Institute Of Acoustics (IOA)

Diploma in Acoustics & Noise Control

Earlier this year Ben was elected as an Associate Member of the Institute of Acoustics after completing the Diploma in Acoustics & Noise Control at the University of Derby.

“The Institute of Acoustics is the UK's professional body for those working in acoustics, noise and vibration. It was formed in 1974 from the amalgamation of the Acoustics Group of the Institute of Physics and the British Acoustical Society (a daughter society of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers). The Institute of Acoustics is a nominated body of the Engineering Council, offering registration at Chartered and Incorporated Engineer levels.

The Institute has some 3000 members from a rich diversity of backgrounds, with engineers, scientists, educators, lawyers, occupational hygienists, architects and environmental health officers among their number. This multidisciplinary culture provides a productive environment for cross-fertilisation of ideas and initiatives. The range of interests of members within the world of acoustics is equally wide, embracing such aspects as aerodynamics, architectural acoustics, building acoustics, electroacoustics, engineering dynamics, noise and vibration, hearing, speech, underwater acoustics, together with a variety of environmental aspects. The lively nature of the Institute is demonstrated by the breadth of its learned society programmes.

There are three corporate grades of membership, namely Honorary Fellow, Fellow, and Member, and four non-corporate grades of Associate Member, Technician Member, Affiliate, and Student. The Institute is well supported by organisations which have become Sponsor Members and by its Key Sponsors.

A recent employment survey shows that of our 3000 members, some 900 are employed in industry, commerce and consultancies, 400 in education and research, and nearly 500 in public authorities.

Among the more specialist areas in which acousticians are employed are the audio and hi-fi industry, auditorium and concert hall design, broadcasting, telecommunications, quiet vehicle and product design, sonar system design, human-computer interaction, environmental noise control and health and safety management.”

Anechoic Chamber

Room Acoustics

The Institute of Acoustics' graduate entry Diploma in Acoustics and Noise Control has been running since 1975. It is usually studied on a part-time basis, over a little more than one year.

The Diploma course was set up to provide specialist academic training to meet the educational requirements for Corporate Membership of the Institute of Acoustics. Over the years the course has become well established as providing high level training in real-world practical acoustics. As a result, the Diploma is widely recognised as the leading specialist qualification for the professional practitioner in acoustics. It is recognised by a number of UK universities as providing partial exemption from their requirements for the award of MSc degrees.

To complete the IOA Diploma, Ben had to pass the following Modules (In Bold):

General Principles of Acoustics

Laboratory (execution and reporting of Centre-dependent laboratory exercises)

Project (intended to demonstrate the ability to use and apply the skills and knowledge gained in the other modules of the Diploma to define and solve an acoustics problem including a research element as appropriate)

and two Specialist Modules selected from:

Building Acoustics

Regulation and Assessment of Noise

Environmental Noise: Prediction, Measurement and Control

Noise and Vibration Control Engineering

The Diploma was difficult with a lot of complex maths and calculations, it was very enjoyable and Ben is very pleased with the knowledge he has gained. The acoustics and noise control skills and knowledge really helps with designing the best in home cinema rooms.