User Experience Design MSc
Subject and course type
- Games and Digital Media
- Computing and Information Systems
- Postgraduate
Embrace the career opportunities emerging from the trend towards 'online everything, anytime, anywhere, anyhow' with the User Experience Design MSc from Kingston University. This course was developed in consultation with our industry panel, which includes Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, DreamWorks and Samsung Design Europe.
You are reading:
Gain the skills you need to improve a user’s journey through a product or service
You will graduate with an online professional presence and a portfolio that displays your skills.
Our User Experience Design MSc course will prepare you for a career as a usability engineer, user researcher, user experience designer or general "UX-er".
To support delivery of this course, we created Digital Media Kingston. This collaboration between the School of Computing and Information Systems and the School of Design provides the multidisciplinary perspective needed to accommodate students with backgrounds in art and design, computer science and the humanities.
This course includes the following features, intended to maintain academic standards and ease the transition from university study to commercial practice:
- project-based teaching and learning
- talks on principles and methods, and guided practical workshops support the development of UX practice
- in-class presentations and workshops, and discussions encouraging collaboration
- coursework topics tailored to development of your portfolio and destination
- balanced consideration of research, design, prototyping and evaluation in the context of project management
- a broad coverage of UX issues that covers mobile, desktop and other devices (Internet of Things)
- user performance and experiential criteria (from utility and efficiency to engagement, persuasion and brand perception)
- key topics of User Journeys, Design Thinking, Usability Testing
- possibility of dovetailing study and work via externally hosted projects, placements and start-ups
Why choose this course
Online services increasingly pervade all aspects of everyday life. User experience is recognised as a key element in the differentiation and success of these services.
The trend towards 'online everything, anytime, anywhere, anyhow' seems set to continue. New computing and communications technologies are in the pipeline, online businesses are growing, and digital content is accumulating.
The User Experience Design MSc course will equip you with the behavioural theory, design practice and technology know-how necessary for a career improving user experiences through design. The course focuses upon the analysis, design, prototyping and evaluation of multimedia, multi-modal, and multi-platform user interfaces that are easy to use and support a great user experience.
Each taught module will guide you through a UX project. For example, to optimise an interaction, innovate a digital lifestyle, apply emerging technology in a persuasive way, or to collaborate on the development of virtual reality.
In the majority of modules, you will select your own coursework topic and project strategy in consultation with staff, with reference to your existing skills, portfolio and intended destination. In the digital studio practice module, you will be assigned to a multi-disciplinary group, and asked to respond to a set creative brief.
You will then undertake a final 'capstone' project to complete your portfolio.
Equipment
Three laptops, each equipped with a Tobii Nano eye tracker, are available for student loan.
Research vehicle website
We operate a website for studying live web traffic (real online behaviour in context).
Media technology labs
A multimedia and graphics studio that houses 39 Pentium 4 PCs, all with DVD writers and our full graphics software. This includes:
- Maya Complete
- Adobe Production Studio
- Premiere Pro
- Photoshop CS2
- Illustrator
- After Effects
- Encore
- Audition
- Flash
- Dreamweaver
- Fireworks
- Combustion
Digital media workshops
The digital media workshops provide a wide range of software. As well as specialist technical support in the areas of CAD, 2D and 3D design, digital imaging and processing, high-quality photographic printing, audio and video production, mono and colour printing (up to A3+), and large format plotting (up to B0+).
All 132 computers in the digital media workshop are set up as dual boot workstations. This means that both the Windows XP and Macintosh OS X platforms are available on each machine. You are therefore able to choose the platform (PC or Mac) that you want to work with at any given time.
Other technical resources that are available to students include:
- games development suite
- gyroscopic inertial motion system
- NTI vendor suite
- digital photography labs
- premier filming space
- post-production suite
- animation suite
- sound recording suite
Accreditation
This programme is currently undergoing re-accreditation following a module enhancement and curriculum redesign process, and so is pending re-accreditation by British Computer Society (BCS), The Chartered Institute for IT.
Accreditation is a mark of assurance that the degree meets the standards set by BCS. An accredited degree entitles you to professional membership of BCS, which is an important part of the criteria for achieving Chartered IT Professional (CITP) status through the Institute. Some employers recruit preferentially from accredited degrees, and an accredited degree is likely to be recognised by other countries that are signatories to international accords. This degree is pending re-accreditation by BCS for the purposes of partially meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered IT Professional.
This degree is pending re-accreditation by BCS, on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of partially meeting the academic requirement for a Chartered Engineer (CEng). Accreditation is a mark of assurance that the degree meets the standards set by the Engineering Council in the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC). An accredited degree will provide you with some or all of the underpinning knowledge, understanding and skills for eventual registration as an Incorporated (IEng) or Chartered Engineer (CEng).
Course content
This programme will give you the following opportunities:
- Take the role of a user experience (UX) designer/analyst in an interdisciplinary team of students from across the Digital Media Kingston programme, and use industry-standard techniques to deliver on time.
- Learn about fundamental User Experience activities - analysis, design, prototyping and evaluation - in the context of practical projects. Projects are selected in consultation with students (and mostly individually), so that you can tailor your degree towards the industry sector, technology or job role that suits your interests and ambitions.
- Consider user experience in relation to cutting-edge technologies (big screens, tablets, smartphones, context-aware embedded devices and multi-modal games console), current industry trends (big data, multi-channel services, digital lifestyles), and contemporary theory (cognition 'in the wild', usability vs experience).
- Explore at least one kind of specialist practice in depth, to further distinguish and focus your learning, and practice track record.
- Learn how to present yourself to potential employers through your online professional presence and portfolio.
- Work with industrial hosts, and research-active academics to produce excellent, professional pieces of work that push the boundaries of current understanding and achieve design innovation.
For a student to go on placement they are required to pass every module first time with no reassessments. It is the responsibility of individual students to find a suitable paid placement. Students will be supported by our dedicated placement team in securing this opportunity.
The course comprises four taught modules and a final project.
Work placement scheme
Many postgraduate courses at Kingston University enable students to take the option of a 12-month work placement as part of their course. Although the University supports students in finding a placement and organises events to meet potential employers, the responsibility for finding the work placement is with the student; we cannot guarantee the placement, just the opportunity to undertake it. You may find securing a professional placement difficult as they are highly competitive and challenging, but they are also incredibly rewarding. It is very important to prepare and apply yourself if this is the route you wish to take. Employers look for great written and oral communication skills and an excellent CV/portfolio. As the work placement is an assessed part of the course, it is covered by a student's Student Route visa.
Find out more about the postgraduate work placement scheme.
Year 1
Core modules
30 credits
You will work with a multidisciplinary group of students as appropriate for your course (User Experience Design MSc, Game Development (Design) MA, Game Development (Programming) MSc and Computer Animation MA); involved with the digital media production process in response to a project brief developed in consultation with the industry panel and/or research staff. Projects concern contemporary platforms, such as iPhone, Android, Windows, Playstation, Xbox and Next Generation controllers and innovative input devices. You also develop a professional profile (online CV/portfolio) fitting for your role and intended destination which you maintain throughout the course.
- Coursework: report, prototype, and presentation (group and individual)
- Schedule: allow one weekday per week in the first semester
- Staff: course staff
30 credits
This module is primarily aimed at the User Experience Design field, but also Digital Media Practice, Information Design, Web Development and Software Engineering, as preparation for development of efficient, effective and satisfying user experiences, particularly associated with multi-channel, multi-platform customer-facing services and applications. The module focusses upon engineering approaches to an individual's interaction with computers at work, particularly in the contexts of information seeking, shopping, and co-ordination. The module focusses upon evaluation and prototyping from the perspectives of behavioural science and information technology. It extends diverse background disciplines towards a broad and integrative understanding of as explicit, structured and knowledge-based User Experience Design.
30 credits
The module focuses on the research, design, prototyping and testing of UX for emerging technologies, such as Internet of Things, Augmented/Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence and CyberSecurity. Specialist techniques covered include conversational design, emotional design, service design, and tools for UX in distributed, collaborative groups.
- Staff: Dr Makayla Lewis
30 credits
This module is primarily aimed at the User Experience Design field, but also Digital Media Practice, Information Design, Web Development and Software Engineering, as preparation for development of rich-media, persuasive and engaging user experiences particularly associated with multimodal interaction with personal and ubiquitous computing. The module addresses holistic issues raised by interaction with information in context (the context of small groups, communications, and environments), and focuses upon design and prototyping from as a creative, reflexive practice. Students are encouraged to draw upon diverse sources to inform design decision-making processes and methodologies for complex outcomes, including but not limited to approaches from the performing arts, ethnography and service design.
60 credits
The purpose of this module is to enable students to relate the work of the course to a practical solution and to demonstrate skills in defining, analysing and developing a substantial solution to an individually defined design related problem. It will demonstrate both in content and form the student's advanced understanding of contemporary digital media practice. The research and documentation of the project is an integral part of the submission; reflecting on the process, as well as the critical analysis and methodology of the research itself. The research will be conceptually integrated within the practical work. Individual project topics are expected to be wide ranging and provide the opportunity to fully investigate a practical situation, underpinned by a critical report on the work produced. Topics must allow the opportunity to position work with respect to business, social and cultural goals and identify and apply appropriate technology as a means of delivery. Project topics must demonstrate the potential necessary to achieve the level appropriate to the learning outcomes.
Optional placement year
Work placement scheme
Many postgraduate courses at Kingston University allow students to do a 12-month work placement as part of their course. The responsibility for finding the work placement is with the student; we cannot guarantee the work placement, just the opportunity to undertake it. As the work placement is an assessed part of the course, it is covered by a student's Student Route visa.
Find out more about the postgraduate work placement scheme.
Final project (June to September)
Core modules
60 credits
This module relates the work of the course to a practical solution and demonstrates skills in defining, analysing and developing a substantial solution to an individually defined user experience design-related problem. You will be guided and supported in your choice of project by course tutors and this will be informed by individual career and personal development planning undertaken during the preparation of the proposal.
- Assessment: a portfolio of work, including a thesis (8,000 words), literature review, user research data and prototypes, plus a 'viva' demo presentation
- Schedule: allow approximately fortnightly supervisions for four months (or equivalent)
- Staff: course staff
Career opportunities
Graduates of this course go on to work in roles such as:
- User Experience Designer
- User Experience Researcher
- Product owner
- Usability Consultant
- Interaction Designer
- Information Architect
- Content Strategist
You can find out more about UX careers by asking to join the User Experience course LinkedIn group.
Some of our graduates have gone on to work at companies and agencies, such as:
- John Lewis
- Aviva
- IBM
- ebay
- BSkyB
- RAC
- Thomas Cook
- BBC
- Symantec
- Microsoft
- TPVision
- Systems Concepts
- AIA Worldwide
- Amaro
- Wilson Fletcher
- UI Centric
- MediaEngine
- Oxx
- Thoughtworks
Graduates also find employment within the UK government, public sector and charities (e.g., Dept Work & Pensions, Ministry of Justice).
This degree is currently undergoing re-accreditation by the British Computer Society (BCS), The Chartered Institute for IT, following a module enhancement and curriculum redesign process.
Accreditation is a mark of assurance that the degree meets the standards set by BCS. This degree is accredited by BCS for the purposes of partially meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered IT Professional (CITP).
Some employers recruit preferentially from accredited degrees, and an accredited degree is likely to be recognised by other countries that are signatories to international accords.
This degree is also pending re-accreditation by BCS, on behalf of the Engineering Council, for the purposes of partially meeting the academic requirement for a Chartered Engineer (CEng).
Accreditation is a mark of assurance that the degree meets the standards set by the Engineering Council in the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC). An accredited degree will provide you with some or all of the underpinning knowledge, understanding and skills for eventual registration as an Incorporated (IEng) or Chartered Engineer (CEng).
This course was developed in consultation with our industry panel. This includes:
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
DreamWorks
Samsung Design Europe
Kingston University is an active member of TIGA, the British Interactive Media Association (BIMA) and supports the User Experience Professionals' Association (UXPA UK)
Teaching and assessment
Mock-ups, functional prototypes, demos, videos, presentations, design documents, essays.
All taught modules are project-based and assessed by practical coursework. Typically, this involves an in-class presentation for formative feedback mid-way through a teaching-block ('term'), followed by project deliverables at the end of term i.e. as appropriate, project proposals and strategies, personas, user journeys, task models, style guides, low-fi/mid-fi/hi-fi prototypes, and evaluation reports. Project deliverables are typically accompanied by a design report, which relates project processes and decision-making, and/or explains the final design.
In the majority of modules, the coursework topic and project strategy are selected by students, in consultation with module staff and in the light of the student's existing skills, portfolio and intended destination. In the digital studio practice module, students are assigned to a multi-disciplinary groups, and asked to respond to a set creative brief.
When not attending timetabled sessions, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically this will involve reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for exams. Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities including online resources, the library and CANVAS, the online virtual learning platform.
As a student at Kingston University, we will make sure you have access to appropriate advice regarding your academic development. You will also be able to use the University's support services.
A course is made up of modules, and each module is worth a number of credits. You must pass a given number of credits in order to achieve the award you registered on, for example 360 credits for a typical undergraduate course or 180 credits for a typical postgraduate course. The number of credits you need for your award is detailed in the programme specification which you can access from the link at the bottom of this page.
One credit equates to 10 hours of study. Therefore 180 credits across a year (typical for a postgraduate course) would equate to 1,800 notional hours. These hours are split into scheduled and guided. On this course, the percentage of that time that will be scheduled learning and teaching activities is shown below. The remainder is made up of guided independent study.
- 17% scheduled learning and teaching
The exact balance between scheduled learning and teaching and guided independent study will be informed by the modules you take.
Your course will primarily be delivered in person. It may include delivery of some activities online, either in real time or recorded.
Assessment typically comprises exams (e.g. test or exam), practical (e.g. presentations, performance) and coursework (e.g. essays, reports, self-assessment, portfolios, dissertation). The approximate percentage for how you will be assessed on this course is as follows, though depends to some extent on the optional modules you choose:
- Year 1: Coursework 100%
We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 20 working days.
You will be taught in a class of about 60-80 students for talks and about 30-40 for workshops. Classes are about 50% talks and 50% workshops. Some modules are common across other postgraduate programmes, therefore you may be taught alongside postgraduates from other courses.
Fees and funding
| Fee category | Fee |
|---|---|
| Home (UK students) | |
| Full Time | £11,400 |
| Part Time | £6,270 |
| International | |
| Full Time | £19,300 |
| Part Time | £10,615 |
| Fee category | Fee |
|---|---|
| Home (UK students) | |
| Full Time | £10,900 |
| Part Time | £5,995 |
| International | |
| Full Time | £18,500 |
| Part Time | £10,175 |
Funding support for postgraduate students
If you are a UK student living in England and under 60, you can apply for a loan to study for a postgraduate degree on the government's website.
Scholarships and bursaries
For students interested in studying User Experience Design MSc at Kingston, there are several opportunities to seek funding support:
The Kevin Walsh Scholarship is a one-year scholarship for a taught masters course in the School of Computer Science & Mathematics. It covers the cost of the home fees for a masters degree as well as providing a maintenance grant.
For more information on how to apply for this scholarship, visit the Kevin Walsh Scholarship page.
The Inspire the Future Scholarship offers a 40% reduction in fees for taught masters or postgraduate diploma courses with September start dates. 20 scholarships are available for progressing Kingston University graduates.
For more information on how to apply for this scholarship, visit the Inspire the Future Scholarship page.
International postgraduate students could receive up to £5,000 towards tuition in their first year of study.
For more information on how to apply for these scholarships, visit the International Scholarship page.
If you are a Kingston University 2024/25 undergraduate progressing to a 2025/26 postgraduate degree (taught or research), you could get a 15% reduction in tuition fees.
For more information on how to apply for this scholarship, visit the Postgraduate Progression Scholarship page.
Kingston University offers a 10% discount on full and part-time postgraduate degree course tuition fees to our alumni.
For more information on how to apply for this discount, visit our alumni discount page.
Additional course costs
Some courses may require additional costs beyond tuition fees. When planning your studies, you’ll want to consider tuition fees, living costs, and any extra costs that might relate to your area of study.
Your tuition fees include costs for teaching, assessment and university facilities. So your access to libraries, shared IT resources and various student support services are all covered. Accommodation and general living expenses are not covered by these fees.
Where applicable, additional expenses for your course may include:
Our libraries have an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as open-access computers and laptops available to rent. However, you may want to buy your own computer or personal copies of key textbooks. Textbooks may range from £50 to £250 per year. And a personal computer can range from £100 to £3,000 depending on your course requirements.
While most coursework is submitted online, some modules may require printed copies. You may want to allocate up to £100 per year for hard-copies of your coursework. It’s worth noting that 3D printing is never compulsory. So if you choose to use our 3D printers, you’ll need to pay for the material. This ranges from 3p per gram to 40p per gram.
Kingston University will pay for all compulsory field trips. Fees for optional trips can range from £30 to £350 per trip.
Your tuition fees don’t cover travel costs. To save on travel costs, you can use our free intersite bus service. This route links the campuses and halls of residence with local train stations - Surbiton, Kingston upon Thames, and Norbiton.
If you choose to do a placement year, travel costs will vary depending on your location. These costs could be up to £2,000.
How to apply
Before you apply
Please read the entry criteria carefully to make sure you meet all requirements before applying.
How to apply online
Use the course selector drop down at the top of this page to choose your preferred course, start date and mode, then click 'Apply now'. You will be taken to our Online Student Information System (OSIS) where you will complete your application.
If you’re starting a new application, you’ll need to select ‘new user’ and set up a username and password. This will allow you to save and return to your application.
We encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Applications will close when the course is full.
Information required to confirm your place
If English is not your first language, we will require proof of your proficiency to allow us to confirm your place on the course. This will generally be either an IELTS or TOEFL test certificate, which can be forwarded to us after you have submitted your application. If you do not hold a formal English language qualification, please indicate how you have acquired your proficiency in written and spoken English.
After you have applied
If the postgraduate admissions tutor requires further information or wishes to invite you to further assessment by interview they will contact you directly. You will then hear whether your application has been successful.
If you do not clearly meet the standard entry requirements and the admission tutor wishes to see a portfolio from you, you will be sent an email asking you to upload your portfolio to your Kingston University OSIS account. Further details on how to do this will be provided at the time.
Course changes and regulations
The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course. Course changes explained.
Programme Specifications for the course are published ahead of each academic year.
Regulations governing this course can be found on our website.
What our students and graduates say
The course itself was a good balance of theory and practice whilst encouraging independent studies. As a student who was also working part time, I was given the space to pursue a dissertation inspired by my employer, which ultimately led me to a permanent position after receiving my degree.
Understanding methodologies such as design thinking during my time at Kingston has helped me throughout my career as a product manager.
By having a comprehensive knowledge of user experience of both research and design, I am able to lead and collaborate effectively with designers and researchers in my organisation and have no trouble leading my own usability testing sessions!
