User Experience Design - MSc
Currently viewing course to start in 2024/25 Entry. Switch to 2025/26 Entry
Are you looking for a career in UX? MSc in User Experience Design aims to develop essential skills and create portfolio-ready projects for a career as a UX professional. You will learn various skills like front-end development, visual design, accessibility, usability testing and have the opportunity to gain industry insights from experienced professionals.
- Level Postgraduate Taught
- Study mode Full Time
- Award MSc
- Start date January 2025
- Fees View course fees
- Subject
- Location City Centre
This course is:
Open to International Students
Overview
This conversion course in User Experience Design will provide graduates from any undergraduate degree with the digital skills to design unique experiences and journeys across a range of channels and platforms. You will learn various skills like front-end development, visual design, accessibility, usability testing and have the opportunity to gain industry insights from experienced professionals.
What's covered in this course?
The course has been designed to support graduates from a wide range of disciplines (including those with technical and non-technical backgrounds) who wish to specialise in the area of user experience (UX) and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). The key topics taught on the course include interaction design (techniques for user-centred design), front-end development (using industry standard development environments), visual design (creating interfaces with strong aesthetics), accessibility (methods for supporting inclusive design), and usability testing (collecting and analysing data via user evaluations). You will also have the opportunity to consider and create user experiences for technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, eye gaze tracking, speech interfaces, mid-air gesturing, haptic systems, and brain-computer interfaces.
The course philosophy is focused around industry and research-led activities, supported with assignments that are closely aligned to the development of essential knowledge and technical skills used in practice. You will therefore have the opportunity to work closely with academics, researchers, and industry partners on real-world project briefs thus supporting you in developing a strong portfolio of work (which is essential for gaining employment in this field). The course will also provide opportunities to collaborate with academics based in our Mixed Reality and Human-Computer Interaction research group to work on cutting-edge research projects.
Graduates from the User Experience Design course will be well placed for industry roles that are in high demand including front-end developers, user experience designers/developers, information architects, usability consultants and UX researchers, web designers/developers, and interaction designers. The course will also position you well for undertaking further academic study and research through pursuing a PhD degree.
The MSc in User Experience Design was an enlightening and rewarding course. It emphasized important skills like teamwork, collaboration, and presentation that are crucial for design professionals. The program provided deep insight into UX design and the diverse career paths available in this field, beyond just design roles.
I gained understanding of different problem-solving approaches and was able to impact fellow students as a course assistant. This was a tremendous learning experience that I would certainly recommend to others interested in pursuing a degree in this area.
Zainab Sarumi – Nigeria
Why Choose Us?
- Highly employable graduates - Our graduates are well placed for industry roles within the User Experience (UX) field.
- Industry-focused and research-led - The course philosophy is around preparing you for industry. You will have the opportunity to work with internationally leading academics, researchers, and industry partners on real-world project briefs.
- Develop a unique, specialised and professional portfolio - You will be supported to develop a strong portfolio of work which is essential to gain employment in this sector.
- Excellent industry partnerships - Our links with leading national and international organisations present opportunities for working on industry defined and mentored projects.
- This course is designed to support students from a range of backgrounds (e.g., technical or non-technical) to develop specialist expertise, knowledge, and experience that will provide the platform for you to become a successful UX practitioner.
- Internationally leading research – You will be taught by world leading scholars in specialist areas such as immersive technologies (e.g., augmented and virtual reality) and inclusive design (e.g., making technology accessible for disabled people).
OPEN DAY
Join us for an on-campus Open Day where you'll be able to learn about this course in detail, chat to students, explore our campus and tour accommodation.
Next Event: 24 November 2024
Entry Requirements
Essential requirements
- An undergraduate degree with a minimum of a 2:2, or international equivalent. We will consider applicants from a wide range of backgrounds broadly related to User Experience Design (including but not limited to Computing, Gaming, Engineering, Business, Marketing, Psychology, Law, Art and Design).
- You will need to be interested in the technological and scientific approaches to User Experience Design, and all applications require a personal statement to demonstrate your interest.
If you have a qualification that is not listed, please contact us.
Fees & How to Apply
UK students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
Award: MSc
Starting: Jan 2025
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 12 months
- £9,710 in 2024/25
- Full Time
- 18 months with Professional Placement*
- £10,685 in 2024/25
International students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
Award: MSc
Starting: Jan 2025
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 12 months
- £17,710 in 2024/25
- Full Time
- 18 months with Professional Placement*
- £19,485 in 2024/25
Professional Placement option*
The Professional Placement option will allow you to complete a credit bearing, 20 week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability skills which will, through the placement experience, allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market. Furthermore, by completing the Professional Placement, you will be able to develop and enhance your understanding of the professional work environment, relevant to your chosen field of study, and reflect critically on your own professional skills development within the workplace.
You will be responsible for finding and securing your own placement. The University, however, will draw on its extensive network of local, regional and national employers to support you in finding a suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study. You will also benefit from support sessions delivered by Careers+ as well as advice and guidance from your School.
Personal statement
You’ll need to submit a personal statement as part of your application for this course. This will need to highlight your passion for postgraduate study – and your chosen course – as well as your personal skills and experience, academic success, and any other factors that will support your application for further study.
If you are applying for a stand alone module, please include the title of the module you want to study in your Personal Statement.
Not sure what to include? We’re here to help – take a look at our top tips for writing personal statements and download our free postgraduate personal statement guide for further advice and examples from real students.
Course in Depth
Module
The term “Human-Centred Design” refers to a set of processes focused around developing products and services with an emphasis around key identified target audiences. This module will therefore focus on combining theoretical concepts around user experience design with practical hands-on approaches used widely in industry and academia to create effective interactive experiences.
You will learn about the user-centred design process and design thinking strategies that place a core emphasis on creating products, applications, and services for “people”. In particular, you will learn techniques for gathering and understanding a target audience’s requirements and methods for undertaking rapid low-fidelity prototyping.
A particular focus will be placed on gaining practical experience around how to design, conduct, and analyse usability studies through utilising a variety of evaluation techniques and then incorporating key findings back into the design process. You will apply this knowledge to collaboratively design and evaluate a digital prototype using industry standard tools.
This module complements the “Visual Interface Design” and “UX Development” modules where you will work towards designing and developing a high-fidelity version of your chosen concept. The low fidelity designs that you create in this module will therefore be taken forward to inform the design of your high-fidelity prototypes.”
This module will introduce you to industry-leading frameworks, libraries, and platforms that are commonly utilised to develop front-end user experiences.
In particular, you will gain knowledge around different development methodologies that are adopted and utilised in industry and academic environments. Theories will be discussed and practical applications will be analysed for their suitability for deployment.
You will use the knowledge and skills gained during the module to individually develop the front-end user experience for an interactive application (utilising a library/framework introduced in earlier sessions). This application will be based around the concepts you develop in the “Human-Centred Design” and “Visual Interface Design” modules.
Furthermore, you will gain knowledge and experience around different system unit test approaches to help ensure that your work is robust and free of critical errors.
This module, closely aligned with the module Human-Centred Design, will provide you with the fundamental knowledge and skills to conceive, develop, and present compelling visual solutions for interactive digital products.
You will examine and explore the key paradigms of visual communication as applied to the delivery of user experiences in digital devices, establish processes for the generation and development of engaging and understandable visually-led user interfaces, and learn approaches for turning digital prototypes into high-fidelity designs.
Beginning with an introduction to the application of design principles within this specialised area and moving on to fully develop design prototypes established within the Human-Centred Design module, this module will furnish you with the ability to work in interdisciplinary teams to fully realise and communicate your concepts.
This module will focus on the importance of inclusive design, accessibility, and assistive technology in the context of user experience design. In particular, the module will introduce the types of impairments and disabilities that can influence how people experience digital technologies (including physical, visual, cognitive, and auditory).
You will also gain a deep understanding of the wide range of assistive tools that people with different impairments typically utilise when interacting with digital systems (eye gaze tracking, switches, head tracking, speech recognition, etc.) and the impact this has on the design of user interfaces and experiences.
Moreover, the module will focus on the challenges associated with designing and evaluating systems that are accessible for everyone (i.e. universal design). You will also have the opportunity to design, develop, and evaluate accessible digital solutions that address particular accessibility needs.
The development of higher level research skills is a key focus for the module. This, alongside a technical underpinning, reinforces the overall course philosophy in being designed to provide the specialisation needed for a research career.
This module will explore the research methods and tools to enable you to define methods for research, translate technical theory to a reasoned test methodology, interpret your results and to distinguish trends leading reasoned and informed findings.
The module will enforce practice-led knowledge and applied internationalisation via industry standardisation. It will also draw from the module team’s active involvement in applied engineering research bringing strong links with the international research communities.
Advanced and immersive interface systems, for example Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs), Eye Trackers, and depth sensors are becoming commonplace within the field of human computer interaction. These systems present innovative and exciting design paradigms, but also introduce many challenges to their successful adoption. Having a mastery in the design and development of experiences using these novel systems and understanding the potential they hold for future user experience design is paramount.
The module will focus on the use of immersive and advanced interactive systems from a user-based perspective. You will gain highly sought-after skills to enable you to be competitive in the strong immersive and advanced technologies job market.
You will develop core understanding to design for novel interfaces, sensors and display systems. You will also explore advanced interaction methods using these devices and focus on analysing and evaluating the design considerations these systems propose, for example; system specifications, interface considerations, sensor ranges interaction paradigms and sensor tolerances.
The purpose of the module is to enable you to undertake a sustained, in-depth and research-informed Level 7 project exploring an area that is of personal interest to you. In agreement with your supervisor, you will decide upon your topic which will take the form of a practical outcome (artefact) with accompanying contextual material. The main consideration when choosing your topic is that it must be aligned to the programme you are studying and informed by the research strategy of your school, and you should consider the relevance of this topic to your future academic or professional development.
Professional Placement (optional)
In order to qualify for the award of MSc User Experience Design with Professional Placement, a student must successfully complete all of the Level 7 modules listed above as well as the following Level 6 module:
This module is designed to provide you with the opportunity to undertake a credit bearing, 20-week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree.
The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability skills which will, through the placement experience, allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market. Furthermore, by completing the Professional Placement, you will be able to develop and enhance your understanding of the professional work environment, relevant to your chosen field of study, and reflect critically on your own professional skills development within the workplace.
Download course specification
Download nowCourse Strengths and Opportunities
The MSc User Experience Design course provides several unique strengths and benefits:
1. An inclusive approach to student recruitment presenting you with opportunities to work with peers from a variety of backgrounds (i.e. Computing/Engineering, Arts and Humanities, Business and Marketing, etc.)
2. The opportunity to work and contribute to cutting-edge research projects utilising innovative technologies (particularly in the areas of virtual/augmented reality, accessibility, and assistive technology)
3. Wide access to state-of-the-art technologies and well-equipped work spaces that can be utilised for project work
4. The chance to work on industry defined and mentored projects developed through the College's existing links with leading external organisations
5. The adoption of a spiral curriculum promoting cross interaction between different modules, facilitating the development of substantial project work that can be incorporated into highly-competitive portfolios
Course Details
The course will explore the key theoretical issues associated with Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and their application in creating and evaluating user experiences across a range of platforms. A practical learning and teaching approach will underpin each of the main modules on the course ensuring that you gain “hands-on” experience in developing the necessary skills utilised in industry environments.
The learning and teaching in the first semester will focus on building broader fundamental knowledge in the field to ensure that all students have a common understanding of key topics. These areas include human-centred design, UX development, and visual interface design. You will choose a key application theme to work on across the whole semester which each module will inform from a different (but complimentary) perspective.
For instance, the Human-Centred Design module will focus on processes for understanding and identifying user requirements, interaction design, information architecture, low-fidelity prototyping, and the evaluation of early design concepts. Low-fidelity designs created as part of this module’s assessment will be taken forward and utilised in the Visual Interface Design module. This module will teach fundamentals around key graphical and visual concepts (e.g. typography, colour theory, visual design process, etc.) which will be used to inform the production of assessed high-fidelity designs based on the low-fidelity prototypes.
These high-fidelity designs will then be incorporated into the UX Development module assessment which will focus on the application of front-end development frameworks, libraries, and platforms. The skills developed during this module will therefore be used to implement the designs produced during the other two complementary modules. One of the key outputs of the first semester will therefore be a substantial project that has been explored and developed across each of the key modules.
The second semester will build on this foundation through developing research and user evaluation skills (including experimental design and statistical data analysis), exploring the importance of inclusive design (e.g. developing solutions that are accessible for people with a range of impairments), and investigating how to design user experiences across advanced and immersive technologies (such as virtual and augmented reality). This will make you aware of future innovations in the field and will ensure you are prepared for designing experiences using emerging hardware and interactive technologies.
You will also undertake a more substantial individual research project where you will have flexibility in choosing a specialist skill or area you would like to focus on. For instance, if you are more interested in graphics and visual design, you will be able to focus on innovative projects in those areas. Alternatively, if you are more interested in technical front-end development projects or statistical analysis, you will also have the opportunity to specialise in these areas. This flexibility will enable you to build your identity within the sector and to position yourself for the UX jobs market.
Assessments
Assessments will be comprised of a mix of individual and group work where you will be required to present coursework through a combination of oral presentations, formal reports, and demonstrations of products. This will enable you to develop broader professional skills required in industry and academic environments (i.e. working effectively in teams, clearly communicating complex concepts, time management in working towards multiple deadlines, etc.), as well as providing an opportunity to develop your design thinking and critical reflection skills.
Our strong collaborative links with industry and leading academics also support the practice-based philosophy of the course – in particular, the assessment strategy aligns with industry design briefs (set by industry partners and research groups) and will be focused on enabling you to develop a tangible prototype or artefact at the end of each module (that can be placed in a portfolio of work). This is an essential focus of the course as a professional online portfolio of work is crucial in the UX field for improving the likelihood of securing employment within the sector.
The production of a portfolio over the duration of the course will therefore be mandatory, although it will not be formally assessed. Support will be provided throughout the course (via workshops and one-to-one personal tutoring) to assist you in building a personalised online body of work that emphasises your strengths, interests, and preferred specialism within the field.
Industry Engagement
The course offers substantial industry engagement opportunities through organised conferences, events, and guest lectures from industry experts. Industry engagement with the course includes specialists from organisations such as Google, Adobe, Meta/WhatsApp, Spotify, BBC, IBM Research, Virgin Money, GitHub, Snap, British Airways, Santander, Aviva, Volvo, ASOS, UK Home Office, and the Nielsen Norman Group. Furthermore, there will be the opportunity for you to align your coursework with active research projects at the university, thus enabling you to work on cutting-edge research with academics who specialise in their field of study.
Employability
Enhancing your employability skills
The primary aim of the MSc User Experience Design course is to provide you with the skills and experience required to work professionally in the User Experience (UX) sector. This field has grown substantially over the past decade as organisations have increasingly recognised the necessity and importance of optimising digital user experiences to meet their target audiences’ key requirements.
This, in turn, has led to increasing demand for practitioners who are skilled in working collaboratively within multi-disciplinary teams to design, develop, and evaluate digital products and services (across a range of platforms and technologies). This demand for UX expertise is also strong within major global sectors and markets (media, finance, education, health, etc.), as well as across larger established organisations, start-ups, SMEs, and the third sector.
The MSc User Experience Design course has therefore been designed and tailored to support you in developing key skills that are in strong demand within industry, thus enabling you to be competitive in the UX jobs market. In particular, through the course you will study modules (informed by industry experts) that will enable you to develop highly sought-after skills using industry standard platforms and technologies.
Moreover, we will support you throughout the course in developing a specialised and professional online portfolio of work which is essential for gaining employment within this sector. We will also prepare you for a career by equipping you with a range of transferable skills, such as complex problem-solving expertise, the ability to analyse in a careful and considered manner, and working as a team member.
Our excellent partnerships and working relationships with leading international organisations will also present opportunities for working on industry defined and mentored projects. These opportunities will further help you in building an outstanding portfolio of work and to mark yourself out as a highly employable graduate.
International
Birmingham City University is a vibrant and multicultural university in the heart of a modern and diverse city. We welcome many international students every year – there are currently students from more than 80 countries among our student community.
The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.
Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:
- Details of the entry requirements for our courses
- Some of the good reasons why you should study here
- How to improve your language skills before starting your studies
- Information relevant to applicants from your country
- Where to find financial support for your studies.
Facilities & Staff
We are currently undertaking a £400 million investment programme in our facilities, including a major expansion of our City Centre Campus. This includes our brand new £70 million development, STEAMhouse, which will be the new home to Computing students. This state-of-the-art centre will give you access to outstanding facilities and equipment, as well as opportunities to collaborate with businesses across multiple sectors and work on real industry-based projects.
Our facilities in Millennium Point have undergone a £6.5million investment with a new maker area, engineering labs/equipment and IT equipment.
Thanks to our partnerships with Cisco, Microsoft, Oracle, Juniper, SAS and LPI you will have access to the latest technology and facilities that reflect advanced professional practice. Our students also have access to software such as the Adobe Suite including Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator.
Whatever you are hoping to study, our computing facilities provide a quality learning experience, preparing students for work in industry and shaping their future.
Our staff
Dr Tychonas Michailidis
Course Leader - MSc User Experience Design
Dr Tychonas Michailidis is Course Leader for MSc User Experience Design. He is part of BIFCA, teaching both students in Birmingham and in Wuhan, China. He joined BCU in February 2020 from Solent University in Southampton.
More about TychonasProfessor Chris Creed
Professor of Human-Computer Interaction
Professor Creed specialises in the area of Human-Computer Interaction and has extensive experience in leading collaborative technical projects exploring the use of innovative technologies. His core research interest is around the design and development of assistive technology for disabled people across a range of impairments. He also leads the ...
More about ChrisIan Williams
Professor of Visual Computing and Head of the Digital Media Technology Lab (DMT Lab)
Dr Williams is Professor of Visual Computing and Head of the Digital Media Technology Lab (DMT Lab). He leads the research strategy and vision for the DMT Lab which encompasses the four core domains of: Human Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer Graphics and Computer Vision, Sound and Music Analysis and Broadcast Systems.
More about IanDr Wenge Xu
Lecturer in Human-Computer Interaction
Dr Wenge Xu is a lecturer in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). He specialises in HCI, Extended (Virtual, Augmented, Mixed) Reality (XR), (External) Human-Machine Interface, and Serious Games.
More about WengeDr Maite Frutos-Pascual
Lecturer in Digital Media Technology
Dr Maite Frutos-Pascual specialises in Human Computer Interaction (HCI), usability, user analysis, interactive systems and sensor data analysis and integration.
More about MaiteJay Patel
Senior Lecturer
Jay has been involved with the delivery of ERDF projects. Since the successful completion of these projects he has moved into teaching. He currently delivers a variety of modules such as Audio Visual Technology, Moving Image Technology and Mathematics for Media.
More about Jay