| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2025-09-01 | - |
Program Overview
The MDes in User Experience and Service Design at Ulster University equips students with the skills to design innovative solutions for real-world problems. The program emphasizes hands-on learning, industry collaboration, and research-focused methodologies, preparing graduates for high-demand careers in design and research. Graduates pursue diverse roles in sectors such as user experience design, service design, and digital product design.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
The MDes in User Experience and Service Design program equips students with the skills and knowledge to design innovative solutions that address real-world problems. The program features a blend of theory and practice, emphasizing hands-on learning, industry collaboration, and research-focused methodologies. This program aims to:
- Equip graduates to excel in high-demand areas of design and research.
- Foster creativity and critical thinking for crafting exceptional user experiences.
- Prepare individuals to lead in-house design teams, spearhead agency projects, or embark on entrepreneurial journeys.
Outline:
This program spans a period of one year and is offered both full-time and part-time (over three years).
Full-time Program:
- Semester 1:
- Exploration and Enquiry (40 credits): This module equips students with the framework to initiate, evaluate, negotiate, and develop sustainable creative practices, encompassing presentations by industry professionals and researchers for peer discussion and debate.
- Development Specialist Group Studio (30 credits): This module combines practical research, experimentation, and critical evaluation for self-directed and collaborative exploration, leading to a project proposal for the master's project.
- Semester 2:
- Specialist Skills Development (40 Credits): Students deepen their knowledge in theory and practical applications, focusing on problem-solving, opportunity identification, prototyping, and testing.
Students choose one of the following:
- Design Futures (20 credits): This module equips students with the tools and knowledge necessary to navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of design.
- Creative Entrepreneurship (20 credits): This module fosters entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship awareness, equipping students with the skills needed to establish sustainable creative practices.
- Semester 3:
- Master's Project (60 Credits): This individual research project allows students to showcase their expertise in user experience, service design, or design thinking, culminating in a master's report.
Part-time Program:
The part-time program follows the same structure as the full-time program but over three years. Students can complete the program in two years if they take the Creative Entrepreneurship module and accelerate their project development.
Assessment:
Assessment methods in this program vary and are defined for each module. The methods may include:
- Examinations
- Coursework
- Essays
- Reports
- Seminars
- Presentations
- Dissertations
- Portfolios
- Design artifacts Assessment aims to gauge the achievement of the module's learning outcomes. Students receive regular feedback on coursework.
Teaching:
Teaching methods in this program are diverse and engaging. They include:
- Lectures
- Seminars
- Tutorials
- Workshops
- Practical sessions
- Group work The program is delivered by experienced academics, many with PhDs in their subjects and professional body recognition. Most academic staff hold Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher.
Careers:
Graduates from this program pursue diverse careers in various sectors, including:
- User experience designer
- User experience researcher
- User experience design researcher
- Service designer
- Design researcher
- Digital product designer
- Interaction designer
- Strategic designer Graduates find employment in design consultancies, financial technology, cybersecurity, healthcare, and public and private services.
Other:
This program emphasizes industry collaborations, providing students with access to regular interactions with local and international practitioners and design leaders. Visiting professionals have included experts from companies like BBC, Google, Deloitte Digital, IDEO, and Kainos. Students can apply for a range of scholarships and receive financial support.
Entry Requirements:
EU Home Students:
- Applicants must hold a good honours degree (at least 2ii Honours standard) in design practice or a cognate subject from a UK university, the Republic of Ireland, the Council for National Academic Awards, the Higher Education and Training Awards Council, or an institution of another country recognized as being of an equivalent standard.
International Students (Outside EU):
- Applicants must meet the same academic requirements as EU students.
- Additionally, they must demonstrate English language proficiency equivalent to IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5.
Other Entry Considerations:
- Applications are welcomed from diverse backgrounds. However, applicants with a discipline shift must provide a coherent rationale for the shift and demonstrate prerequisite understanding and skills/experience.
- Applicants will be interviewed based on their portfolio and proposal. Portfolios can be digital and include various file types (e.g., PDFs, DOCX, PPTX, JPEGs). They may also take various forms, such as research competencies or a series of possible projects for non-design background applicants.
- The program welcomes applications from professionals with extensive professional, industrial, and/or commercial experience but lacking recent or higher-level academic qualifications. Such applicants can be considered for entry through Accreditation for Prior Learning (APL).
Language Proficiency Requirements:
- The minimum English language requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5.
- Ulster recognizes a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.
