working.
Work collaboratively on audio and music projects, responding to a brief and led by your facilitator. In collaboration with your your classmates, You'll work towards established project milestones within a recording studio project with your facilitator acting as your project manager, mentor, and colleague.
Further develop your production skills through conceptualising, planning and executing a project, employing recording studio hardware and software. You will adhere to a planned schedule and demonstrate professional practice in pre-production, production, mixing and mastering.
This process includes focusing on the creative, technical and managerial aspects required for a completed music project. Teamwork, interdisciplinary collaborative skills, and engagement with feedback processes are emphasised in this unit, as you further refine and reflect on your transferable skills.
Potential project
4-6 track original EP, recorded, mixed, mastered and ready for release, working closely with the artist to aim for the desired sounds, feels and sonic outcomes.
Media and culture are not simply entertainment, but something that affects the “real world”, our everyday lives, and our worldviews. As such, we will not ask whether media accurately reflect the real world but instead ask how media shape, reinforce, and challenge power structures that influence our understanding of the world and ourselves. This unit takes a ‘critical theory’ approach to analyze media and culture. In this unit, you will explore media texts, contexts and meaning, society and subjectivity, pop culture aesthetics, and critical cultural discourses that inform creative media practices.
Drawing on a range of creative content and analytical frameworks, you will be encouraged to develop ways of thinking about media and culture that demonstrate a broad awareness of aesthetic principles and stylistic trends; subjectivity, agency, ethics, and relations of power; contexts, disciplines and discursive formations. In support of this exploration, you will produce a range of media artifacts that explore and contextualize the relationship of media to culture through individual analysis, collaborative and interdisciplinary creative practice, and critical reflection.
Collaborating with game design, animation or film students to produce finished original creative works, You'll develop the project management skills You'll need for working in large scale production environments.
You'll be introduced to appropriate session management techniques and project planning where You'll learn how to manage budgets, resources and personnel, along with delivery requirements.
You'll be introduced to the terminology and workflows used for producing audio for narrative in industries such as film, television, games, and multimedia. This unit focuses on the creation of the character-related sounds that are developed using location recording techniques, recording and editing of ADR and foley and the mixing of these elements for a professional outcome.
You will primarily focus on the impact of sounds on audience perception in various media. The application of surround sound mixing, and immersive production techniques will provide new challenges to suit the needs of modern-day listening environments.
Potential main project
Sound design for a short film, animation, game or audio/visual installation mixed in a multi-channel environment, focusing on sonic aesthetics and enhancing the associated emotional response from the audience’s perspective.
At SAE we consider your creative potential and commitment to the Creative Industries, not just your academic history. Which is why you don’t need a minimum ATAR to study with us.
For domestic student entry requirements click here
For international student entry requirements click here
FEE‑HELP* is an Australian Government loan scheme that assists eligible fee paying students pay all or part of their tuition fees. It cannot be used for additional study costs such as accommodation or text books. The total amount of FEE‑HELP a person can use is known as the ‘FEE‑HELP limit’.
Once a person begins using FEE‑HELP, the amount of FEE‑HELP they have left to use is known as their ‘FEE‑HELP balance’.
* Terms and conditions apply. For the latest updates regarding FEE-HELP please refer to sae.edu.au/fees
You can choose to study most of our courses in a part-time capacity. An SAE course advisor will be able to give you more information about the study options for your chosen course.
Note: Part-time is not available for international students.
CREDIT AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING
SAE may recognise your prior learning and may grant credit towards satisfying the requirements for a higher-level program. This is applied where previous learning is considered equivalent to the content and learning outcomes prescribed for units within the program.
For full details, please refer to SAE's policy on recognition of prior learning and credit transfers.
