A course in acoustics for the general college undergraduate

Abstract

Acousticians in the academic profession who have a broad interest in the subject have an excellent opportunity to help increase the public's awareness of acoustical matters. The general college undergraduate is often looking for an isolated course to fill out a schedule. Since the field of acoustics touches on a great many other disciplines, it can catch the interest of students with a variety of backgrounds and experiences. National concern about acoustical problems also sparks interest in the subject. A general survey course in acoustics can capitalize on this interest and serve a wider audience than can a more specialized course like musical acoustics. A course of this type has been taught three times over the last five years at the University of Southern Maine, a two‐campus state university serving the southern part of Maine. Several scheduling formats have been tried and a wide variety of students have enrolled, with enrollments almost doubling each time the course has been offered. The course requires only a little background in mathematics, covers most of the major acoustical areas, and concludes with a required 5–10‐page term paper, as well as a final exam. Student response has been positive.