City

What you'll study

This programme combines taught modules, hands-on studio practice and a substantial independent project to develop both the technical and conceptual skills required for professional UX work. Core themes include user research and evaluation, interaction and interface design, prototyping and front-end implementation, analytics for user experience, and the ethical and social dimensions of design.

• User research methods: qualitative and quantitative techniques such as interviews, contextual enquiry, surveys, diary studies and ethnography, plus planning and running usability studies.
• Interaction design and information architecture: principles of task analysis, wireframing, navigation design, accessibility, and responsive interfaces.
• Prototyping and implementation: low- to high-fidelity prototyping using industry-standard tools and basic front-end technologies to create interactive proofs of concept.
• Evaluation and analytics: usability testing, heuristic evaluation, remote testing methods and interpreting behavioural data to inform design decisions.
• UX strategy and service design: stakeholder engagement, business context, roadmapping and integrating UX into product development lifecycles.
• Research project / dissertation: a major independent project allowing you to pursue an applied or research-led investigation in a specialist area of UX, often conducted in collaboration with industry partners.
• Professional practice: group projects, client briefs and workshops that develop project management, communication and portfolio work.

The programme typically offers a mix of lectures, seminar-style critique sessions, studio workshops and lab-based practical classes, with assessed coursework, portfolios and a final project as principal outputs.

Entry requirements

Applicants are normally expected to hold a good honours degree in a relevant subject such as design, computer science, psychology, human-computer interaction, information systems or a closely related discipline. Applicants with other degrees who can demonstrate relevant professional experience, a strong portfolio, or prior study in related areas will also be considered. A portfolio of design or research work may be requested as part of the application.

International applicants should meet the university's English language requirements and provide certified academic transcripts or equivalents. Where applicable, applicants may be invited for an interview or asked to complete a short task to demonstrate suitability for the programme.

Career prospects

Graduates from this MSc enter a wide range of roles across technology, creative agencies, financial services, healthcare, public sector and consultancy. Typical career paths include:

• UX designer or interaction designer
• UX researcher or usability analyst
• Product designer or service designer
• Front-end developer with a UX specialism
• UX consultant or design strategist
• Product manager with a user-centred focus

The programme emphasises employability through industry projects, portfolio development and links with City’s careers and enterprise support, helping graduates move into both specialist UX roles and broader product and service teams.

Why study at City

City is located in the heart of London, offering strong connections to a diverse technology and design ecosystem and regular engagement with industry practitioners and employers. Teaching is delivered by academics active in human-computer interaction and design research alongside experienced practitioners, providing a balance of theory and applied skills.

Students have access to specialist facilities such as usability and testing labs, prototyping studios and collaborative workshop spaces, and benefit from cross‑disciplinary links across computing, business and the creative arts. The programme’s practical orientation, industry-facing projects and support for portfolio development make it well suited to those aiming to progress into professional UX roles or further research in user-centred design.