MSc Human-Computer Interaction Design

Gain the advanced knowledge, industry-valued skills and new design perspectives you need to succeed in a User Experience (UX) career.

Key Information

Start date

September 2018

Duration

Full-time: 12 or 16 months
Part-time: 24-28 months

Full-time course will be 12 months if not taking internship option, 16 months if taking internship.

Fees More about fees and funding

UK/EU

Full-time: £9,500

Part-time: £4,750 per year

Non-EU

Full-time: £15,500

Part-time: £7,750 per year

Who is it for?

This course is for people who want to design technology that meets user needs, creating interactive systems that are useful, easy-to-use and engaging. It is for people who get frustrated when they interact with unnecessarily complicated websites, mobile apps or other interactive systems and want to improve them. This course will help you appreciate design technology based on an understanding of users' needs and ensure that the products you and others design meet those needs.

Objectives

This course will help you to:

Understand the latest academic research, theories and techniques in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), User Experience (UX), usability and Interaction Design.
Think about design in new ways - recognising that there are many 'right' ways to design interactive systems.
Gain a mix of theoretical and practical knowledge, along with the necessary skills and experience to create engaging user experiences.
Study modules that cover the entire user-centred design and evaluation process - from understanding user needs, to designing interactive systems that meet those needs, to evaluating the usability of those (and existing systems) through user research.

Accreditation

Accredited by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT for the purposes of partially meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered IT Professional.

Requirements and how to apply

Entry requirements

An upper second-class honours degree in any subject, the equivalent from an international institution or three-plus years of UX-related industry experience
A practical background in computing technologies is useful, but not essential
Previous experience in Human-Computer Interaction or User Experience Design is not necessary
Programming experience is not necessary.

Other suitable qualifications

If you do not qualify for direct entry, you may wish to follow a Graduate Diploma pathway to the programme through one of our partners.

INTO City, University of London

If you do not meet the entry requirements, INTO City, University of London offers a range of academic and English language programmes to help you prepare for study at City, University of London. You will learn from experienced teachers in a dedicated international study centre.

These programmes are designed for international students who do not meet the required academic and English language requirements for direct entry. To prepare for this degree course, learn more about the Graduate Diploma in Informatics.

Kaplan International College London

City works in partnership with Kaplan International College (KIC) London to provide preparatory courses for international students. Pre-Masters courses at KIC London offer you comprehensive support to help you complete your postgraduate study at City. Progression to this degree is guaranteed if you complete the KIC London Pre-Masters course at the required level.

English requirements

If you are an overseas student whose first language is not English, the following qualification is required:

IELTS: 7.0 (minimum of 6.5 in all four components)

Due to changes in the UKVI's list of SELTs we are no longer able to accept TOEFL as evidence of English language for students who require a CAS as of April 2014.

English language programmes

If you don't meet the English language requirements, INTO City, University of London offers English language programmes to help you prepare for study at university. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for entry to degree courses.

Visa requirements

If you are not from the European Economic Area / Switzerland and you are coming to study in the UK, you may need to apply for a visa or entry clearance to come to the UK to study.

The way that you apply may vary depending on the length of your course. There are different rules for:

Students on courses of more than six months
Students on courses of less than six months
Students on a pre-sessional English language course.

For more information see our main Visa page.

How to apply

Thank you for having decided to apply to study a postgraduate course at the School of Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering. Please note that the deadline for applications for the 2018/19 academic year is 31^st August 2018, however we may close earlier if all places are filled.

In order for your application to be considered, please ensure that you upload the following documentation with your application:

Your degree certificate and transcript of marks from your first degree (if you do not have your final results at the time of making your application, please upload a provisional certificate/interim transcript of marks). A transcript is required in order to have your application processed.
If your first language is not English, or you require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK, please upload a Proof of English Proficiency if you have already obtained it. A list of accepted qualifications can be found here.
If you require a Tier 4 student visa to undertake a Master's programme in the UK, please upload a detailed personal statement outlining why you wish to study this specific course, at City, University of London, as well as explaining how your past studies have prepared you for this course and how it will help you to progress in your career.
If you are applying for a Part-time course, or have relevant work experience relating to the degree you are applying for, please upload a copy of your current CV/resume.

You can apply in the following ways:

Postal applications and supporting documents

We encourage you to apply online. However, if you are unable to do this, please send a completed paper application form, together with supporting documents, to:

Postgraduate Courses Office, A302
School of Mathematics, Computer Science & Engineering
City, University of London
Northampton Square
London
EC1V 0HB

Contact information for the Postgraduate Team

Tel: +44 (0)20 7040 0248
Email: smcsepg@city.ac.uk

Prospects

Over 90% of students are employed within six months of graduating.

Balance

Our course offers a healthy balance of theory and practice, with a strong focus on real-world application.

Unique

Our course offers unique modules that cover the entire user-centred design process.

Prospectus

Download the latest postgraduate prospectus

Open Evening

Visit us at the next postgraduate event

How to apply

Find out how to make your application

More about fees

Fees in each subsequent year of study (where applicable) will be subject to an annual increase of 2%. We will confirm any change to the annual tuition fee to you in writing prior to you commencing each subsequent year of study (where applicable).

If you leave City after commencing but before completing your course, City reserves the right to charge you the tuition/course fee for the full academic year (or full course for capacity limited post-graduate courses - up to a maximum of two years’ fees) in question. You may be charged the full fee for that year or course as applicable unless you are able to present justification that exceptional and unforeseeable reasons for your withdrawal exist.

How to pay

City has introduced an instalment payment scheme which is available to certain categories of students, including taught postgraduate students. For students following the normal academic year, the annual fee may be paid in two equal instalments: the first on registering, the second on 31^st January.

If you wish to pay your fees by instalment you must pay the first instalment at or before registration, by cheque or credit/debit card. You must also supply your bank details or credit card details for payment of your second instalment which will be deducted automatically from your bank or credit card account on 31^st January.

Funding

Explore up-to-date information about funding options, available financial support and typical living costs.

Future Finance Loans

Future Finance offers students loans of between £2,500 and £40,000 to help cover tuition fees and living expenses. All students and courses are considered. All loans are subject to credit checks and approval. For further details visit the City Finance website.

Scholarships

We offer a range of generous scholarships, bursaries and prizes to applicants for this course, including:

Benefits of the course

Video clip in which students share their views on the HCID

Academic staff, alumni and students discuss the benefits of the MSc Human-Computer Interaction Design at City University London.

Internships

After the taught part of the course is completed, you will have the opportunity to take part in a six-month internship which gives you valuable work experience and increases your employability. Internships offer an exceptional opportunity to make you stand out in a competitive job market place. We have extensive experience in helping students to secure placement employment in the IT industry.

Learn more about internships in Industry at City.

Recent internship companies

Academic facilities

You will benefit from the use of the City Interaction Lab - a combined commercial and research lab, where we have undertaken UX consultancy for prestigious companies including Virgin Atlantic.

The lab is fitted with the latest technologies including:

A usability testing suite
Mobile testing station
Eye-tracker
Interactive table-top
Brain interaction technology
3D-printer and more.

We employ student consultants on some projects, providing the opportunity to work on real client projects.

Learn a language for free

We offer a free language course for City, University of London students.

Find out how to apply

Teaching and learning

The course is delivered by distinguished academics from City University London's Centre for HCI Design, who all have a passion for user-centred design. We also have close links with industry. Industry professionals help inform and shape the curriculum, setting briefs for the assessments and participating in teaching and learning - by giving guest lectures and running practitioner tutorials. They also provide feedback on students' design outputs and input into module content, ensuring that students learn the knowledge and skills most valued by industry.

Assessment

The course is delivered through a combination of lectures, online activities and interactive workshops and tutorials. It is assessed in a variety of ways, including:

Examinations (which focus on applying HCI theory in realistic situations)
Coursework (which ranges from written reports and essays, to posters, presentations and design documentation - e.g. wireframe prototypes). A range of both group and individual coursework is set during the course. Group coursework is often centred around realistic design projects
Independent research project (dissertation). The independent project allows you to conduct original research on an HCI topic of your choice

Each of these account for around one-third of the total course assessment. However, the exact balance varies according to the chosen elective module.

Modules

You will study seven core modules and one elective module that cover the entire user-centred design and evaluation process. Modules are delivered through a combination of lectures, online activities and interactive workshops and tutorials. These include sessions delivered by guest lecturers from industry.

If we have insufficient number of students interested in an elective module, this may not be offered. In rare cases, one or two elective modules may not run due to low interest or unanticipated changes in timetabling, including scheduling clashes, room and staff availability. If an elective module will not run, we will advise you at the beginning of every academic term or as soon as possible, and help you choose an alternative module.

Full-time students spend eight hours per week in lectures and four hours per week in seminars and tutorials. Part-time students spend half this time in classes.

Overall workload is around 36 hours per week for full-time and 18 hours per week for part-time students.

You will also undertake an independent Research Project, for which our module on Research Methods and Professional Issues will prepare you.

A series of optional, but recommended, practitioner tutorials supplement the taught modules. These include talks, workshops and field trips. Previous tutorials have featured HCI/UX practitioners from prestigious companies, such as Foolproof, Futureheads and eBay.

Taught core modules

Interaction Design (15 credits)

You will…

Appreciate the importance of good usability and User Experience for the design of interactive systems
Develop an understanding of important Interaction Design paradigms (e.g. User-Centred Design, Participatory Design, Contextual Design)
Apply HCI principles and guidelines to the design of a wide variety of interactive systems
Carry out user research, conceptual and detailed design and evaluation as part of the user-centred design process
Engage with seminal and cutting edge HCI research.

Creativity in Design (15 credits)

You will…

Understand the importance, nature and roles of creativity in design projects
Select and deploy different creativity techniques and methods in user-centred projects
Master creativity processes, techniques and tools in design work.

Information Architecture (15 credits)

You will…

Design the structural foundation of digital information environments, such as Websites and apps, to allow users to find the information they need and find it easily
Understand theory of how to organise, structure and label digital information to support user navigation and information-seeking
Create models and prototypes to drive the user-centred design of digital information environments (e.g. domain models, sitemaps, wireframes)
Develop skills in evaluating information architectures from a user perspective.

Evaluating Interactive Systems (15 credits)

You will…

Understand and apply a range of techniques for evaluating usability, including user-based and expert evaluation techniques (e.g. User Testing, Guerrilla Testing, Heuristic Evaluation)
Compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses of different evaluation methods and associated methods of data collection
Develop skills for evaluating the broader User Experience, beyond usability.

Inclusive Design (15 credits)

You will…

Develop skills for designing and evaluating accessible and inclusive interactive systems for a diverse range of users (e.g. children, older users, users with disabilities)
Develop an understanding of theoretical foundations in Cognitive Psychology as they relate to inclusive design
Apply international accessibility standards and guidelines (e.g. WCAG 2.0, Section 508) to the design of inclusive interactive systems.

Cognition and Technologies (15 credits)

You will…

Understand the role of cognition on user behaviour when using interactive systems
Analyse complex interactions from a cognitive perspective
Design novel interactive systems based on an understanding of cognitive theories.

Research Methods and Professional Issues (15 credits)

You will…

Acquire and develop skills for planning and carrying out independent, original research (which you will later apply when completing your Masters dissertation)
Select appropriate quantitative and qualitative techniques for data collection and analysis and justify your selections
Develop approaches to finding, interpreting, and use existing academic research as a basis for research
Explore the legal, ethical and professional implications of HCI research and use this knowledge to inform your research.

Taught elective modules

Web Application Development (15 credits)

You will…

Develop a detailed understanding of the core components of Web-based applications
Create Web applications that incorporate dynamic and engaging front-end user interfaces
Understand the importance of security and data access in Web applications.

Data Visualisation (15 credits)

You will…

Understand and apply techniques for the visual presentation of data to support user exploration and understanding
Create engaging data visualisations to reveal the structure in data sets
Develop programming skills to support the development of interactive graphical applications for visualisation.

Telehealth and Mobile Applications (15 credits)

You will…

Develop an understanding of the fundamentals of e-health technologies and providing healthcare at a distance
Design interactive systems to support medical decision-making and patient care
Apply standards and guidelines to the design of healthcare systems.

Technological Innovation and Practice (15 credits)

You will…

Develop the knowledge and skills necessary to understand technology-based innovation and the processes through which you can manage it
Integrate market, technological and organizational considerations in developing and appraising possible innovations
Understand the challenges and opportunities that new technologies offer to innovate and disrupt business.

Download the relevant programme specification

Max Schubmann

Alumni

City gave me the valuable tools & knowledge required to work closely with stakeholders in order to work out a design engineered for their future users
Johannes Schleith

Student

“The course combines individual and team work and employs a healthy mix of theory and practice, which really helps to understand and apply the concepts and approaches.”
Vikram Singh

Student

“I appreciate the receptiveness of the teachers - they are passionate and extremely willing to help. Doing your Masters can be intimidating - they make it much less stressful and overwhelming.”
Lan Huang

Student

“The curriculum of the MSc Human-Centred Systems is interesting and robust. The lecturers are also very well regarded in their respective domains.”
Shamil Parbhoo

Alumni - Senior UX Consultant

“My course at City provided me with hands-on experience and connections within the UX industry to get me started on the right foot.”
Caroline Owen

Student

“I love having access to academics who are actively working with the latest technology and carrying out cutting edge research”
Dr Stephann Makri

Academic expert

Senior Lecturer in Human-Computer Interaction working in the School of Mathematics, Computer Science & Engineering.

Career prospects

This course enables you to make informed decisions on how to apply your knowledge in original and creative ways. As a result, this course empowers you to succeed in a variety of User Experience (UX) roles in leading digital agencies, business consultancies, IT companies and commercial/government organisations.

Roles include:

UX Designer/Consultant.
User Researcher.
Information Architect.
Accessibility Specialist.

There is an increasing need for specialists with a deep knowledge of Human-Computer Interaction design. As the industry continues to expand, there is no better time to become a Master in this field. The course is also an excellent starting point for those wanting to pursue a PhD in HCI.

City alumna Emily shares her experience of studying the Human-Computer Interaction Design MSc at City, University of London and how undertaking this postgraduate course has helped her in her career.

94.1% of graduates in employment or further study six months after completing the course

Find out more about the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey 2014-15

In order for your application to be considered, please ensure that you upload the following documentation with your application:

Your degree certificate and transcript of marks from your first degree (if you do not have your final results at the time of making your application, please upload a provisional certificate/interim transcript of marks). A transcript is required in order to have your application processed.
If your first language is not English, or you require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK, please upload a Proof of English Proficiency if you have already obtained it. A list of accepted qualifications can be found here.
If you require a Tier 4 student visa to undertake a Master's programme in the UK, please upload a detailed personal statement outlining why you wish to study this specific course, at City, University of London, as well as explaining how your past studies have prepared you for this course and how it will help you to progress in your career.
If you are applying for a Part-time course, or have relevant work experience relating to the degree you are applying for, please upload a copy of your current CV/resume.

You can apply in the following ways:

Postal applications and supporting documents

We encourage you to apply online. However, if you are unable to do this, please send a completed paper application form, together with supporting documents, to:

Postgraduate Courses Office, A302
School of Mathematics, Computer Science & Engineering
City, University of London
Northampton Square
London
EC1V 0HB

Contact information for the Postgraduate Team

Tel: +44 (0)20 7040 0248
Email: smcsepg@city.ac.uk

Contact details

Programmes Office (room A302)

+44 (0)20 7040 0248

smcsepg@city.ac.uk

Request a prospectus

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Get your prospectus

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