Institute of Acoustics (IOA) Accredited Courses

What is the course?
The Diploma course is a year long, part time course which provides high level training in real-world practical acoustics, covering a range of core topics. The Diploma is widely recognised as the leading specialist qualification for the professional practitioner in acoustics.
Satisfactory completion of the Diploma enables candidates to gain Associate membership of the Institute of Acoustics (AMIOA), which can be upgraded to full membership (MIOA) after 3 years in relevant employment.

Course objectives
On successful completion of the course, the delegate should be able to:
• Describe, quantify, predict, measure and analyse sound and vibration signals in a variety of situations.
• Describe the physiological and subjective responses of humans exposed to noise and vibration, quantify the exposure and assess the response.
• Select and use appropriate legislation, statutory regulations, standards and codes of practice relating to the assessment and control of noise and vibration.
• Understand and demonstrate the correct usage of a range of sound and vibration measuring equipment.
• Undertake independent acoustic investigations, managing time and resources and communicating results effectively using written and oral formats.

Who is it suitable for?
The IOA Diploma is designed for anyone who has graduated in a discipline other than acoustics who wish to gain employment as an acoustician, or wants to progress from a acoustic technician level to a consultant/engineer position.
It is also suitable for those who need a high level of understanding of acoustics in their role such as environmental health officers, planning and licensing officers, environmental consultants and theatre consultants.

Delivery
The course is delivered in person over 1-week segments over the academic year.

Dates:
Southampton: Start date Oct 2026
Manchester: Start date Oct 2026

What is the course?
This five-day course provides a basic knowledge of the methodology for measuring and reporting sound insulation and aspects of room acoustics, together with relevant provisions of key standards and guidance.

Course objectives
The main aim of CCBAM is to train delegates to carry out and report upon sound insulation tests on walls and floors, in accordance with relevant standards and regulatory instruments.
On completion of this course, candidates should be able to:
• Explain key concepts in building acoustics and sound insulation, and understand the role of standards, legislation and guidance documents.
• Set up and calibrate sound source and measuring equipment and perform simple routine checks to ensure that the equipment is working properly.
• Undertake appropriate measurements to meet requirements for airborne and impact sound insulation testing.
• Calculate appropriate metrics in accordance with associated standards for sound insulation testing.

Who is it suitable for?
This course does not assume prior experience in acoustics. It is suitable for anyone wishing to become a registered tester with a company accredited through a scheme recognised by building control officers. While particularly suitable for early career acoustic consultants it is also appropriate for students, graduates or technicians wishing to gain employment in the acoustics industry, or those within other fields of acoustics wishing to expand their skillset or change specialisms. It is also relevant to people working in associated roles, such as construction management, architecture, building control or planning officers.

Delivery
The course is delivered in-person. Attendance is required on-site due to the practical nature of the course and assessment.

Dates
The next courses will run:
April 2026

What is the course?
This course aims to enable you to carry out workplace noise assessments in a competent manner, as required by the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005.
Demand for competent noise exposure assessments is increasing and this course is designed to provide the essential acoustics background to understand the measurements and the relevant legislation, combined with `hands on' practical experience of industrial noise measurements and associated assessment of workplace noise exposure.

Course objectives
On successful completion of the course a candidate should be able to:
• Understand the requirements of the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005.
• Understand the essential noise indices specified by the regulations.
• Demonstrate competence in the use of a sound level meter and noise dosimeter to measure occupational noise exposure
• Demonstrate ability to assess overall noise risk from measurements and make recommendations to ensure safety of workers.
• Communicate procedures, results and recommendations clearly in a written report.

Who is it suitable for?
This course is particularly suitable for health and safety officers, occupational health specialists, estates managers, construction managers and acoustic consultants.

Dates
March 2026

What is the course?
Technical reports are an important aspect of every Organisation. A report represents the final product of a project, and a poorly written report can undermine the extensive work that has previously been completed, obscure important findings and potentially alienate stakeholders.

Examples of poor reports include those which are poorly structured, those that contain too much or too little information, those peppered with grammatical errors and inconsistencies, and those that don’t clearly highlight the key outcomes.
The aim of this course is to provide guidance on elements of good practice related to acoustic report writing and communication. The Course will review the various Report structures available and provide a detailed overview of what the relevant sections would normally contain. It will also consider the importance of presentation skills.

Course objectives
On successful completion of the course a candidate should be able to:
• Plan the preparation of a report, including determination of its scope and purpose.
• Structure a report that represents good practice, with a clear and appropriate assessment method, appropriately presented data and which is tailored to the audience.
• Identify and, if necessary, justify any deviations from any recommended measurement, calculation and/or assessment procedures.
• Explain how uncertainty and measurement errors have been considered, and their possible impact on the overall outcome.
• Highlight and present the key outcomes and recommendations arising from the project.

Who is it suitable for?
The course is intended to be appropriate to a wide audience, but should be useful particularly for early career employees, in Acoustics or Engineering Consultancies, Pollution/Environmental Health Offices or Planning and Development offices.

Dates
TBC

What is the course?
Report writing is an important aspect of every Organisation. It represents the final product of any project and a poorly written Report can undermine the work that has previously been undertaken. Over and above the preparation of a report, the person responsible for reviewing and authorising a report and the recipient who needs to evaluate the information need an additional skillset to both interpret the information and identify where information may be incorrectly presented, vague or missing, as well as being able to assess the quality of presentation.
This course aims to provide delegates with the skill set required to critique and evaluate acoustic technical reports. A detailed review of the various report structures available will reveal the expected content of each of the relevant sections and the critiquing skills developed on the Course will focus on the aspects of a report that needs to be reviewed during scrutiny.

Who is it suitable for?
While the course is appropriate to a wide audience it is aimed primarily at those in senior positions in Acoustics and Engineering Consultancies, Pollution/Environmental Health and Planning and Development offices, who will be required to review and authorise reports written by others.

Course Objectives
On successful completion of the course a candidate should be able to:
• Evaluate the scope, structure and content of a technical report and judge whether it is appropriate for the intended audience and purpose;
• Evaluate the extent to which relevant materials, including guidance documents and standards, have been correctly utilised in the preparation of the report;
• Evaluate whether data have been presented in the most appropriate format;
• Evaluate whether deviations from prescribed measurement and calculation procedures and their implications have been adequately explained and whether uncertainty has been adequately considered in the report;
• Assess the extent to which the assessment correctly reflects the results;
• Appreciate and discuss the importance of a clearly structured Report.

Dates
March 2026

What is the course?
This five-day course seeks to provide delegates with a basic knowledge of the methodology of environmental noise measurement, including the use and accuracy requirements of sound level meters and analysers and to enable them to be aware of the significance of measurement data against the framework of standards and legislation for environmental noise.

Course objectives
On completion of this course, delegates should be able to:
• Explain key concepts in environmental noise, and understand the role of standards, legislation and guidance documents.
• Perform basic noise calculations involving noise indices appropriate for environmental noise
• Make reliable measurements of background noise and noise from a variety of sources, according to the requirements of the relevant standards or guidance
• Present and interpret measurement data in a form suitable for inclusion in a report
• Describe measurement methodologies used and the data acquired and appreciate the measurement information required for reports and environmental appraisals.

Who is it suitable for?
This course is suitable for anyone who is responsible for undertaking environmental noise measurements or for setting or assessing noise requirements for licensing and planning purposes. This includes acoustic technicians, early career acousticians, environmental consultants, environmental health officers, planning and licensing officers.

Delivery
The course is delivered in a classroom format.

Dates
May 2026

What is the course?
This five-day course introduces delegates to the emerging discipline of soundscape assessment, exploring how environmental sound contributes to human experience and wellbeing. It offers a foundation in the core principles of soundscape, including terminology, relevant legislation and policy, and practical techniques for data collection and analysis, guided by ISO 12913 and other relevant methodologies. The course is led by a cross-disciplinary teaching team from KP Acoustics Research Labs, the University of Salford, Birmingham City University, and the Welsh Government.

Course objectives
On completion of this course, delegates should be able to:
• Understand the key concepts, terminology and theoretical basis of soundscape
• Recognise the relevance of soundscape in environmental policy and regulation in the UK
• Identify and apply recommended processes for assessing soundscapes in different contexts
• Collect, analyse, and interpret qualitative and quantitative soundscape data
• Apply ISO 12913 in practical soundscape assessments, for both indoor and outdoor environments
• Present assessment findings in line with current best practice for soundscape research and reporting

Who is it suitable for?
This course is suitable for professionals and practitioners involved in environmental sound assessment and management, including:
• Acoustic consultants and technicians
• Environmental health and planning officers
• Urban designers, architects and sustainability professionals
• Researchers and postgraduate students in acoustics, environmental psychology, or urban studies
• Anyone involved in shaping environments with human wellbeing in mind

Delivery
The course is delivered in person in a classroom format and includes lectures, discussions, and practical sessions at Salford University.

Dates
October 2026

What is the course?
This five-day course aims to enable delegates to appreciate the nature of Hand-Arm Vibration (HAV) hazards in the workplace and the need to protect employees from hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). This is aimed at helping employers to understand and meet the requirements of the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005.

Course Objectives
After the course, delegates will be able to appreciate the nature of Hand-Arm Vibration (HAV) hazards in the workplace and the need to protect employees from hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). Delegates will be able to advise and assist employers to meet their legal duties regarding HAV, under relevant health and safety law in accordance with current guidance from the Health and Safety Executive.
They should be able to explain the requirements of current legislation, identify situations where hazards exist and assess the risk, discuss basic techniques for control of vibration exposure and identify areas where vibration reduction is required, assess the effectiveness of vibration control measures, evaluate the daily vibration exposures of employees from information about measured vibration magnitudes and work patterns and explain the uses and limitations of personal protective equipment.

Who is it suitable for?
The course is suitable for anyone who needs a detailed understanding of the management of hand-arm vibration, including acoustic consultants, health and safety officers, construction managers, health and safety or occupational hygiene consultants and regulatory officers responsible for enforcement (such as environmental health officers).

Delivery
The course is delivered in-person at our Southampton premises, normally once per year in the late spring or early summer.

What is the course?
The Certificate Course in Environmental Vibration Measurement (CCEVM) is an Institute of Acoustics certificate course delivered by KP Acoustics Research Labs as an IOA Accredited Centre. It comprises four days of teaching followed by an assessment day.

The course provides the knowledge and practical skills needed to measure and assess environmental vibration, including vibration from railways, roads and construction activities. Delegates will learn to select suitable equipment, plan surveys, make reliable measurements, and process and report results with confidence.

Course Objectives
After the course, delegates will be able to explain the basic principles of vibration and how they apply to buildings, people and sensitive equipment. They will be able to select suitable transducers and analysers, mount and position them correctly, and plan surveys using attended or unattended monitoring.

Delegates will learn to make reliable measurements in accordance with relevant British Standards and guidance, process results and calculate vibration dose value (VDV) and peak particle velocity (PPV). They will also be able to interpret and present their findings in a report, explaining the measurement methods used.

Who is it suitable for?
The course is suitable for technicians and engineers who lead or support projects requiring environmental vibration assessment. This includes acoustic and environmental consultants, environmental health officers, and staff working in construction, rail and equipment-hire companies.

No previous experience of vibration measurement is required. In line with the Institute of Acoustics’ open-access policy, the only entry requirements are basic numeracy and confident use of a scientific calculator.

Delivery
The course is delivered in person at our Southampton premises, in a small-group format with hands-on practical measurement sessions.
Assessment includes a supervised practical measurement, an IOA written examination and a case-study report submitted within two weeks of the examination. Course notes, slides, access to our online learning area, a VDV calculation spreadsheet and all equipment for the practical sessions are included.