User Experience Design - MSc

Course 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 School’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 specialised individual 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 (using Bootstrap, Angular, etc.), 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 teaching team has close links with large leading industry organisations (BBC, Jaguar Land Rover, GlaxoSmithKline, Imagination, Konica Minolta, IBM, Microsoft, Native Instruments, etc.), third sector partners (e.g. Sense), and SMEs (e.g. Holosphere, Ultrahaptics, etc.). The course will also offer industry engagement through the use of guest lectures from industry experts and masterclasses led by practitioners working in the field. 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.

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:

• Explore some of the good reasons why you should study here.
• Find out how to improve your language skills before starting your studies.
• Find all the information relevant to applicants from your country.
• Learn where to find financial support for your studies.