User Experience Design (UxD) is a highly sought specialist skill enabling the creation of compelling user experiences that keep individuals engaged with interactive computing products. This course is ideal if you have some existing programming skills and but wish to understand users and work with them to create technologies with positive user experiences. There is a growing demand for UX professionals and this course will provide you with skills and expertise needed to work in a team or individually to design and evaluate successful products. There is also a vibrant international research community developing new methods and theories that underpin UX within the broad field of HCI (Human-Computer Interaction) and more specific Interaction Design (IxD) and User Experience (UxD) areas, which you will encounter on the course. You will be taught by staff that are research active within the field of UX and working with UX practitioners within companies.
The course is delivered in the Computing and Technology Building at the City Campus in Preston. Students have access to the latest technology, and can study in a supportive environment. Facilities include a purpose built Human-Computer Interaction Suite which is used for the evaluation of software products
We aim to provide a challenging and stimulating environment in which you can develop and learn new skills. As an MRes student you will be supported in exploring your full potential through taught modules and an extended project. Teaching is done in small groups with plenty of opportunities for practical work, networking with students and staff, and to get involved with research activities.
Assessment methods will include individual and group assignments, presentation and seminars.
The goal of the course is to guide you, depending on your interests, to either go out into Industry or to progress to an academic research career. We aim to produce Interaction Design practitioners who understand how to create excellent interaction designs for a range of different scenarios.
Placement opportunities are available as an option for students who want to gain some work experience as part of the course.
We also aim to give you a grounding in the Interaction Design research area so you can apply the latest research in your career.
Our alumni have gone on to work a range of destinations including UX specialists, the BBC, and Tata.
The User Experience Design MSc is a flexible course that you can tailor to your own professional interests. It will help to train you for roles that range from usability, interaction and interface design through to general project management and consulting.
The course is for designers and software developers wishing to enhance their knowledge of user-centred design and usability evaluation of software-enabled products.
Course content has been designed for maximum relevancy to the marketplace.
Upon completion, you'll be able to apply your knowledge and interaction design skills to novel interaction paradigms; make effective use of a broad range of design methods; obtain in-depth knowledge of developments in mobile, ubiquitous or wearable systems and understand the commercial contexts of interaction design.
The course can be studied full-time or part-time.
For full-time students the academic year is divided into three 15-week semesters.
The taught element of the course is delivered during the first two semesters. Modules involve approximately 20 per cent classroom teaching and 80 per cent individual or group work. The third semester focuses on your major project.
Part-time students study alongside full-time students with a minimum attendance of one half day per week, depending on the number of modules taken.
On the course, you will study four core modules, two of which will require you to complete individual design projects.
You will also choose from a range of optional modules. These will allow you to specialise in the areas of the discipline that interest you the most.
Modules
Options (subject to change):
Graduates have gone on to work as commercial interaction designers on both software and software-enabled physical products, as well as using this as a starting point for a research career in human-centred interaction design.
Our graduates are working in roles that include:
At the end of the taught element there is the possibility of a placement with a digital media company for the major project module. This puts real experience on your CV as you consolidate your expertise.
Brighton is acknowledged as a major digital media cluster.
There are plenty of opportunities to network with companies and organisations in the sector both through the course through external speakers and taking your own initiative. The course cohort has regularly attended the annual conference UX Brighton and students can attend the many digital media events organised in the city.
This programme takes graduates from many disciplines and provides them with the skills to plan, design, build and promote effective websites. It is designed for people who manage corporate websites, those who wish to start their own web business and those who would like to build a career in the web design industry. The design of excellent websites presents a notable intellectual challenge and, during the programme, students develop a contemporary, professional and 'real-world' approach. Our objective is to provide a balanced education in the three main aspects of web design: technical, functional and aesthetic.
The technical aspects provide an understanding of the tools, technologies and principles used for the design and development of contemporary websites. This includes the creation of semantically correct markup, the separation of presentation from content (HTML and CSS) and compliance with web standards (W3C).
The functional aspects focus on the creation of websites that provide a good user experience. Principles include, information architecture, content strategy, accessibility, search engine marketing and optimisation (SEM/SEO).
The aesthetic aspects of web design are considered in relation to graphic, artistic, typographic and business objectives, including corporate identity and branding.
The Department is based in a new state of the art building designed by the award winning architects Heneghan Peng; it is equipped with fourteen rooftop landscapes, cutting edge digital workshops, extensive design studios, a world-class library and two gallery spaces.
Our building is located in the heart of Greenwich, the newest addition to a suite of magnificent buildings that occupy the UNESCO World Heritage site and the location of the Greenwich Prime Meridian.
The aims of the programme are:
Year 1
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.
Year 1
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.
Year 2
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.
Students are assessed through coursework, a portfolio of project work and their involvement with online activities.
This programme offers enhanced skills for use within the applicant's current career or a new career in web design. Graduates from this programme are now working as front-end developers, user experience designers, SEO consultants and project managers in digital media.
For more information on the MA Web Design & Content Planning, please visit the programme's website.
This programme teaches students the skills required to manage a software project by producing criteria to monitor the project's progress and measure outcomes. Students learn how to formulate requirements for a business system and are given an underpinning in the nature of software development and its inherent complexity. The programme also covers system modelling and user interface and database design. Students learn to develop a system from determining its requirements and graphic user interface to database implementation.
This programme is of particular interest to those with a first degree in business or with business experience. Students are given an understanding of the information technologies upon which e-commerce is built and how these technologies provide us with new ways of organising and managing business. On successful completion of this programme, students should be proficient in the development of Internet, web and database technologies. They should also have the project management skills required for IT consultancy and strategic decision making.
Through our short course centre opportunity may also be provided to study for the Microsoft Technology Associate Exams.
Year 1
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.
Students are required to choose 30 credits from this list of options.
Students are required to choose 30 credits from this list of options.
Year 1
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.
Students are required to choose 30 credits from this list of options.
Students are required to choose 30 credits from this list of options.
Year 2
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.
Students are required to choose 30 credits from this list of options.
Students are required to choose 30 credits from this list of options.
Students are assessed through examinations, coursework and a project.
This degree is accredited by the British Computer Society (BCS). This programme has the following accreditation: partial CITP. Your programme can therefore lead to partial exemption of the BCS Chartered IT Professional (CITP) status.
Graduates from this programme can pursue careers as business analysts, IT consultants and IT managers. Opportunities exist to develop a career working as independent consultants or within teams in diverse areas such as business and IT, internet and e-commerce applications, teaching and training.
This course is for people who want to design technology that meets user needs, creating interactive systems that are useful, easy-to-use and engaging. It is for people who get frustrated when they interact with unnecessarily complicated websites, mobile apps or other interactive systems and want to improve them. This course will help you appreciate design technology based on an understanding of users' needs and ensure that the products you and others design meet those needs.
This course will help you to:
Accredited by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT for the purposes of partially meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered IT Professional.
After the taught part of the course is completed, you will have the opportunity to take part in a six-month internship which gives you valuable work experience and increases your employability. Internships offer an exceptional opportunity to make you stand out in a competitive job market place. We have extensive experience in helping students to secure placement employment in the IT industry.
Learn more about internships in Industry at City.
You will benefit from the use of the City Interaction Lab - a combined commercial and research lab, where we have undertaken UX consultancy for prestigious companies including Virgin Atlantic.
The lab is fitted with the latest technologies including:
We employ student consultants on some projects, providing the opportunity to work on real client projects.
The course is delivered by distinguished academics from City University London's Centre for HCI Design, who all have a passion for user-centred design. We also have close links with industry. Industry professionals help inform and shape the curriculum, setting briefs for the assessments and participating in teaching and learning - by giving guest lectures and running practitioner tutorials. They also provide feedback on students' design outputs and input into module content, ensuring that students learn the knowledge and skills most valued by industry.
The course is delivered through a combination of lectures, online activities and interactive workshops and tutorials. It is assessed in a variety of ways, including:
Each of these account for around one-third of the total course assessment. However, the exact balance varies according to the chosen elective module.
You will study seven core modules and one elective module that cover the entire user-centred design and evaluation process. Modules are delivered through a combination of lectures, online activities and interactive workshops and tutorials. These include sessions delivered by guest lecturers from industry.
Full-time students spend eight hours per week in lectures and four hours per week in seminars and tutorials. Part-time students spend half this time in classes.
Overall workload is around 36 hours per week for full-time and 18 hours per week for part-time students.
You will also undertake an independent Research Project, for which our module on Research Methods and Professional Issues will prepare you.
A series of optional, but recommended, practitioner tutorials supplement the taught modules. These include talks, workshops and field trips. Previous tutorials have featured HCI/UX practitioners from prestigious companies, such as Foolproof, Futureheads and eBay.
This course enables you to make informed decisions on how to apply your knowledge in original and creative ways. As a result, this course empowers you to succeed in a variety of User Experience (UX) roles in leading digital agencies, business consultancies, IT companies and commercial/government organisations.
Roles include:
There is an increasing need for specialists with a deep knowledge of Human-Computer Interaction design. As the industry continues to expand, there is no better time to become a Master in this field. The course is also an excellent starting point for those wanting to pursue a PhD in HCI.
A distinctive focus on digital media practice and theory sets this course apart from traditional communication design courses, preparing you for an exciting career in a range of design roles.
MA Communication Design is the study of information and interface design, the course combines creativity with critical analysis of contemporary media and knowledge of the latest methodologies and tools. In our modern, well-equipped studios you’ll learn how to develop effective concepts and prototypes for current and emergent platforms, informed by user experience design principles. Your practice will be supported by excellent facilities including a recently launched Interaction and Prototyping Laboratory (iLab), 3D printing and laser cutting as well as traditional design and print equipment. You’ll learn from academics with industry experience in graphic design, interaction design and design for broadcast media. The course culminates in a practice-led research project, which is an exciting opportunity for you to engage with key debates shaping the design industry and scholarship. When you graduate you’ll be ready for a career in established and emerging design fields, such as, interaction design, user experience design, data visualisation, digital product design and publishing.
This course will be of interest to recent graduates or those with professional experience who wish to extend their creative skills and design knowledge into the realm of digital media, user experience design and design research. While a working knowledge of Windows and Adobe software is required, it is not a technical course; the focus is on how you effectively research users and contexts, develop innovative concepts and produce lo- and hi-fidelity prototypes.
Click here to download the full Programme Specification.
You’ll graduate with a portfolio of high-quality design work and the professional skills you need to secure employment, start your own businesses, or pursue further research.
The degree opens up a wealth of opportunities in the digital, media and design sectors. Depending on your interests there are opportunities to specialise in interaction design, data visualisation or digital product development, publishing or design research.
Past graduates have gone on to work for:
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