MA User Experience Design

Our Integrated Pre-Master's course will prepare for postgraduate study by improving your academic and creative skills before your degree begins.

You'll build a portfolio of work whilst you explore your subject specialism and benefit from personal development tutoring that will support your academic growth and help refine your specialism. 

If you need to enhance your English language skills you can opt to join a pre-sessional English course to improve your IELTS score as well.

Learn more about the Integrated Pre-Masters course

Launch
Your launch week is the chance get to know your peers and start working collaboratively, through a range of activities, including design sprint exercises, talks, field research trips and a special focus on international student integration.

Studio 1
Your studies begin with an investigation into expanded forms of practice within Interface and Interactive Design. You will experiment with methodologies and processes, challenging established means of communication. By challenging pre-conceptions and approaches to practice, you will expand your understanding and skills to engage with new audiences.

Research & Professional Contexts 1
You’ll learn the principles of research and the methodological approaches and how all practices are informed through distinct stages of research management.

Opportunity
The hackathon week is an opportunity for students to work across year groups to produce and replicate industry practice. This will take the following format:

• Live brief set by Industry
• Design teams set up across the course to enrich confidence and integration
• Opportunity for students from other courses to form part of teams i.e. – photography or film
• Students have four days to answer brief and present at the end of the week
• Celebration event

Studio 2
You will critically reflect on the development of your research and investigate multiple areas of study. A series of practice-based projects will enable you to consider and apply a range of methods, approaches and ideas which will inform and assist you in the development of your practice. By the end, you will have developed your project proposal along with your visual strategy for your Major Project.

Research & Professional Contexts 2
On this unit you will develop industry approaches within the creative industries. You will investigate the potential for collaborative practice by identifying and making contact with an external partner, with whom you will agree a project plan and agree outcomes. By working with an external partner, you will have the opportunity to place your work in a wider contemporary context and engage new audiences. 

Major Project
The Major Project is a culmination and celebration of your studies. It is your opportunity to demonstrate your advanced understanding and application of the research techniques, concepts, and skills that you have engaged with over the course of your MA. By applying the learning developed from previous units, you will reflect professional acumen, social awareness and contemporary context, and will deliver a portfolio of work that is industry ready.

You will be required to direct your practice towards a final resolution that could take the form of an exhibition, publication or event.

Timetable

Teaching is typically spread over two to three days a week — but occasionally there will be a special activity (for example an industry visitor or daytrip) for which you will need to be on campus.

You may also want to be on campus on non-teaching days to access facilities and workshops.

Expected learning hours

Integrated Pre-masters course

• Independent study: 70%
• Scheduled teaching: 30% 
• Online delivery: 0%
• Placement: 0%

MA course

• Independent study: 70%
• Scheduled teaching: 30% 
• Online delivery: 0%
• Placement: 0%

Please note, these details are for 2026 entry and could be subject to change for other years of entry.