Course on Audio Engineering in the Sacramento Area?

April 2, 2008 1:53 PM

What school could one attend in order to obtain a degree in Audio Engineering (or Production) in the Sacramento area?

I'm stuck in a dead end job. We just received word that our company is selling 70% of it's IT department to IBM, who will be outsourcing my job to India. This will be the third time I have been laid off because my job is being transferred to India. I am strongly considering a career change.
Trouble is, I'm really not too qualified for much outside of the Computer Repair field.
I have been the sound technician for my church for the last 5 years. It's a small operation, but after attending a couple of seminar's and doing some self-study, I am finding it very interesting and quite fun. I have a decent groundwork for making a career out of it, but to get into something big like running concerts for bands and stuff, I'm gonna need something formal.
I live in Sacramento, CA, and would like to go to school to earn a degree in this field....The problem is I can't find any schools in the area that offer a course. The closest school I have been able to find is in San Francisco, which is too far away for me to attend. I also need to juggle my family (Wife and Son) as well as a full time job (gotta pay the bills while going to school)...
The good part about this is that I have money for college. I was in the Army for 4 years, and it's about time I collect on my GI Bill...but now I can't find a place to learn.
I thought about an online course...but even if one were offered, I don't know how effective it would be without having the actual equipment available for hands-on work...and even studio environments and such would be necessary to get the whole experience.

Anyway, I know this is a simple question and I'm rambling...anyone have any thoughts?

thanks :)

posted by AltReality to Education (1 answer total)

Best answer: If you're really serious about this career path then you'll want to go to a school that is accredited by the Audio Engineering Society. Their list of programs is here. Unfortunately, I don't see any that offer Associate or Bachelor's degrees that are any closer than Chico or the SF Bay area. If you go to a traditional 4-year school, chances are there will be some sort of general education requirements that you could probably satisfy from a local school, so you could do that for a couple of years and then transfer. But if this is the major you want then I don't see any option other than commuting/relocating. There seem to be some online programs in non-accredited institutions, but I would be somewhat dubious of the quality and the ability to effectively learn production in the absence of an actual studio.
posted by DiscourseMarker at 3:10 PM on April 2, 2008