User Experience Design MSc



The MSc User Experience Design programme examines how people interact with technology in the 21st Century.

Overview

User Experience is now a dominant specialism in nearly every industry. Here at Edinburgh Napier, we are the top UK Modern University for Computer Science (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023), with specialist labs and facilities that provide an up-to-date learning environment. 

The MSc User Experience Design will enable you to truly understand people’s relationship with technology.  You will learn not only an empirical approach but also the empathic skills to truly understanding people and the digital technology they use.  You will learn how to produce low fidelity and fully working prototypes to design for this new discipline.

This course will empower you with the skills to understand human-centred design.  By examining and creating innovative solutions to real world issues you will develop the professional skills demanded in today’s workplace.  Understanding how people want to interact with brands, products and services will furnish you with the skills to bring your expertise to the work place. 

This programme is aimed at those from a variety of backgrounds wishing to convert their skills to the area of User Experience Design. This course will give you an excellent grounding in methods, approaches, and design techniques ready for industry.  For those with an interest in a software or web applications development, you may wish to check our MSc Computing routes.

Typical entry points to this course are in January and September. Please enquire for more information.

Mode of Study:

Full-time (available as Part-time)

Duration:

1 years

Start date:

Jan

Course details

This full-time course will take up to 1 year (18 months if you are a January start) to complete and will be structured to support you throughout your journey. You’ll learn by a variety of teaching methods including lectures, guest lectures, tutorials and independent study. 


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    How you’ll be taught

    You will be taught through lectures, hands-on tutorials, and blended experiences. When working on your dissertation and final deliverable, you will receive one-to-one supervision from a specialist member of our team. 
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    Assessments

    The course is assessed through project work, written reports, or essays. Assessments afford the opportunity for you to drive your personal progression.
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    Facilities

     Our School of Computing has some of the most impressive computing lab facilities of any UK university. We offer not one, but two specialist digital media labs.

    Students who cover User Experience have access to the Sensorium, a high spec UX Lab, including Eye tracking and Facial Expression analysis software.

Modules

Modules that you will study* as part of this course

Advanced Information Interactions ( CSI11103 )

Advanced Information Interactions has a focus on online Information Interactions between user, system, and content. From content perspective, students will explore the design and development of web space content design, the placement and use of information to convey messages and how Online Search Engines utilise and present this information. From a systems perspective the module will explore how developers of online systems can gain an understanding of search engine optimisation, web analytics and an introduction to information retrieval models to identify and evaluate best practices to this presentation of information and explore user’s information seeking behaviours to enhance user engagement, interaction, and experience.

Further information

Creative Technologies ( IMD11119 )

This module introduces the student to established and emerging technologies for Prototyping Interactive Entertainment products within a client-centred interactive media development lifecycle. Students are introduced to a range of technologies for distribution as online, console and mobile applications. The module is not intended to train programmers, artists or animators but to introduce content creators to a range of technologies and to their respective workflow pipelines. The module aims to prepare students to make informed choices as to the best methods of prototyping and the skillsets required in order to deliver engaging interactive experiences to audiences across platforms and devices.

Further information

Design Dialogues ( IMD11112 )

Design dialogues will cover the practical methods involved in gathering user requirements with respect to a wide range of interactive applications for work, the web and the home and designing to meet those requirements. The methods will include techniques such as interviews, observation, modelling of existing practice, participatory design techniques and user and expert based techniques for evaluating system usability.

Further information

Divergent Interaction ( IMD11114 )

This module explores the use of divergent thinking approaches to the design development cycle.
You will explore user experience theories and methods with case studies to support the development of design prototypes. By the end of this module, you will have learned to use
both physical and digital prototyping to create playful artefacts using the concepts introduced in the lectures and practical sessions.

Further information

Masters Dissertation ( SOC11101 )

The work for this module comprises the completion of an individual research project. Each student is assigned a personal Supervisor, and an Internal Examiner who monitors progress and feedback, inputs advice, examines the dissertation and takes the lead at the viva.

There are two preliminary deliverables prior to the submission of the final dissertation:

(1) Project proposal
(2) Initial Report including time plan and dissertation outline

Further information

Research Through Design ( CSI11101 )

In this module you will be introduced to research through design approaches that can offer rich insights that impact the process of innovation and design. You will be encouraged to empathise and understand user needs requirements in relation to day to day activities/tasks/experiences. You will be responsible for your learning through discovery and delivery of a project based on evidence and rigour to research and a target user group understanding. Research through design approaches encourage exploring uncertainty and developing curiosity to trust your expertise and professional competence.

Further information

User Experience and Service Design ( IMD11120 )

This module will allow you to expand your professional skills within user experience and service design. You will learn how to apply a range of methodologies suitable to a variety of organisations and institutions, and in result, enhance your employability. You will be encouraged to adopt a user-centred approach to design, implementation, and evaluation of products and services. You will study cross-channel user experiences with an emphasis on pervasive information architecture. You will learn how to create a coherent experience across products and services at an enterprise level, including development of a brand and an individual design language. The module also covers user studies and usability testing in an agile environment, using state-of-the-art technology.

Further information

* These are indicative only and reflect the course structure in the current academic year. Some changes may occur between now and the time that you study.

Disclaimer

Study modules mentioned above are indicative only. Some changes may occur between now and the time that you study.

Full information is available in our disclaimer.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

The entry requirement for this course is a Bachelor (Honours) Degree at a 2:2 or above, or equivalent. We look for applicants to have a background in any discipline in order to be eligible for the programme.

We may also consider lesser qualifications if you have sufficient professional work experience within the industry.

English language requirements

If your first language isn't English, you'll normally need to undertake an approved English language test and our minimum English language requirements will apply.

This may not apply if you have completed all your school qualifications in English, or your undergraduate degree was taught and examined in English (within two years of starting your postgraduate course). Check our country pages to find out if this applies to you.


We welcome applications from students studying a wide range of international qualifications.
Entry requirements by country

Please note that international students are unable to enrol onto the following courses:
  • BN Nursing/MSc Nursing (Pre-registration) (Adult, Mental Health, Child, Learning Disabilities)
  • BM Midwifery/MM Midwifery
  • All Graduate Apprenticeship courses.

See who can apply for more information on Graduate Apprenticeship courses.

We’re committed to admitting students who have the potential to succeed and benefit from our programmes of study. 

Our admissions policies will help you understand our admissions procedures, and how we use the information you provide us in your application to inform the decisions we make.

Undergraduate admissions policies
Postgraduate admissions policies

Fees & funding

The course fees you'll pay and the funding available to you will depend on a number of factors including your nationality, location, personal circumstances and the course you are studying. We also have a number of bursaries and scholarships available to our students.

Tuition fees
Students from 2023/24 2024/25
Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland £6,930 tba
Overseas and EU £18,540 tba
Please note tuition fees are subject to an annual review and may increase from one year to the next. For more information on this and other Tuition Fee matters please see Frequently Asked Questions about Fees Click this link for Information of Bursaries and Scholarships
The University offers a 20% discount on Postgraduate Taught Masters programmes to its alumni. The discount applies to all full-time, part-time and online programmes. The discount can only be applied to year one of a full-time Postgraduate degree, any additional years are exempt from the discount. For part time Postgraduate degrees the discount will apply to years one, two and three only and any additional years will be exempt from the discount.
Please note that the tuition fees liable to be paid by EU nationals commencing their studies from 1 August 2021 will be the Overseas fee rate. The University offers a range of attractive Tuition Fee bursaries to students resident in specific countries. More information on these can be found here.


Please note:

The discount for Edinburgh Napier alumni can only be applied to year one of a full-time Postgraduate degree, any additional years are exempt from the discount.

For part time Postgraduate degrees the discount will apply to years one, two and three only and any additional years will be exempt from the discount.

Please read our full T&C here

Careers

Design studio
User experience design courses equip students with the skills required for a successful career in the following fields:

  • User Experience (UX) Designer
  • User Experience (UX) Developer
  • Creative Technologist
  • Front-end Designer
  • Usability Designer
  • Game Designer/Developer
  • Mobile/Wearable App Designer/Developer
  • Web Designer/Developer
  • UX Researcher/Design Researcher 
Student with VR Set