Music Technology Systems

Music technology systems sits at the intersection of music, electronics, and computing, concerned with how digital and electronic systems are designed to create, process, record, and transmit sound. It is a discipline that demands both musical sensitivity and technical rigour, training students to understand the physical and mathematical principles behind audio technology while also developing the creative and analytical skills needed to work with sound at a professional level. As digital audio has become central to the music, broadcasting, gaming, film, and communications industries, expertise in music technology has never been more widely applicable.

At the University of York, this four-year full-time BEng in Music Technology Systems is designed for students who are returning to education or who did not study mathematics at A level, with the additional year providing the mathematical and physics knowledge needed to progress confidently onto the engineering degree. You will develop understanding of signal processing, acoustics, digital audio, embedded systems, and the engineering principles that underpin professional audio technology, alongside the musical context that makes that knowledge meaningful. The programme is structured to take you from foundational skills through to engineering-level competence across the full four years.

Graduates from music technology systems programmes pursue careers across the audio and technology industries. Sound engineering, audio software development, acoustic consultancy, broadcast technology, game audio, and live event production are among the most common destinations. The engineering qualification also opens doors in the broader electronics, telecommunications, and signal processing sectors, where the combination of technical depth and domain-specific application is valued.

Postgraduate study in audio engineering, signal processing, acoustics, or human-computer interaction is an option for those who wish to develop further expertise or move into research and development roles at the frontier of the field.