Acoustics-related graduate programs at the University of Minnesota

Abstract

The University of Minnesota offers a wide variety of graduate programs related to acoustics, primarily in the areas of Speech Communication, Psychological and Physiological Acoustics, and Animal Bioacoustics. Degree programs include Psychology (Ph.D.), Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences (M.A., Au.D., and Ph.D.), Biomedical Engineering (M.S. and Ph.D.), Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior (Ph.D.), and Neuroscience (Ph.D.). Faculty across departments have a shared interest in understanding how the ear and brain work together to process sound and in developing new technologies and approaches for improving hearing disorders. The university offers a number of resources for pursuing research related to these topics. The Center for Applied and Translational Sensory Science (CATSS) provides opportunities for utilizing interdisciplinary collaborations to better understand sensory-related impairments, including hearing loss and low vision. Within CATSS is the Multi-Sensory Perception Lab, which houses shared equipment, including eye trackers, and electroencephalography. The Center for Magnetic Resonance Research houses several ultrahigh field magnets, while the Center for Neural Engineering and affiliated faculty labs also house multiple neuromodulation and neurorecording devices to interact with and monitor neural activity in humans and animals. Students and faculty gather monthly for the Acoustic Communication Seminar, where labs alternate presenting their research findings and identify new collaborative research directions.