CSD 4200 - Hearing Science

Fundamental topics in acoustics and auditory physiology are reviewed to provide a foundation for the study of audiology and hearing research. The first few classes cover basic concepts in mathematics and physics. Several weeks are then dedicated to studying topics in acoustics including simple harmonic motion, simple/complex sounds, time/frequency representations of sound, wave propagation, decibels, and digital sound processing. The remainder of the course covers auditory perception, and the anatomy and physiology of the outer ear, middle ear, inner ear, auditory nerve, auditory brainstem, and auditory cortex. Perceptual abilities to detect, discriminate, and identify sounds are discussed, and applications of hearing science to audio engineering and clinical audiology are covered.