User Experience (UX) Design BSc (Hons)
| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2024-09-01 | - |
Program Overview
BSc (Hons) User Experience (UX) Design
Overview
User Experience (UX) Design is a creative dynamic discipline that encourages curiosity creatively expressed through the voice of people. This exciting course encourages you to explore the world of interaction design and user experience with devices and systems.
Mode of Study
- Full-time (available as Part-time, year 3 entry only)
Duration
- 4 years
Start date
- September
UCAS code
- I104
Course details
Year 1
- Experiencing the Digital City
- Being Digital
- Sonic Culture
- Programming for Interactive Media
- Digital Imaging
- Producing Digital
Year 2
- Practical Interaction Design
- Digital Video Development
- Expressed through UX
- Playful Interaction
- AI for Creative Industries
- Information Interaction
Year 3
- User-Centred Research Methods
- Digital Storytelling
- Creative Technology
- Group Project
- Designing the Visual Interface
- Technoculture & Society
Year 4
- User Experience
- Experiential Design
- Internship (option)
- Honours Project (60 credits)
- Professional Practice through Portfolio
- Honours Project (60 credits) - continues
Entry requirements
Year 1
- SQA Higher: BBBC, National 5 grade C in Maths OR Applications of Maths
- A Level: CCC, GCSE grade C/4 in Maths
- Irish Leaving Certificate: H2, H2, H3, H3 at Higher Level, Grade O4 in Ordinary Level Maths
- Scottish HNC: HNC with C in the graded unit in one of the following; Design, Computing, User Experience, Engineering
- BTEC (QCF) Extended Diploma Level 3: Minimum grades MMM (Merit, Merit, Merit) in a related subject, GCSE grade C/4 in Maths
- International Baccalaureate Diploma: Award of Diploma with 28 points overall with three HL subjects at grades 6, 5, 4, Grade 4 in SL Maths
Year 2
- HNC: HNC in Design (Digital Design & Web Development or similar) or HNC Computing, User Experience or Engineering with a B in the graded unit (or equivalent)
- SQA Advanced Higher: Advanced Higher BBC to include to include at least one of the following subjects: Maths, Computing, Physics, Engineering Science, Design or Art & Design
- A Level: BBB to include at least one of: Maths, Physics, Computing, Engineering Science, Design or Art and Design
- BTEC (QCF) Extended Diploma Level 3: Minimum grades DDD (Distinction, Distinction, Distinction) in a related subject
Year 3
- HND: HND in: Digital Design & Web Development, User Experience Design, Visual Communication (Digital Design) or Web Development with a B in graded unit(s)
Fees & funding
Tuition fees for 2024/25
- Scotland: £1,820
- England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland: £9,250
- Overseas and EU: £19,340
Careers
What can you do with BSc (Hons) User Experience (UX) Design degree?
- 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
What does a UX Designer do?
As a UX Designer, you will embark on a journey to enhance user experiences by utilizing your empathy, creativity, and problem-solving skills. In this role, you'll be the advocate for users, ensuring that every interaction with a product or service is intuitive, seamless, and delightful. You will be conducting user research, gathering feedback, and iterating on designs to create solutions that meet user needs and exceed expectations.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
User Experience (UX) Design is a creative dynamic discipline that encourages curiosity creatively expressed through the voice of people. This exciting course encourages you to explore the world of interaction design and user experience with devices and systems. This user experience design course will develop your skills in identifying unmet needs and defining them by incorporating them into the process of design. During your studies, you will develop an impressive portfolio of work that you can easily use for applying to a broad range of user experience jobs.
Outline:
- Being Digital: This module introduces students to the fundamental concepts of digital culture, including the history of computing, the social impact of technology, and the ethics of digital design.
- Sonic Culture: This module explores the role of sound in digital media, including music, sound effects, and interactive audio.
- Trimester 2
- Digital Imaging: This module explores the principles of digital imaging, including image capture, editing, and manipulation.
- Producing Digital: This module introduces students to the process of producing digital media, including planning, scripting, shooting, editing, and distribution.
- Year 2
- Trimester 1
- Practical Interaction Design: This module provides students with hands-on experience in designing interactive systems, including user interfaces, user flows, and prototypes.
- Digital Video Development: This module explores the principles of digital video production, including storytelling, cinematography, editing, and post-production.
- Expressed through UX: This module explores the role of user experience in different domains, including mobile applications, physical computing, and the web.
- Trimester 2
- Playful Interaction: This module explores the use of play and games in user experience design, including game mechanics, user engagement, and gamification.
- AI for Creative Industries: This module introduces students to the use of artificial intelligence in creative industries, including machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision.
- Year 3
- Trimester 1
- User-Centred Research Methods: This module introduces students to a range of user research methods, including interviews, surveys, usability testing, and eye tracking.
- Digital Storytelling: This module explores the principles of digital storytelling, including narrative structure, character development, and visual storytelling.
- Technoculture & Society: This module explores the social and cultural impact of technology, including the ethics of technology, the future of work, and the role of technology in society.
- Year 4
- Trimester 1
- User Experience: This module provides students with an in-depth understanding of user experience design principles and practices.
- Experiential Design: This module explores the use of sensory experiences in user experience design, including sound, light, touch, and smell.
- Internship (option): This module provides students with the opportunity to gain practical work experience in a user experience design role.
- Honours Project (60 credits): This module provides students with the opportunity to undertake an independent research project in a user experience design topic of their choice.
- Trimester 2
- Professional Practice through Portfolio: This module helps students to develop their professional portfolio and prepare for a career in user experience design.
- Honours Project (60 credits) - continues: This module continues the Honours Project from Trimester 1.
Assessment:
The course is assessed primarily through project work and written reports or essays. On occasions when examinations are used they tend to be open book format.
Teaching:
You will be taught through lectures, hands-on tutorials and blended experiences. On occasions when examinations are used they tend to be open book.
Careers:
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
Other:
- A year long Work Based Learning module is available for this programme which can be undertaken in 3rd year which consists of 60 credits.
- In 2nd year, students attend timetabled Placement Preparation sessions which provides comprehensive information about sourcing a placement, tips for enhancing CVs, cover letters and interview preparation. A Student Futures Placement Coordinator is available to support students with their placement applications and approving placements as part of the course. Whilst on placement, students undertake work-related assessments alongside gaining valuable work experience. If this option is chosen, the course duration will be extended by one trimester.
- If students are not undertaking the yearlong placement, then there is a Group Project or the Professional Internship Module in Year 3 (one trimester) which gives students the opportunity to complete a project for an external client.
- Find out more about Computing Placements here.
- International study is available and is intended to develop overall graduate attributes and global citizenship. The School has several agreements with overseas partner institutions, both in the EU and further afield, providing varied and exciting opportunities tailored around your individual study and cultural interests.
- Currently, links are established with universities in the USA, Canada, Spain, Denmark, Singapore, and Germany, where programmes are delivered in English, whilst additional links are planned with other European countries and Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. 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.
Tuition fees for 2024/25
Students from 2024/25 2025/26 Scotland £1,820 £tba England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland £9,250 £tba Overseas and EU £16,680 £tba Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland will be invoiced the tuition fees for 3 years of their 4 years of study. 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 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.
