Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Course structure
  3. How to apply
  4. Modules overview
  5. Assignments and assessments overview
  6. Completing the course overview
  7. Careers overview
  8. FAQs

A professional acoustician

Become a Professional Acoustician through our IOA accredited acoustics course and a huge variety of attractive career opportunities open up to you in such fascinating fields as:

  • Architectural acoustics
  • Audio engineering
  • Environmental noise
  • Noise control and product sound
  • Musical acoustics
  • Speech and hearing
  • Ultrasound
  • Underwater acoustics
  • To name a few!

Choosing Acoustics as a career, with your background in Maths, Science or Engineering, sees you coming together with other like-minded, socially-minded professionals, all working in unison to help make a difference to society and improve the way we live by, for instance…

  • Enabling people to hear each other better in busy places 
  • Designing more efficient loudspeakers and microphones 
  • Working on innovative speech recognition systems
  • Liaising with architects on the acoustics of theatres and auditoria 
  • Helping health and well-being by advancing medical applications using ultrasonics 
  • Fostering greater oceanic understanding of the sound and impact of human activity on whales and dolphins

And much more…

In other words, if you yearn for a career that has genuine purpose and meaning, then you will soon learn that Acoustics is one where you can participate, contribute and really help make a difference.

 

Furthering Professional Development & Qualification

The IOA Diploma is only the start of what can become an immensely rewarding and satisfying career in Acoustics. 

Those who attain the IOA Diploma can go on to study Acoustics at Masters level at the following Universities: 

  • Derby
  • London South Bank

The advanced standing is the equivalent of the first year of study on the MSc course.

 

Career Advancement

You will find many consultancies require new members of staff without previous experience to undertake the IOA Diploma and eventually to seek corporate membership of the IOA.

Therefore, whichever way you look at it, completing your Diploma is nothing short of a total win-win!

Indeed, many job vacancies specify that applicants should hold the IOA Diploma.

 

IOA Membership

Successful Diploma candidates are given the opportunity to apply immediately for Associate Membership of the Institute.

Applications that are reviewed and accepted by the Membership Committee following the year of Diploma graduation, thereby, give the right to use the post-nominals ‘AMIOA’. 

Normally, a minimum of a (further) three years of relevant professional experience are needed to enable application for Corporate Membership of the Institute (MIOA). 

Further advice can be obtained from the membershipatioa [dot] org [dot] uk (membership officer) 

 

Chartered Engineer (CEng) status

Diploma graduates who obtain three Merits (including a Merit on the General Principles of Acoustics module (GPA)) may be considered to have met the M-level educational requirements for achieving Chartered Engineer (CEng) status through the IOA. 

Chartered status will require also that candidates have an accredited three-year degree in a relevant subject (or equivalent qualification). 

Diploma graduates without the Merits requirement may apply for CEng, but they may be asked to provide additional evidence, either in the form of a technical report or an enhanced work-based learning report. 

Diploma graduates interested in finding out about the CEng requirements for their particular case, should contact the acousticsengineeringatioa [dot] org [dot] uk (Engineering Manager).

"Don’t hesitate, just do it. It’s where you’re going to learn everything you need to know about acoustics. It’s worth every penny."

 Karl Roberts

how to apply Learn about preparation, eligibility and how to apply