
User Experience Design MA (Online)
Apply key principles of user-centered design to create original work.
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

Interested in studying this online MA? Join our virtual masterclass on 14 December
Find out moreCourse details
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.
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*
* The Princeton Review, 2023

Resources & support

Is Online Study for Me?
The creative culture at our core is not confined to our Cornwall campuses; with our online degrees, ...

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 Community
Discover learning support services available to online students.

Parents & Carers Guide to Online Study
See how you can support a student considering an online degree at Falmouth.
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 face-to-face 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.
Check out the stories below to discover more about our incredible community.

Falmouth University’s gaming community to join live ‘Game On!’ fundraiser for BBC Children in Need
10 November 2023
A group of gaming and esports enthusiasts from Falmouth University are joining forces to take part i...

Meet Fintech Rising Star Camilla Wong
13 July 2023
Taking the fintech world by storm, User Experience Design MA (Online) student Camilla Wong was named...

Knights of Borria set to launch new game ‘Leximan’ with major European publisher
19 June 2023
Falmouth University game studio Knights of Borria to launch new game 'Leximan' with publisher Marvel...

An interview with Carlos Lima Santana, Digital Product Designer at British Airways
16 June 2023
Carlos Lima Santana is a senior product designer and user experience (UX) design expert. With over a...

Falmouth Showcase 2023: A celebration of our graduating talent
02 June 2023
Congratulations to our class of 2023!

The difference between studying Game Art and Game Development: Art
18 April 2023
With two Game Art undergraduate degrees within the Games Academy, you might need a hand picking betw...

Enhancing Tremenheere's sculpture trail with augmented reality
28 March 2023
Academics in augmented reality at Falmouth University are collaborating with Tremenheere Sculpture G...

Falmouth University listed as top 25 in the world for game design
22 March 2023
Falmouth University is one of the top 25 undergraduate schools in the world for game design, accordi...

An interview with Matt Osbond: Principal Technical Art Director at Xbox
20 March 2023
Matt Osbond is no stranger to legendary game franchises. Having worked as a Technical Artist on awar...

Game project with visually impaired accessibility at the core awarded funding by UK Games Fund
07 February 2023
Game developer and MA Indie Game Development (Online) student Elliott Dodsworth is developing an acc...

The Games Academy prepares for 2023 Global Game Jam
01 February 2023
Book your spot to join Falmouth University's Games Academy for the Global Game Jam event this weeken...

Ones to Watch: Ludophoria
31 January 2023
We talk to game studio Ludophoria about their time at the Games Academy, their dynamic working as a ...

Space exploration virtual reality experience set to launch
11 January 2023
A VR space exploration experience created by students from Falmouth University and Truro & Penwith C...

Graduate shares her experience as an international student at Falmouth University
30 November 2022
Fern Khaoroptham shares her experience of moving from Thailand to Falmouth to study Game Development...

Hackathon explores robotic solutions for agricultural sector
25 November 2022
Falmouth University’s Entrepreneurship and Games Academy students collaborated to develop a daffod...

Falmouth University’s Games Academy climbs The Rookies World Rankings list
30 September 2022
Falmouth’s prestigious Games Academy is once again making waves in the creative industries as glob...

Graduate spotlight: a UX Designer with ambition in abundance
01 September 2022
MA User Experience Design (Online) graduate Jack Jenkins is always creating. With a CV full of impre...

Graduate spotlight: a UX Designer with ambition in abundance
01 September 2022
MA User Experience Design (Online) graduate Jack Jenkins is always creating. With a CV full of impre...

Mission Possible: Falmouth students unveil VR rocket launch experience
11 August 2022
A group of students in Cornwall have launched the first iteration of a brand-new educational VR expe...

Support the Falmouth students shortlisted at the 2022 Rookie Awards
21 July 2022
Three Games Academy student teams have secured positions as finalists in the 2022 Rookies Award...
How you'll learn & be assessed
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.
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.

Dr Jamie White
Course Coordinator, UX Design and Indie Game Development
As Course Leader for the Games Academy's online master's courses, my responsibilities involve managi...

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...

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....

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...

Dr James Branch
Senior Lecturer, Design Strategy
James is a lecturer and researcher specialising in design and education. He holds a doctorate in HCI...
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
Speak to us about the course
If you'd like to talk to an Advisor about this course or your application, get in touch with us via the form below.
Ask us a question
Apply now
Ready to apply for postgraduate study? We have three start dates a year: January / May / September. Select the start date you'd like to apply for in the drop-downs below and then click the relevant apply button to begin.
You can apply to begin your studies in January 2024 by selecting the relevant course route below:
You can apply to begin your studies in May 2024 by selecting the relevant course route below:
You can apply to begin your studies in September 2024 by selecting the relevant course route below:

How to apply for our Online Degrees
Find out moreAn 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.
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.
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 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

Early Bird discount available
Request informationTypical 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.
Postgraduate funding
There are loans, awards, graduate discounts and alternative funding sources for postgraduate studies. Read about them on our Postgraduate Funding page.
Find out about funding
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.
Submit form
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