User Experience Design MA (Online)

By devising a series of small-scale creative artefacts, you'll use your existing ideas about development practice and then experiment with new approaches to challenge these ideas. This will enable you to create a personal case study, from which you can define how to expand and enrich your practice. Beyond the personal case study, you'll gain a broader sense of the contexts in which these practices are applied across disciplines.

(30 credits)

In this module you will leverage design methods in an experimental way to design creative and elegant user experiences. You'll learn the core principles, methods and techniques of UX design, using concepts from a range of disciplines to develop a sequence of explorative designs and interactive prototypes. You'll also learn how to apply user-centered approaches to produce artefacts that meet the requirements of end users and adhere to best practice. 

(30 credits)

You'll work in a multi-disciplinary team on a problem-led creative project. This will typically, but not necessarily, be a small game or creative app. You'll work together to situate, design, implement and evaluate your creative artefact. With the support of a supervisor, you'll strategically manage scope, workflow, communication roles and responsibilities. At the end, you will have pitched and produced an original artefact, based on your own intellectual property, that clearly illustrates how you can engage an audience. 

(30 credits)

Here, you'll learn the key techniques of human-computer interaction (HCI). This is a multidisciplinary field focusing on the interaction between humans and computers. You'll refine your understanding of HCI through the specification, design, implementation and evaluation of an artefact. This is typically a small-scale experimental proof-of concept. Questions and challenges will be shaped by our partners from the digital creative industries and from fields relevant to creative technologies. This will enable you to work towards an industry-led brief.

You'll work on a major research and development project, either independently or with others. This will allow you to expand and consolidate your skills of devising, developing and executing an extended development project. You can build upon your projects from other modules or develop a new specialist concept. You should finish the course with a polished project of a publishable quality. A supervisor will act as your mentor and adviser.

(60 credits)

You'll learn through a blend of lectures, webinars, guest talks, tasks and discussion forums, which you'll access via our dedicated virtual learning environment. This is also where you'll find all key documentation, get course announcements and access extensive learning resources.

How will I be supported?

You'll be supported academically by Online Tutors, who will also deliver weekly webinars and facilitate the online forums. If you need assistance with anything that isn't directly related to course material, a dedicated Student Advisor team will be on hand to help. You'll also have access to Falmouth University's excellent Employability Service.

You'll master key principles of experience design, spending 20-25 hours a week working on your craft. We incorporate optional face-to-face events for all our online students. There will be up to two per year and will typically run over weekends, to fit around your other commitments.

What are my study hours?

A postgraduate student should dedicate at least 20-25 hours per week for study.

Find out more about learning online

Assessment methods

Assessment provides the course team with a means of offering tailored guidance alongside advice on how to progress knowledge and skills in key areas that relate to the course Learning Outcomes. The course team will identify your strengths and weaknesses as an individual and discuss them with you throughout your time on the course.

Assessments are 100% coursework, submitted in an electronic format to the virtual learning environment, and designed to reflect professional practice. Assessment methods include:

• Projects
• Portfolios
• Pitches
• Papers

You can apply to begin your studies in January 2024 by selecting the relevant course route below:

Apply for MA

Apply for PGDip

You can apply to begin your studies in May 2024 by selecting the relevant course route below:

Apply for MA

Apply for PGDip

You can apply to begin your studies in September 2024 by selecting the relevant course route below:

Apply for MA

Apply for PGDip

An honours degree or Level 6 equivalent qualification is desirable. However, candidates without a degree or formal qualification are still encouraged to apply. If you'd like to discuss our entry requirements, speak to an advisor.

For more information regarding equivalent international qualifications and Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) either request information with our easy online form, or read about it on our apply page.

If English isn't your first language, you'll need to demonstrate English language skills that are sufficiently developed for successful completion of your studies. We accept a range of recognised English language qualifications that are equivalent to the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic minimum score of 6.5 overall, with a minimum of 6.0 in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening.