User Experience Design at UCA

Delve deeper into the world of user experience and explore its creative potential on UCA's MA User Experience Design degree course at UCA Farnham.

This course runs alongside other Master's courses in the School of Communication, to form a suite of specialist and mutually informing areas of research. Through the development of your own personal research and professional engagement, you’ll explore the creative potential of User Experience Design to question and affect the interactive systems that support and inform our digital experiences, including interface design, usability and human computer interactions.

You'll be introduced to and examine the advanced specialist tools, methods, concepts and processes relevant to the practices of User Experience Design through a series of projects, workshops and advanced technical sessions that relate to your own research and aspirations, before forming your ideas and developing your framework to complete your Major Project. Alongside live briefs and industry engagement, you'll undertake a rigorous investigation into existing practices - researching, questioning, challenging, debating and addressing key debates relating to User Experience Design.

 

Course entry options

Select from the following options to find out more about the different study options available for this course:

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User Experience Design
MA

A one-year course of advanced study for furthering your research skills and specialising within your discipline.

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Campus
UCA Farnham
Start date(s)
September 2025
Duration
1 year full-time
Entry requirements

Honours degree (or equivalent qualification) in the subject/related discipline
and/or
Relevant work experience 

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User Experience Design
MA with Integrated Pre-Masters

This course includes a year-long preparatory course of study to ready you for your Masters course, developing your specialist knowledge, research skills and confidence in working alone.

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Campus
UCA Farnham
Start date(s)
September 2025
Duration
2 years full-time
Entry requirements

A recognised bachelor degree or 3 year diploma with a strong portfolio in a relevant subject

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User Experience Design

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Campus
Start date(s)
Duration
Entry requirements
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User Experience Design

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Campus
Start date(s)
Duration
Entry requirements
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User Experience Design

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Campus
Start date(s)
Duration
Entry requirements
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User Experience Design

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Campus
Start date(s)
Duration
Entry requirements

Accreditations, partners and industry connections

The World Design Organization (WDO) logo

The World Design Organization (WDO)

The World Design Organization (WDO) is a global network of almost 200 members. It is an international non-governmental organisation that promotes the profession of design and its ability to generate better products, systems, services, and experiences; better business and industry; and ultimately a better environment and society.

What you'll study

What you'll
study

The content of the course may be subject to change. Curriculum content is provided as a guide.

On this course you’ll prepare for postgraduate study with a mix of online and face-to-face learning that will give you the study skills required to complete a 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
There are two pathways on this unit, both intended to develop industry approaches within the creative industries.

Collaboration – You will investigate the potential for collaborative practice, You will identify and make 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. 

Creative Startup – In this option you will develop an idea, have it evaluated and potentially win a prize. Based on real-world experience (rather than simulation) of designing and developing a creative startup, you’ll work together with students from all disciplines.

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.

Course specifications

Please note, syllabus content indicated is provided as a guide. The content of the course may be subject to change in line with our Student Terms and Conditions for example, as required by external professional bodies or to improve the quality of the course.

Fees & funding

Fees & financial support

Tuition fees

  • 2025/26: £10,500

Tuition fees

Tuition fees

  • 2025/26 (MA): £18,000
  • 2025/26 (Integrated International Pre-Masters course - Sept & Jan): £17,500
  • 2025/26 (Integrated International Pre-Masters course - May): £8,750

Please note: the fees listed here are correct for the stated academic year only. For more detailed information about our course fees please see our fees and finance pages. 

UCA scholarships and fee discounts

At UCA we have a number of financial support information available to assist you with the cost of your studies.

Current UCA students and alumni may be eligible for a tuition fee discount.

Financial support

There are lots of ways you can access additional financial support to help you fund your studies - both from UCA and from external sources. Discover what support you might qualify for please see our scholarships and fee discounts.

Additional course costs

In addition to the tuition fees there may be other costs for your course. The things that you are likely to need to budget for to get the most out of a creative arts education will include books, printing costs, occasional or optional study trips and/or project materials.

These costs will vary according to the nature of your project work and the individual choices that you make. Please see the Additional Course Costs section of the Course Information Document for more details of the costs you may incur.

Explore our gradshow

Each year, we’re privileged to be able to share our graduates’ incredible work with the world. And now’s your chance to take a look.

Visit the online showcase

Facilities

This course has access to studios which offer spaces for group tutorials and personal working. There are campus digital media suites with Macs and PCs with latest programmes for film editing as well as general design work. There is also a modern library with a wealth of books, journals, special collections and online resources.

View 360 virtual tour
Graphics Studios, UCA Farnham

Studios, UCA Farnham

Lecture Theatre, Film & Media Centre, UCA Farnham

Lecture theatre, UCA Farnham

Digital Media Suite, UCA Farnham

Digital Media suites, UCA Farnham

Library, UCA Farnham

Career opportunities

Graduates of this exciting course might develop their career in a number of different creative and business industries. These might include:

  • UX design manager
  • UX researcher
  • Visual designer
  • Usability tester
  • Interaction designer

You may want to undertake further study or research to specialise even further.

Entry & portfolio requirements

For this course we will need to see your portfolio for review. You can either submit a digital portfolio or request an in-person portfolio review with the course team. Further information will be provided once you have applied. View portfolio advice

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