What did you major in?

[captain_buzz]

I'm about to start my second quarter of my sophomore year at Ohio State without a declared major. My goal is to someday own and operate a small studio and perhaps even a small record label. I've heard some warnings against audio engineering majors (Ohio State doesn't offer one anyways), saying that they don't really prepare you or help you get a job as an engineer. Anybody agree/disagree with this?

I'm curious about what working engineers actually majored in, and if you could do it again would you change anything?

[andyg666]

i have a bachelor's degree in Human Social Awareness. I made it up myself. UMass has a program called Bachelor's Degree with Idividual Concentration. It kept me intersted and my class requirements were totally flexible. I went to SAE a couple years ago.

[Rigsby]

I went to SAE a couple years ago.

Self-Addressed Envelope?

[andyg666]

i'd be classy enough to put a stamp on the thing too, making it an SASE.

SAE=School of Audio Engineering www.sae.edu

[Monkeyfist]

I went to AIS, majored in Audio Engineering (yeah, I learned more about audio working at Tower Records, and that's sad), but I worked as an intern as a grip at B. Lang for a few months, and then went on full time at Pro-Line and learned plenty. But I always wanted to major in Political Science, I don't know what that means, but it always evoke awe from my so called socially aware friends.

[bad_dude_69]

film - animation @ columbia college chicago.

[Piotr]

I have a BA in Political Science from Gonzaga University, then I went to the Art Institute of Seattle two years afterwards and got an AAA in Audio like Monkeyfist. I would say that, as an engineer of sorts, the experience and not the degrees has made the difference, except for the year I worked in social services.

Getting a college degree is a good thing to do while you are young I think because it forces you to create a higher level of preparedness for all things in life - not true for everyone, but I am probably much more likely to analyze a situation first and discover what truth may lie within.

[captain_buzz]

Thanks for the input so far guys. It seems like there's a lot of different routes that can be taken into this field.

[trodden]

Bachelor of Science in broadcast journalism with a focus on radio and TV production and a Minor in Sociology from Kansas State University. College radio was a blast! Commercial radio, no way, after interview at a couple of Entercom owned stations here in town and told that i need to pick between my "music" career vs. my "radio" career.. i was the WTFLOLOMGBBQ (cause these were only desk operator positions!) and realized that corporate radio can still suck it. Worked at a news/Television station right out of college.. shitty hours, shitty pay and didn't like the step ladder competition amoungst everyone there... i eventually got fired for missing a live broadcast, hard to do a newscast when the audio guy is asleep in the public library.

I learned more in college OUTside of class... we read about digital editing... this was only 8 years ago.

Interned at a really really small studio to fullfill my intern requirements for my degree.. didn't learn much at all besides what kind of personalities exist in the music world.

Didn't start figuring things out until i moved to Seattle and a cool studio and engineer took me under his wing. unfortunately that place is closed down and i do random freelance gigs whenever they come along or record people in the various project studios i've had.. trying to finish up construction on another.. talked to my father last night, he told me i need to give it up.. hahah.

now i'm a legal secretary for the state... hahahah. hate this job as well!

too bad screen printing doesn't pay anything and makes you go crazy..

[MoreSpaceEcho]

i have a BA in sociology.

don't do that.

[tiger vomitt]

my BFA is in "studio composition"

it was a mixture of classical, avant garde, jazz and pop composition with an overview of modern studio techniques

it prepared me pretty well for engineering. but not more than actual engineering did

the music side of it (which was about 80% of the program) comes into use every 5 minutes during a typical session

[thunderboy]

I have a BM in Jazz Studies.

I shit you not.

jt

[Piotr]

Nice movement, Thunderboy

[bobbydj]

i have a BA in sociology.

do do that.

[workshed]

I have an associate degree in Graphic Design, and prior to that I was a Journalism major. If I took about 6 more credits, I'd also have an associate degree in Journalism. If I had the time and money, I'd totally be down with taking some sort of audio engineering classes, but I suspect I can learn all I want/need to know by just doing it and reading this board.

It would be really nice to hook up with someone in the area who has more experience and a studio so I could be a sponge and help out/absorb information, but with a three-year-old and a baby on the way, I don't think I'd have the time.

Whoops, and I just realized that this post was geared towards working engineers, of which I am not yet one. So, really, just completely disregard all of my babble!