University of Brighton
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User Experience Design
MSc (PGCert PGDip)

  • Course summary and entry requirements

    Course duration Help

    Full-time: 1 year

    Part-time: 2 years

    About the course

    As more and more devices now have interactive capability, there is a growing need for designers who can harness these new possibilities, creating interactive products that are engaging to use.

    Our User Experience Design MSc equips students with the skills required to design, create and manage interactive and multimedia content across different digital platforms.

    It is suitable for designers and software developers wishing to deepen their knowledge and practice in user-centred design and usability evaluation of software enabled products. This may be software running on a desktop computer, PDA or mobile phone, or physical products with software enabled functionality. For good interaction design the interface must not only be effective and efficient, but increasingly should also be enjoyable and even pleasurable to use. This should be the case for users with a range of capacities operating in differing contexts. These are challenging goals!

    The course enables students to: apply their 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 in which interaction design takes place. There is lots of scope for students to follow their own interests within the course structure.

    Typical entry requirements Help

    The entry requirements listed here are for students starting their course in 2013. Individual offers may vary

    For non-native speakers of English:
    IELTS 6.5 overall, 6.0 in writing.

    Degree and/or experience:
    Normally, a good honours degree in a relevant discipline, ie those including substantial elements of computing, psychology, information design or product design. For appropriate candidates without an honours degree, entry to the course will normally involve an interview.

  • Course content

    Course structure

    The course is flexible and can be studied full-time or part-time. The taught part of the course consists of a number of core and optional modules.

    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. A full-time student is expected to put in 40 hours effort per week. The major project occupies the third semester.

    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).

    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.

    Modules can be taken towards an award or as single modules for professional development.

    Areas of study

    Taught modules cover subjects needed to understand the industry. The elective module options include evaluation of the usability of interactive artefacts, studies into the principles behind the implementation and realisation of commercial gains from innovation, and independent research and portfolio projects.

    Syllabus

    New Media Applications Development
    Interactive Design and Evaluation Process
    Interface and Information Design
    Research Methods
    Project Management
    Major Project

    Options including:
    Digital Television Technology and Implementation
    Marketing for Interactive Technologies
    Interactive Technologies Business Context
    Intellectual Property Law
    Web Development
    Creative Design Lab
    (Not all options may be offered each year)

  • Fees and costs

    The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2012-13. Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and may be subject to small increases, in line with inflation.

    The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full- or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

    What's included in the fee?

    When costs such as health or criminal record checks, field trips or use of specialist materials are incurred as a mandatory requirement of the course they are included in your tuition fee.

    You may incur additional costs depending on the optional modules or activities you choose. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. Before you apply please check with the school that provides your course using the contact details on the left of this page for advice about what is included and what optional costs you could face so you can budget accordingly.

    Our website www.brighton.ac.uk/money provides advice about funding and scholarships as well as further information about fees and advice on international and island fee paying status.

    User Experience Design (MSc) (Full time)  [J4BH025]
    UK/EU (Full Time)4,320 GBP
    Island Students (Full Time)8,925 GBP
    International (Full Time)12,750 GBP

  • Location

    Location Help Moulsecoomb

    Located to the north of Brighton city centre, the Moulsecoomb campus offers students an excellent learning environment and a wide range of facilities. It is the largest of our five campuses with over 8,000 students.

    View campus maps and directions

    Living in Brighton

    Brighton’s rich mix of historic architecture, lively arts scene, varied shopping and cosmopolitan community make it a vibrant, enjoyable place to live. It is no wonder that many Brighton graduates choose to stay here.

    Social scene

    Alongside the traditional seaside attractions, Brighton is famed for its exciting social scene with a wide choice of pubs, clubs and restaurants.

    Music event on the beach

    Arts

    The highlight of the city’s cultural year is the Brighton Festival. The event is held each May and is England’s biggest arts festival, which showcases arts and performance from around the world. Brighton is also home to the UK’s oldest working cinema, the Duke of York’s, which shows alternative and mainstream films. The city is also well known for its exciting music scene and hosts The Great Escape music festival.

    Burning the Clocks winter solstice festival

    Sports

    Whether you take your sport seriously or just want to keep fit, Brighton offers all kinds of sports opportunities and facilities, on and off campus. You can also make the most of the location, and play volleyball, basketball and windsurfing down by the beach. The seafront is also the finishing point for the famous London – Brighton bicycle ride and the quirky veteran car run.

    Playing volleyball on the seafront

  • Career opportunities

    Graduates of the course will be able to work as commercial interaction designers on both software and software-enabled physical products. Additionally this may be the starting point for a research career in human-centred interaction design.

    Visit the careers service website.

Apply now for your place
Book your open day place
Find out more

01273 642476
Email cemadmissions@brighton.ac.uk

Visit the school that delivers this course