UX Design

User Experience Design MA (Online)

Apply key principles of user-centered design to create original work.

Key details
Location
Online
Course duration
2 years
Attendance
Part-time

Course overview

Explore how to innovate as a user experience designer on this collaborative and practical master's course. Applying the principles of design and creativity to improve user experiences, you will learn how user-centered design can be applied in areas such as the Internet of Things, creative apps, museum installations, educational technology and immersive business.

This User Experience Design master's course is delivered by Falmouth's Games Academy, which has been rated no.1 for game design in England by The Princeton Review, 2023.

You will:

  • Use human-computer interaction research methods to evaluate the user's needs and improve the experiences you create 
  • Gain practical skills in how to assess artefacts and development processes in an ongoing and iterative way 
  • Learn how to produce original and creatively distinguished designs based on your own intellectual property 
  • Employ methods from experimental psychology and data science to better understand how people engage with digital products and services 
  • Practice interaction design across a range of application domains, including cybersecurity 

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Get a prospectus

Start dates: January / May / September

(Three intakes per year) 

Course details

MA User Experience Design Online: Josh's Story

On this UX Design masters, you will learn to create engaging interfaces and interactions, appropriately evaluating usability and professionally applying key principles of experience design. You'll gain the ability to critically reflect upon and evaluate working methods and find the most effective ways to collaborate on projects. You'll also learn how to pitch your ideas; communicating concepts and presenting artefacts visually with clarity and enthusiasm. You will graduate with the academic independence and expertise to give you a head start in this competitive and growing sector.

Modules

This online UX Design course is comprised of five modules, four 30-credit modules and one 60-credit project (180 credits in total). The modules have been specifically designed to be studied in a non-linear order, with the order in which you’ll study the modules depending on when you begin the course. All modules on the course are compulsory and must be passed in order to complete the award.

MA  

You will need to complete four 30-credit modules and one 60-credit project (180 credits in total). All modules on the course are compulsory and must be passed in order to complete the award. 

From module information to course aims and assessment criteria, discover the full course details for the MA.

PGDip  

You will need to complete four 30-credit modules (120 credits in total). All modules on the course are compulsory and must be passed in order to complete the award. A dissertation (major project) is not required. 

From module information to course aims and assessment criteria, discover the full course details for the PGDip.

MA User Experience Design Online: Viktoriia's Story

Module details

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)

The modules above are those being studied by our students, or proposed new ones. Programme structures and modules can change as part of our curriculum enhancement and review processes. If a certain module is important to you, please discuss it with the Course Leader.

1

FOR GAME DESIGN IN ENGLAND*

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Resources and Support

  • Dedicated easy-to-use virtual learning environment (VLE)
  • Accessible online audio / visual content
  • A Student Advisor to support you throughout your studies and access to our Student Support Services
  • Access to our Employability Service
  • 24/7 access to Falmouth's extensive online library of contextual books, journals and resources
  • Access to online software tutorials at LinkedIn Learning
  • Students' Union community
  • Optional in-person events
  • Invitation to attend alumni events

Although online students don't have access to on-campus facilities as part of the course, you can hire equipment and access facilities by paying a charge. Find out more about availability and prices here.

An online student on their laptop
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Online Learning Support

You'll have access to a range of support throughout your studies with us to help you thrive and deve...

Online Learning Support
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BA Creative Writing (Online) students meeting each other for the first time

Creative Writing BA(Hons) (Online) in-person event © Ellie Hope / © Mayn Creative

In-Person Events

As an online student at Falmouth, you’ll have the opportunity to attend in-person events throughou...

In-Person Events
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Interior Design online 2024

Parents & Carers Guide to Online Study

See how you can support a student considering an online degree at Falmouth.  

Parents & Carers Guide to Online Study

How you'll learn & be assessed

How online study works

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

Staff

The course is part of Falmouth’s Games Academy, one of the largest dedicated game development studio spaces of any UK university. You'll learn from a multidisciplinary team from Falmouth Games Academy with expertise across disciplines, bringing together user experience design, programming, art, animation, audio, design and writing.

Liz Coulter-Smith

Lecturer and Course Leader, User Experience Design and Indie Game Development

Liz Coulter-Smith, holds a MFA, BFA, PGCHE, PGCertResMeth, and FHEA credentials, is a researcher, de...

Liz Coulter-Smith

LJ Hazzard

Online Tutor, User Experience Design MA (Online)

LJ is a User Experience Designer and in 2021 took a step into higher education from the UX industry....

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Dr Chengcheng Qu

Online Tutor

Chengcheng is a highly skilled researcher in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), with a Ph.D. from Lan...

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Carlos Lima Santana

Online Tutor, User Experience Design MA (Online)

Carlos is a London-based Senior Product Designer with over ten years of experience in consultancy, i...

Carlos Lima Santana

Dr James Branch

Senior Lecturer, Design Strategy

James is a lecturer and researcher specialising in design and education. He holds a doctorate in HCI...

Dr James Branch

Some members of staff only teach on specific modules, and your course might not feature every staff member who teaches on the course.

Careers

Our Games Academy graduates have gone on to work as: 

  • Creative design practitioners at companies such as MediaTonic, Firesprite, Creative Assembly, Project Gamechanger and Rare 

  • Creative AI specialists at companies including Ultrahaptics, Solutionpath and Bewsign 

  • Developers and data analysts at companies such as Facebook 

  • Consultants in UX/UI and gamification 

  • Doctoral researchers in artificial intelligence and/or data science, sponsored by the likes of Google 

How to apply

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 your first language is not English, you'll need to take an English Language test.  We accept: 

  • IELTS - minimum overall score of IELTS 6.5 with at least 6.0 in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening 
  • TOEFL iBT (online test) - minimum of 88 overall and at least 21 in all 4 components 
  • LanguageCert (online test) - a High Pass from the ESOL B2 Communicator test in reading, writing, speaking and listening (2 parts) 

We also accept a range of other recognised English language qualifications.  You can visit our English Language Requirements page for more information. 

For more information about equivalent international qualifications or English language requirements please contact our friendly Course Advisors

What we're looking for

This UX Design master's degree is for anyone who is excited by the opportunities presented by technology and who wants to carry out practice-based research to create thoughtful and engaging user experiences. 

We are looking for people who are interested in working with other designers, developers, and creatives within a distributed studio environment, experimenting with cutting-edge technologies, design and software. 

You may be early in your career following completion of related undergraduate study or further along in your career but interested in re-training and learning new relevant technical skills or starting a business.

This course has three intakes per year: January, May and September.

Academic start date* Application deadline
22 January 2024 10 January 2024
27 May 2024 6 May 2024
23 September 2024 2 September 2024

Please note:

*Virtual Welcome Week begins the week before the academic start date. During this time, our Student Advisor team will host Welcome Webinars and be in touch with practical information on how to study online.

An Early Bird discount is available for early applications. For January 2024, the scheme offers up to £600 off MA tuition fees: £300 if you apply by the Early Bird discount submission deadline, and a further £300 off your tuition fees if you receive an offer and within two weeks you accept the place and pay the acceptance fee. Both these payments would be applied to your final fee instalment. Please note the discount amount is subject to change for future intakes.

Early Bird discount submission deadline Academic start date
27 November 2023 22 January 2024
1 April 2024 27 May 2024
5 August 2024 23 September 2024

To discuss all our discount opportunities, contact an advisor.

Speak to an advisor

Fees, costs & funding

Tuition fees

£12,150 total fee (incl. acceptance fee) - 2 years part time - MA/MSc course

£7,921 total fee (incl. acceptance fee) - PGDip course

£12,150 total fee (incl. acceptance fee) - 2 years part time - MA/MSc course

£7,921 total fee (incl. acceptance fee) - PGDip course

Tuition fees for September 2025 will be confirmed in summer 2024.

Tuition fees are set annually and are subject to review each year. The University may therefore raise tuition fees in the second or subsequent years of a course, in line with inflation and/or the maximum permitted by law or Government policy. Students will be notified of any changes as soon as possible. 

The figures above don't include accommodation and living costs

Typical course costs

As part of studying User Experience Design MA you will require:

Laptop/computer

You’ll require a desktop/laptop at an expense of around £1,300. This machine should have a minimum operating system of Windows XP SP3 or Mac OSX 10.6, 1GB of RAM, and a 2GHz processor. It will also need to be capable of running our virtual learning environment. 

Optional face-to-face events 

You will be expected to cover your own travel, accommodation and subsistence costs to attend these events.

Ask a student

What better way to find out about life at Falmouth University than by asking our current students?

From course details and academic support, to the social scene and settling in, our students are ready and available to answer any questions you might have. Simply set up your account, send them a question and they'll get back to you within 24 hours.

Speak to an advisor

Do you have questions about the course or studying at Falmouth? Fill in our simple online form and we'll get in touch to support your application journey.

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