user research graduate

User Experience, Master of Science

User Experience

Master of Science

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Credit Hour

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Admissions requirements.

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Program Overview

The Department of Information and Media offers a fully online, asynchronous masters-level program in User Experience (UX) to accelerate career prospects of early and mid-career professionals for leadership roles. UX focuses on humans interacting with technologies, as well as business goals, during the design process to create user-centered and socially responsive interactive technologies, applications, and information systems. The program enables students to earn a masters from one of the world’s leading programs without the expense and overall challenges associated with leaving their home or job. The 30-credit program emphasizes a “user-first” perspective, meaning it integrates knowledge of human-computer interaction with industry-relevant methods and social responsibility to prepare students for real-world experiences in the workplace, including technical and/or management careers in user-first experience design and human-centered research.

Program Outcomes

This premier online graduate user experience program combines user-first theoretical and practical knowledge of experience design that will help students build their skills and expertise to become champions of change, drivers of innovation, and creators of sustainable user experiences and engagements. With a Master of Science in User Experience from MSU, graduates will be prepared to:

• Become a UX leader, driving the technology behind product design and marketing
• Qualify for UX job roles such as designer, researcher, or project manager
• Design more usable and accessible websites, software, and products for diverse audiences
• Collect, analyze, and interpret user experience data to inform decision making
• Advance dynamic IT developments in the 21st century global workplace

Career Outlook

The User Experience program will position students for rewarding, well-paying careers in human-computer interaction, user experience design, and human-centered research. Graduates will have job titles that reflect the major UX areas:

• UX Design: UX designer, experience designer, interaction designer, or information architect
• UX Strategist: UX strategist, UX architect, UX product manager, or UX analyst
• Visual Design: Visual information designer, user interface (UI) designer, UI artist, or digital designer
• Research and Usability: UX researcher or usability researcher/specialist/analyst
• Content: Content strategist or UX copywriter

A Top-Ranked Education

• 31st among Best Public Universities in America — U.S. News & World Report, 2022
• A Top 100 Global University — Times Higher Education and U.S. News & World Report

Jeff  Siarto

Interim program director of ux, ms.

Jeff is a UI/UX designer, author, and technologist with over 15 years of experience building web and software user interfaces. Since 2013 he’s been working with NASA and other organizations to help make remote sensing and Earth Science data more usable and actionable for scientists, engineers, and the general public.

UX 800 - User Research and Design, 3 credits

UX 802 - Current Topics in UX, 3 credits

UX 805 - Quantitative Analysis and Insights in UX, 3 credits

UX 810 - Social Science for Design, 3 credits

UX 815 - Programming Fundamentals for UX, 3 credits

UX 820 - Usability Evaluation, 3 credits

UX 825 - Visual Design Fundamentals, 3 credits

UX 830 - Design for Interactivity, 3 credits

UX 835 - Accessibility and Design, 3 credits

UX 840 - UX and Society, 3 credits

UX 898 - User Experience Capstone/Practicum, 3 credits

To be accepted to this program, you must have:

• A bachelor's degreefrom a recognized, accredited educational institution (Minimum of 3.0 undergraduate GPA). No GRE required.
• Previous work experience preferred (Résumé/CV, portfolio is optional)
• TOEFL/IELTS scores if English is not your native language
• A written personal statement detailing your professional interests and goals
• Letter of recommendation
• Official transcripts from all previous schools

To apply to this program:

• Complete a departmental and university graduate application 
• Submit all official transcripts

Fall Semester

Application Deadline

Spring Semester

December 10th

Tuition & Fees per credit

Cost of attendance, the msu value promise.

You can be ensured a return on your investment at Michigan State University.

As one of the top research universities in the world, Michigan State University has advanced the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community.

MSU has been offering online degree programs for over 20 years. Our maturity is evident in the high quality of the learning experience enjoyed by our online students.

MSU provides programs and initiatives that support and enhance diversity. We will expand our campus and external partnerships to put in place inclusive recruitment and retention practices. We nurture and promote individuals’ varied experiences and perspectives, ensuring structures and processes make possible full participation by all members of our community.

MSU’s nationally recognized online programs foster student growth and well-being throughout their academic career. We will expand inclusive mentoring practices and accelerate improvement across units to implement evidence-based practices to ensure our students complete successfully.

Continuing education  can be one of the most exciting, challenging, and rewarding experiences you undertake in your life. We hope you consider becoming a Spartan, to learn online and reach your career goals.  With highly ranked online programs and exceptional professors, we educate students who advance the common good with uncommon will.

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The School of Information is UC Berkeley’s newest professional school. Located in the center of campus, the I School is a graduate research and education community committed to expanding access to information and to improving its usability, reliability, and credibility while preserving security and privacy.

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The School of Information offers four degrees:

The Master of Information Management and Systems (MIMS) program educates information professionals to provide leadership for an information-driven world.

The Master of Information and Data Science (MIDS) is an online degree preparing data science professionals to solve real-world problems. The 5th Year MIDS program is a streamlined path to a MIDS degree for Cal undergraduates.

The Master of Information and Cybersecurity (MICS) is an online degree preparing cybersecurity leaders for complex cybersecurity challenges.

Our Ph.D. in Information Science is a research program for next-generation scholars of the information age.

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The School of Information's courses bridge the disciplines of information and computer science, design, social sciences, management, law, and policy. We welcome interest in our graduate-level Information classes from current UC Berkeley graduate and undergraduate students and community members.  More information about signing up for classes.

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Research by faculty members and doctoral students keeps the I School on the vanguard of contemporary information needs and solutions.

The I School is also home to several active centers and labs, including the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity (CLTC) , the Center for Technology, Society & Policy , and the BioSENSE Lab .

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I School graduate students and alumni have expertise in data science, user experience design & research, product management, engineering, information policy, cybersecurity, and more — learn more about hiring I School students and alumni .

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On May 18, 2024, the School of Information welcomed 423 of 670 total graduating students from the Master of...

Gigi Sohn gave the keynote speech at the UC Berkeley School of Information May 2024 Commencement.

The School of Information’s May 2024 Commencement presented an opportunity to honor faculty and student achievements...

The initiative is now known at the I School as the I School Graduate Scholars (ISGS) program, which...

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Kimiko Ryokai

Recent publications.

When you go to a new healthcare clinic in the United States, doctors and nurses pull up your patient record based on your name and birthdate.  Sometimes it’s not your chart they pull up.  This is not only a healthcare problem; it’s a data science problem.

In The Charisma Machine , Morgan Ames chronicles the life and legacy of the One Laptop per Child project and explains why — despite its failures — the same utopian visions that inspired OLPC still motivate other projects trying to use technology to “disrupt” education and development.

User Experience Research news

A group of researchers, including the I School’s own Professor Kimiko Ryokai, recently received a grant of $1.29M from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to tackle this challenge.

Would you prefer a chart or text when being presented with information? Ph.D. student Chase Stokes has dedicated his studies to answering this question.

ScholarPhi is an augmented reading interface that makes scientific papers more understandable and contextually rich

Professors Hany Farid and Joshua Blumenstock have been awarded seed funding for their projects designed to mitigate the COVID-19 crisis by CITRIS and the Banatao Institute.

Prof. Farid: “Coronavirus misinformation is going to get a lot of people killed.”

I School researchers have developed a custom-fit earpiece that that can capture “passthoughts” through brainwave signals from the ear canal, and for the first time demonstrated one-step three-factor authentication.

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How to Become a UX Researcher — No Experience Needed

If you have a knack for understanding people and figuring out what makes them tick, a career in user experience (UX) research might just be the right fit for you. In this article, we’ll show you how to become a UX researcher and give you a few insights into what career training opportunities and job prospects are available in the field. 

7 Qualifications and Skills Needed to Become a UX Researcher:

• UX/Design Thinking
• User-Centered Design Research
• Persona Creation
• User Testing
• Soft Skills

Interested in not only learning these skills, but also putting them into practice? Berkeley UX/UI Boot Camp offers the hands-on experience you need to take the next step in your career. 

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Why UX Researchers Are in High Demand

UX researchers give businesses, designers and developers valuable insights into user behaviors and psychology; these detective-techies tease apart the rationales that drive people to think, feel and act in specific ways when encountering a website or an app or even a piece of software. It’s an exciting gig for the right person — so if you think you might be a good fit, keep reading.

User experience research has become crucial to running a successful modern business. As designer Jacob Gube explains in an article for Smashing Magazine , “Websites and Web applications have become progressively more complex as our industry’s technologies and methodologies advance […] but regardless of how much has changed in the production process, a website’s success still hinges on just one thing: how users perceive it.”

UX describes how people feel when they interact with a system or service and encompasses several factors including usability, design, marketing, accessibility, performance, comfort and utility. A person’s experience when they visit a website can dramatically impact and even change their perception of a company or a service — for better, and for worse. 

Think of a banking website. Consumers expect their virtual financial experiences to be crisp, intuitive and as formal as any in-person interactions would be at a physical branch. How odd and off-putting would it be to expect that level of professionalism and instead find the casual  quirkiness of a gaming website? What works for one audience and intent certainly won’t work for all!

As UX guru Don Norman once shared in an interview , “Everything has a personality; everything sends an emotional signal. Even where this was not the intention of the designer, the people who view the website infer personalities and experience emotions. Bad websites have horrible personalities and instill horrid emotional states in their users, usually unwittingly. We need to design things — products, websites, services — to convey whatever personality and emotions are desired.” 

This isn’t just theory; it’s backed up by facts. When companies invest in UX research and design, they tend to see higher levels of customer acquisition and retention as well as reduced support costs because their products and services are more intuitive and easy to use. These companies also tend to enjoy a higher share of the market for their industry. In 2018, researchers for McKinsey’s report on the business case for good design found that companies that scored in the top quartiles of the research firm’s Design Index outperformed industry benchmarks by two-to-one. As the report’s authors write, “Top-quartile MDI scorers increased their revenues and total returns to shareholders (TRS) substantially faster than their industry counterparts did over a five-year period — 32 percentage points higher revenue growth and 56 percentage points higher TRS growth for the period as a whole.”

Let’s talk about how you can become a UX researcher and kickstart your career in this high-potential field. 

What Do UX Researchers Do?

It’s a no-brainer: all businesses want to appeal to their customers. Their survival depends on doing so — and given this, companies have long tried to craft an experience that their customers find pleasant. With the meteoric rise of e-commerce and consumers’ increasing interest in living more of their lives online, UX research has become a specialized profession in its own right. In 2017, a research initiative that sought to investigate the business benefits of user research found that 49 percent of surveyed executives believed that UX research made their company more efficient, while 56 percent believed that it improved the quality of their products or services. 

These benefits are the result of UX researchers’ work to gather insights and information about what customers need, what they prefer and how they react. UX researchers use both quantitative and qualitative methods to examine and improve the user experience. These research methods encompass everything from simple online surveys to full-scale prototype designs. 

For example, UX researchers might use observation to determine user behaviors and feelings or understand consumers’ mental models (i.e., what they believe about the website or software). They might send out impersonal surveys to user groups, run face-to-face interviews with users of a site or product or carry out hands-on usability tests to assess customer preferences. Then, after the information-gathering phase is complete, UX researchers can analyze the collected data to identify patterns and trends that will then guide design and development decisions for digital products, software or websites. 

Qualifications and Skills Needed to Become a UX Researcher (That Employers Look For)

If you want to know how to become a user experience researcher, there are certain skills, qualifications and experience levels that are essential to this field. While clients, products and research goals vary widely across roles, all UX professionals need to master the fundamentals. Below, we’ve listed a few of the most important qualifications and skills to develop when considering how to become a user experience researcher.

1. UX/Design Thinking

Design thinking might have been developed in 1969, but it hasn’t faded with the times. If anything, our growing reliance on digital experiences has made the organizational framework more critical. A design thinking approach helps designers handle complex problems and keep the user in mind at all times. It forces a UX researcher to step into their target users’ metaphorical shoes and, in doing so, empowers them to predict, define and solve the issues users may face. UX research skills are a significant part of design thinking and are invaluable in analyzing user response throughout the process.

2. User-Centered Design Research

User-centered design aims to put a product’s end user at the center of all design plans. Rather than attempting to cast a wide net, this design philosophy homes in on a target user and allows developers to create a project with that ideal user’s needs, goals and preferences in mind. 

UX research is, as you might expect, a crucial part of this process. Without it, this type of design becomes mostly guesswork. Eventually, it devolves into an exploration of what the project’s developers think they would want as users — a dangerous shift, given that what appeals to the site developers might not align with the target user’s needs and preferences. The application of UX research skills is thus essential to the success of user-centered design plans. 

3. Persona Creation

Basic descriptions are all well and good, but when a researcher needs to define an ideal user, understanding how to apply their UX research skills to develop and use a persona is critical. A persona describes an imagined ideal or typical user of a website or product and empowers UX researchers to make sense of the information gathered through user research. A persona reflects the needs and wants of broad user groups by collating the attitudes, skills, technical background, patterns and environment of typical users. UX researchers for a banking app, for example, might build a persona that incorporates their customers’ likely financial knowledge or probable tech-savviness. A UX researcher may even opt to include direct user information, such as specific quotes obtained through user research, into their persona.

Keeping that persona in mind, UX researchers and developers can build empathy with their users and better understand their expectations and needs. Personas allow researchers to go beyond vague imaginations of what users might and might not like and narrow in on a user’s actual experience. When applied, these personas respond to the specific context of a site or piece of software, reflecting the real users of that product and giving designers more accurate insights into what does and doesn’t work well. 

4. UX Mapping

What does a user do, and when? If a UX designer doesn’t have a clear understanding of how consumers progress through a given app or website, they won’t know how to optimize the user’s journey. Mapping is a critical skill for UX researchers, as it allows them to use their collected observations to create an annotated timeline of a user’s journey. A UX map provides an expansive overview of user touchpoints. It demonstrates how decisions made at these touchpoints can create diverging decision “branches” and lead to positive or — depending on the “branch” — negative experiences. Having a visual representation of the highs and lows of a user’s journey can help UX professionals identify and address the touchpoints and decisions that spark poor experiences. 

5. User Testing

Every UX researcher needs to know how to conduct usability testing . While it can be tempting for companies to avoid spending the time — and the money — that proper user testing requires, investing in the process can help project developers avoid severe pitfalls and tailor the end product to user preferences. 

Put simply, user testing tells developers whether they’ve hit or missed the mark. The testing process gauges whether users can successfully navigate the site or app, complete essential tasks and receive the information they need. It flags common user errors and notes any features that, while intuitive for developers, routinely mystify end users. As a UX researcher, you might even test competitor products alongside your own to find out how users’ experiences differ between the two. When initiated early during the development process and repeated regularly, this type of UX research can help designers and developers produce a successful, user-intuitive product.

6. InVision

As in any specialized field, aspiring UX professionals must know the tools of their trade. Of particular note, the popular prototyping, workflow and collaboration app called InVision is a must-know skill for UX researchers . Imagine being able to create a prototype of your incomplete app, and having the ability to conduct user tests as if your users were working with the real, fully functioning website or app. The prototypes allow instant feedback, commenting and other specialized features that feed into an overall UX analysis. This interactive platform enables researchers to test the interactive parts of a site, rather than relying on screenshots, images or PDFs that do not fully replicate the final experience. InVision isn’t just a collaboration tool; it also provides fully featured design software and integrates with other popular products in Adobe’s Creative Cloud suite.

7. Soft Skills

Software skills and research aptitude will only ever get you so far in the job market. Soft skills — those concerned with being a good team member and professional — are just as vital as any niche technical capability. Given that learning from and listening to users is at the heart of UX, developing your empathy and ability to communicate is a must. If you can’t communicate well or maintain an open mind, you’ll never manage to see beyond your own opinions and identify what matters to your user. As odd as it might sound, learning how to be an empathetic, thoughtful and perceptive person may serve you better as a UX researcher than any technical guide. 

How to Acquire the Skills to Become a UX Researcher

When it comes to education, aspiring UX researchers have options. You don’t need to have years of experience in tech. Those in the social sciences, for example, are well-suited to UX research because the core competencies in both sectors overlap — though they often need to step up their working pace and alter their research methods to suit the tech sector’s fast pace. Similarly, professionals in marketing and communications fields often already have the user response and interaction training necessary to segue into UX research. 

As researcher Nikki Anderson shared in an article for UX Collective , “One of the number one questions I get every week are people asking me how to break into the field of user research from another role or right after graduating. I speak with people from all different disciplines, some closer to user research, such as marketing, psychology or design, and others further away, such as accountants or writers […] Getting into user research was one of the least straight-forward paths I have taken, and that is often the case for most people breaking into this field.”

Regardless of whether you’re just starting out or want to change your professional path, expanding your knowledge and skill set is essential to kickstarting a new career in UX research. Let’s dive into a few options that may help you gain the knowledge and experience you need to become a UX researcher. Ultimately it’s up to you to decide which ones works best for you.

While career interest in UX has grown, there are still relatively few undergraduate degree programs explicitly dedicated to UX research. There are master’s programs for the profession — but even those rarely require any background training in the discipline . That said, if you want to become a UX researcher and are planning on enrolling in a four-year undergraduate program, there are a few majors that will prepare you for the field. These include standby options from computer science and information systems to design, psychology and even anthropology. 

Of course, this is a better option for people who have never received a four-year degree or who have the time and money to go back to school full-time. People who have already graduated and want to stay in the workforce may look for other, faster options to explore this exciting career path.

UX/UI Boot Camps

Boot camps are another option that can help you complete a successful career transition into UX research. These short programs are designed to provide an intensive educational experience and quick entry into tech hiring pools. They are well-suited to learners who have either already left university or don’t have the time to enroll in a four-year degree program. Because boot camps offer a variety of full-time, part-time and online options, they tend to also be more flexible for those who need to juggle working or family responsibilities during their academic journey. Such programs have seen a meteoric rise over the last several years; between 2018 and 2019 alone, Course Report found that boot camps grew an incredible 49 percent.  

While boot camps are most often associated with coding or software development, there are also specific programs for those interested in UX research. Explore your options to see if an intensive UX/UI boot camp could suit your situation and career interests. 

Self-Guided Resources

Who says that learning has to happen in person? If you’re ambitious and self-directed, you may want to use self-guided resources to structure your foray into UX research. An abundance of learning opportunities is available online, from tutorials and discussion forums to virtual courses . These offer price-conscious or time-constrained learners a chance to take their education into their own hands — and even once you enter your career, these sites can be an essential part of lifelong learning and job advancement.

Keep in mind, however, that free online self-guided resources often lack the support and structure that degree programs or boot camps provide. Do your research before you commit to an educational path.

How to Get Hired

Once you gain the education and skills you need, it’ll be time to look for a job in the UX field. Your boot camp or university may have a career assistance office that can help you land internships and interviews with leading technology companies, which can, in turn, evolve into valuable full-time career opportunities.

Do your research; make sure to check out job boards, especially the specialized ones provided by your boot camp or university career center. Networking, attending conferences and actively participating in the UX research community can all put you in good stead to find a great job. When you get the interview you want, prepare in advance to make the best impression possible, and show off your ability to communicate and listen effectively.

User experience research is a rapidly growing profession at the heart of today’s tech industry. With tremendous upward potential and opportunities for people with a wide range of skills and backgrounds, UX research can be an exciting and rewarding career. Will online learning, a  UX/UI boot camp or a university degree be the right option for you? Explore your training options and forge a path that will allow you to become a UX researcher according to your own timeline and educational preferences.

Master of Human-Computer Interaction

The longest-running and most impactful Master of Human-Computer Interaction in the world.

The Master of Human-Computer Interaction (MHCI) program at Carnegie Mellon University is the first program in the world dedicated to preparing professionals for careers related to human-computer interaction, user experience design and user-centered research.

The MHCI program integrates service and design thinking into a rigorous HCI curriculum that prepares our students to design and guide the future of human and technology interactions.  

About the MHCI Program

• The MHCI program is a three-semester program completed over the course of a full calendar year (August-August).
• It is a professional degree that prepares students for industry and a career related to user experience, human-computer interaction and beyond.
• Our program is interdisciplinary to its core. Each year, cohorts are made up of richly diverse student groups with varying degrees of industry experience and backgrounds in design, social science, business and computer science among many others.
• MHCI is led by faculty who are driving and defining the world of HCI. They bring together expertise in computer science, cognitive psychology, behavioral science, design and many are experts coming directly from industry. Our diverse range of faculty powers the interdisciplinary culture in the HCII.
• The flagship course of the MHCI program is the seven-month Capstone course, a research and design team project with an external industry client.
• MHCI is currently designated a STEM program.  

The MHCI Experience

During the first semester, students learn core HCI methodologies and techniques in the required classes, while customizing their academic experience from the immense selection of electives across all of the schools at Carnegie Mellon University.

While completing the second and third semesters, students continue their diverse electives and complete a substantial industry capstone project with an external client. Our alumni praise the capstone course as being one of the most instrumental courses in their academic career.

Since our first graduating class in 1997, we have graduated more than 1,200 MHCI students who are now defining the ways humans interact with technology. They are user researchers, experience designers, product managers, entrepreneurs and business owners, and software developers. More importantly, they are strategizing and defining the future of technology in companies around the world. Take a look at where our grads go after graduation on the Post-Graduation Outcomes Dashboard .

Application

The application for the next MHCI program cohort (2024-25) is now closed.

Please check back in Fall of 2024 when our next application season will begin.

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MHCI Alumni

Nicole Willis MHCI Director of Student Affairs

Human-Computer Interaction Institute Carnegie Mellon University 300 S. Craig Street, Suite 209 Pittsburgh, PA 15213

[email protected] Phone: 412-268-7971 Fax: 412-268-9433

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The Best Masters in UX Design Programs: 2024 Guide

Time, money, and a whole lot of hard work. Enrolling in a UX design program is a huge commitment — so you want to make sure you make the most informed choice. 

In this article, we’ll explore our 10 best masters in UX design programs. 

We’ll then answer the question of whether you should do a masters in UX design or whether an online UX certification or other bootcamp may be a better option for you.

To skip ahead to a section, simply use this clickable menu:

• Carnegie Mellon University
• Stanford University
• Georgia Tech
• New York University
• University of Washington
• UC Berkeley
• California College of the Arts
• Parsons School of Design
• DePaul University
• Rochester Institute of Technology

Should you do a masters in UX design?

Top 10 masters in ux design programs.

Masters in UX design often have very different official course titles, despite covering the same material. For the purpose of assessing a wide range of masters programs in this article, we have included those with titles other than UX design.

Let’s explore some of the best masters programs out there!

1. Carnegie Mellon University:

Master of human-computer interaction.

Length: 1 year Total tuition: $77,784 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Class size: 60 students/year Attendance: Full-time preferred; part-time possible Format : Campus Founded: 1997 Application fee: $100

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

GPA: No min SOP: Required Resume: Required Recommendation: 3 letters TOEFL: 100 (25 per subsection) IELTS: Not required GRE: Required Portfolio: Optional

The Master of Human-Computer Interaction (MHCI) at Carnegie Mellon University is one of the best UX design masters.

Self-described as “the first program in the world dedicated to preparing professionals for careers related to human-computer interaction, user experience design, and user-centered research,” the program draws students from a huge range of backgrounds.

Students with varying degrees of industry experience—and backgrounds in design, social science, business and computer science, and more—attend the (generally full-time) one-year program on campus in Pittsburgh, PA.

One factor behind its strong reputation is that Carnegie Mellon University is known for its tough admission criteria. Graduates are respected not only in the design space but also in the broader world of tech.

Their comprehensive Post-Graduation Outcomes Dashboard highlighted the number of their graduates who find employment with the likes of Google, Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft, and Apple:

Source: Carnegie Mellon University

2. Stanford University: M.S. in Design Impact 

Length: 2 years Total tuition: $75,240 Location: Stanford, CA Class size: 13 students/year Attendance: Full-time Format : Campus Founded: 2018 Application fee: $125

GPA: No minimum SOP: Required Resume: Required Recommendation: 3 letters TOEFL: 100 IELTS: Not required GRE: Not required Portfolio: Required

Regularly ranked in the top two or three US colleges, and in the top three or four worldwide, Stanford University is a globally acclaimed institution.

Its M.S. in Design Impact (DI), a full-time, two-year program established in 2018, shares that reputation. 

Founded on the idea that design is broader than products, experiences, and systems, the program explores “the technologies and data that power the above” as well as “the implications and consequences of all of our work in the world in the short and long term.”

With the objective of grounding students in the full problem space of this interconnected landscape, the M.S. in Design Impact has three focus areas:

Design Core: I ncluding Project-Based Design Work, Human Factors, Design Ethics, Leadership, and Visualization

Methods: A choice of three focus areas that enable students to effectively implement their design abilities with methods such as analysis, describing phenomena, and design problem application.

Domain: A domain focus area from appropriate courses to gain added knowledge in a field of interest to them.

3. Georgia Tech:

Master of human computer interaction.

Length: 2 years Total tuition: $70,816/2 years (out-of-state); $32,128/2 years (in-state) Location: Atlanta, GA Class size: 52 students/year Attendance: Full-time Format : Campus Founded: 1998 Application fee: $85

GPA: 3.0 SOP: Required Resume: Required Recommendation: Asked letters TOEFL: 100 IELTS: Not required GRE: Required Portfolio: Optional

Established in 1998, Georgia Tech’s Master of Human Computer Interaction (MS-HCI) is something of a veteran among the programs we look at. It has both a very strong US reputation and a growing global one.

Like many of the masters in UX design and HCI, Georgia tech’s program is an interdisciplinary offering. Four schools offer the program collaboratively:

• Industrial Design
• Interactive Computing
• Literature, Media, and Communication (LMC)

Its aim is to equip students with the practical skills and theoretical understandings they need to develop into “leaders in the design, implementation, and evaluation of the next generation of human-computer interfaces”.

4. New York University: Integrated Design & Media, M.S.

Length: 2 years Total tuition: $115,680 Location: New York, NY Class size: 110 students/year Attendance: Full-time Format : Campus or online Founded: 1979 Application fee: $65

GPA: No minimum SOP: Required Resume: Required Recommendation: 2 letters TOEFL: Not required IELTS: Not required GRE: Required Portfolio: Required

New York University’s MS in Integrated Digital Media has built its reputation as one of the best UX masters programs because of its emphasis on art and aesthetics. It combines art and technology in a unique, challenging, and fluid way.

Only the second program on our list to offer students the chance to learn online or with a blended mix of campus and online, the Integrated Design & Media, M.S. is set up to cater to all career levels.

And—whatever career stage you’re at— you’ll get to experience new ways of understanding culture, technology, and society and how these inform technological design.

If “The Big Apple” holds the same mystique for you as it does for most of us, you can tap into an unparalleled cultural and technological experience right at its core.

5. University of Washington:

Master of human-computer interaction and design.

Length: 1 year Attendance: Full-time Total tuition: $$55,430 (2023-24) Location: Seattle, WA Class size: 30 students/year Format : Campus Founded: 2013 Application fee: $85

GPA: 3.2 SOP: Required Resume: Required Recommendation: 3 letters TOEFL: 106 (26 speaking) IELTS: Not required GRE: Not required Portfolio: Optional

Taught on campus in Seattle, the University of Washington’s Master of Human-Computer Interaction and Design (MHCID) is undoubtedly one of the finest masters in UX design out there.

It’s a multidisciplinary program, with course content provided collaboratively by four departments:

• Computer Science & Engineering
• Human-Centered Design & Engineering
• The Information School
• Division of Design in the School of Art + Art History + Design

The program’s unique, cross-disciplinary approach is designed to cultivate “a new generation of designers, engineers, and researchers” with an education that enables them to “successfully combine the creative aspects of design and the study of human behavior with the analytical techniques of engineering”. 

And—judging by their strong graduate outcomes—they’re doing something right.

95% of the program graduates are employed within six months (70% within three months and the majority join large enterprises (5,000+ employees) in tech. This infographic from the course website shows where their graduates land:

Source: University of Washington

6. UC Berkeley: Master of Design  

Length: 1.5 years Total tuition: $73,130 Location: Berkeley, CA Class size: 23 students/year Attendance: Full-time Format : Campus or online Founded: 2020 Application fee: $140

GPA: 3 SOP: Required Resume: Required Recommendation: 3 letters TOEFL: 90 IELTS: 7 GRE: Not required Portfolio: Required

UC Berkeley’s reputation is global, and it won’t surprise many to see its Master of Design (MDes) feature in our list. 

Based on three pillars—technical rigor, design theory, and social practice—the program is aimed at early to mid-career professionals who want to pursue work “at the intersection of design and technology”.

With this in mind, UC Berkeley students are offered the chance to work in fields such as artistic production, technological innovations, product design, and design interventions in cities.

Students are also pushed to develop intelligent new approaches and design toolkits to respond to the changing dynamics of technologies like artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, sensing, and the internet of things. 

At the same time, they’re encouraged to take a wider perspective and understand the underlying ethical concerns and questions about their possible, often unforeseen, impacts. 

7. California College of the Arts:

Mdes in interaction design.

Length: 1 year Total tuition: $63,900 Location: San Francisco, CA Class size: 45-60 students/year Attendance: Full-time Format : Campus or online Founded: 2016 Application fee: $70

GPA: No minimum SOP: Required Resume: Required Recommendation: 2 letters TOEFL (or IELTS): 100 IELTS (or TOEFL): 7.5 GRE: Not required Portfolio: Required

Staying on the west coast—the heart of Silicon Valley to be precise—the MDes in Interaction Design at California College of the Arts is the next masters on our list.

Promising aspiring designers the chance to “build the most in-demand design toolkit in the world today” this is a program focused on cultivating systems thinking, design leadership development, and iteration and collaboration skills.

Priding itself on creating skills that can have “measurable social impact”, this MDes is centered on designing for the environment, public health, transportation, education, and other major industries. 

8. Parsons School of Design:

M.f.a. in design and technology .

Length: 2 years Total tuition: $103,500 Location: New York, NY Class size: 80 students/year Attendance: Full-time Format : Campus or online Founded: 1997 Application fee: $50

GPA: No minimum SOP: Required Resume: Required Recommendation: 2 letters TOEFL (or IELTS): 92 IELTS (or TOEFL): 7 GRE: Not required Portfolio: Required

Another New York-based option, Parsons School of Design offers an M.F.A. in Design and Technology (DT) which takes a broad and critical approach to tech. Students at Parsons will enter a dynamic, challenging, idea-driven environment that pushes them to think about the “ever-present impact that computational technologies have on our lives”. 

With a wider scope than some other masters programs in the field, students at Parsons can focus on areas of practice including wearable technology, game design, new media art, digital fabrication, physical computing, interaction design, data visualization, and critical design.

9. DePaul University:

M.s. in human-computer interaction.

Length: 2.5 years Total tuition: $44,980 (2022-23) Location: Chicago, IL Class size: 100 students/year Attendance: Full-time, part-time Format : Campus and online Founded: Unknown Application fee: $25

GPA: 2.5 SOP: Not required Resume: Required Recommendation: Optional letters TOEFL (or IELTS): 80 (17 each subsection) IELTS (or TOEFL): 6.5 GRE: Not required Portfolio: Not required

Part of DePaul University’s Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media, the Master of Science in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) program teaches students how to “ideate, design, implement, and evaluate computer-based technologies so they are useful and usable for end users.”

An interdisciplinary degree, the program draws on concepts and methods from computer science, graphic design, and the social sciences to offer a well-rounded education.

Students are encouraged to pursue user-centered and participatory design approaches in creating dynamic websites, mobile apps, desktop applications, and more.

DePaul’s program has a good reputation with employers and graduates have found well-remunerated employment with a range of major corporations, as this graphic from the course website illustrates:

Source: DePaul

10. Rochester Institute of Technology:

Length: 2 years Total tuition: $100,272 Location: Rochester, NY Class size: 25 students/year Attendance: Full-time, part-time Format : Campus or online Founded: 2004 Application fee: $65

GPA: 3 SOP: Required Resume: Required Recommendation: 2 letters TOEFL (or IELTS): 88 IELTS (or TOEFL): 6.5 GRE: Required Portfolio: Not required

Based in Rochester, NY, a small city (by US standards) on the shore of Lake Ontario, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) boasts an acclaimed M.S. in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) .

Students explore “the design methods, evaluation, and implementation of interactive computing systems for human use” to build the skills needed for a career in UX design or research. They focus on creating professionals who understand the shift away from the desktop user and know how evolving tech can be designed to be intuitive, effective, and even compelling.

Perhaps unsurprisingly—with program hiring partners including the likes of Cisco, HubSpot, HP, Bose Corporation, and many more—graduates from RIT tend to fare well in their careers. Graduates report job titles such as UI/UX Designer, Interaction Designer, Usability Specialist, Product Designer, and User Experience Researcher.

Now that we’ve looked at ten of the best masters in UX design out there, let’s quickly wrap up with some final thoughts.

There is no easy answer to this, other than: “it depends”.

There are many factors that you’ll need to weigh up before deciding whether to do a UX design master.

Ultimately, it will hinge on your unique personal situation, so think about things like: 

• How much time you can invest (and whether you can study full-time or part-time)
• How much money you can invest
• Whether you can relocate for campus study if required or would rather go online 
• Whether you need an accredited program (if you’re an expat or soon-to-be expat for example)
• How much the prestige (or otherwise) of the institution matters to you
• Your learning style
• Your career goals

We realize this is a lot to think about. So—to help you get started with your decision—here are three win pros and cons of UX design masters, as opposed to UX design certifications.

Pros of masters in UX design

• Prestige: Some masters in UX Design (or HCI) carry more prestige than other types of certification. This will vary from employer to employer though, and UX teams at the best employers are often made up of designers with masters degrees, online certifications, and even self-taught skills.
• Career prospects: Related to the prestige factor, some employers will look more favorably on candidates with a UX design masters over a certification. Bear in mind that this generally applies less and less the further along in your career you get, as your experience and portfolio—and ability to explain them both—become key drivers of your career path.
• Formal and structured: Masters in UX design are typically more formal than other UX certifications and often require in-person attendance at lectures or seminars. 

Cons of masters in UX design

• Long: Doing a masters in UX design will take you a minimum of one year of full-time study, often going to two years or even longer. Meanwhile, online UX certifications can be completed much more quickly ( CareerFoundry: 5-10 months, UX Design Institute UX Design Diploma : 6 months or less, General Assembly UX Design Immersive : 12 weeks full-time)
• Expensive: Unless you can secure a scholarship or other subsidies, a masters in UX design can be incredibly expensive. The masters we look at in this article range from $44,980 to $115,680, and that’s for the tuition fees alone, without factoring in your living expenses and so on.
• Geographical limitations: Some masters require, or strongly prefer campus study. This can be limiting for those not able or willing to relocate to study. Online UX certifications, on the other hand, are available to you regardless of geography.

If you’d like to explore online certifications more, we recommend checking out Emily Steven’s The Best UX Design Certification Programs: A Complete Guide .

Alternatively, if you’d like to read more on the pros and cons of accredited courses (masters degrees) and non-accredited (most online certifications), our article on The 7 Best UX Design Schools will be right up your alley.

Before you apply for any UX design course, be it a masters or an online certification, do your research and figure out if the course is suited to your unique personal situation, learning preferences, and career goals.

Whether or not you apply to do a masters will ultimately depend on whether you can make and justify the time, logistical, and financial commitments required.

And remember: in the medium to long term, when you’re three or four years into your career, where you studied will be far less important to prospective employers than your work experience and portfolio. 

How persuasively and logically you can explain your design decisions, and how well you can collaborate and engage stakeholders or clients will count for a lot more than whether you studied at Stanford or completed an online certification.

If you’re interested in reading more about UX design, try the following articles:

• The Ultimate Guide to UX Research Bootcamps
• Can You Teach Yourself UX Design?
• A Day in the Life of a UX Designer

Top UX masters degree programs

UserTesting

If you're looking to get an education in the field of UX, a masters in UX design can be a great way to get started if you’re new to user experience or want to add valuable skills to your resume.

It used to be true that user experience was a field that you’d learn on the job, not in a classroom. However, more and more excellent Human Factors, Human Computer Interaction (HCI), UX, and Design programs are emerging that can give you the background and experience you need to excel in the field. For some, a less-intensive UX certificate program may provide just enough additional education. However, some professions and disciplines (and students) benefit from graduate-level studies.

While an advanced degree isn't always necessary for a career in UX, it can be a great way to learn applicable skills, improve your resume, and build a network. Here are some of the top UX graduate programs currently offered in the US to check out if you’re ready to take your UX education to the next level.

If you're worried about fitting a graduate-level program into your schedule, we have good news for you. As the field of user experience continues to grow, so have the options for higher education. Whether you plan to continue working during your studies or dedicate a few years to a full-time program, you'll have lots of options. We've grouped the programs into two sections: in-person programs, in which you'll need to attend classes on campus, and online programs, which are accessible from anywhere. Select the link below to see more detailed information about each program.

In-person programs

Online programs.

1.  University of California Berkeley - Master of Information Management and Systems

Who’s it for.

The Master of Information Management and Systems (MIMS) program is a 48 unit, two-year full-time program, designed to train students in the skills needed to succeed as information professionals. Such professionals must be familiar with the theory and practice of storing, organizing, retrieving and analyzing information in a variety of settings in business, the public sector, and the academic world.

Online or in person?

The MIMS program is offered in person, at Berkeley’s campus in Berkeley, California.

How long is the program?

The 48-unit program can be completed by full-time students in two years.

How much does it cost?

Total tuition ranges between $53,866 and $78,356, depending on residency.

2.  Carnegie Mellon University - Master of Human Computer Interaction

This HCI masters program is for any professionals seeking to expand their careers to include skills in human computer interaction, user experience design, and user-centered research.

The program is offered in-person at Carnegie Mellon’s Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania campus.

The 36-unit program can be completed in one year.

Total tuition is $72,000 for full-time students.

3.  Georgia Tech - Master of Science in Human Computer Interaction

The program is for students who desire the practical skills and theoretical understandings needed to excel in the fields of human computer interfacing.

This program is offered on Georgia Tech’s campus in Atlanta, Georgia.

The degree requires 36 credit hours, which can be completed in two years.

Total tuition costs between $31,576 and $69,672, depending on residency.

4. University of Michigan - Master of Science in Information, Human Computer Interaction Specialization

This program is for individuals interested in specializing in human computer interaction that design technologies for work, education, entertainment, and social interaction.

This program is offered in-person on Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus.

The 48-credit program can be completed in two years on a full-time basis.

Total tuition for full-time students costs between $46,256 and $93,356, depending on residency.

5.  Purdue University - Master of Science Computer Graphics Technology

This program is for individuals that wish to apply the principles of human-centered design in their profession to help create products and services that are user-friendly.

The program is offered in-person on Purdue’s West Lafayette, Indiana campus.

Most students can complete the program in two years.

Total tuition costs between $21,128 and $59,312, depending on residency.

6.  San Jose State University - Master of Science Human Factors

This program prepares students for careers in human computer interaction through a curriculum that emphasizes theory, practical applications, and research.

The program is offered in person at San Jose State’s campus in San Jose, California.

The 30-unit program can be completed in two years.

Total tuition costs between $18,460 and $30,340, depending on residency.

7.  Stanford University - Master of Science of Symbolic Systems

This program is for professionals interested in the different aspects of the human computer relationship in the areas of cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and human computer interactions.

The program is offered in-person at Stanford’s Palo Alto, California campus.

The 45-unit full-time program can be completed in two years.

Total tuition is $32,814.

8.  The University of Texas at Austin - Master of Science in Information Science

This program is for professionals seeking to accelerate their careers through the study of information systems.

The program is offered in-person at The University of Texas at Austin’s campus in Austin, Texas.

The 40-unit program can be completed in three to four years.

Total tuition costs between $23,160 and $41,876, depending on residency.

9. University of North Texas - Masters in Interaction Design

This program is designed for professionals seeking to advance their leadership skills while learning more advanced industry-focused methods and best practices.

The program is taught evenings on the University’s Frisco campus.

The program can be completed in 16 months or less.

Total tuition costs between $11,773 and $24,223, depending on residency.

10.  The University of Washington - Master of Science in Human Centered Design and Engineering

This program is for students who are interested in researching, designing, and engineering technological interactions from a human perspective.

The program is offered in person at the University of Washington’s Seattle campus.

The 48-unit program can be completed in one and a half years.

Total tuition is $39,536.

11.  Bentley University - Master of Science in Human Factors in Information Design

Bentley’s Human Factors in Information Design (HFID) program is for individuals who want to complement their professional experience with user experience. All applicants must have a minimum of three years of professional experience before joining the program.

All HFID courses are available online for students living outside of Massachusetts.

The 10-course program can be completed in one year for full-time students and two to three years for part-time students.

Total tuition is $42,250.

12. Iowa State University - Masters in Human Computer Interaction

This human computer interaction masters program is best suited for students with a strong background in information technology who are hoping to advance in their current career or branch out into new disciplines. Online or in person? The program is on-demand and completed online.

The 30-credit program can be completed in two years.

Total tuition is $24,870.

13. Maryland Institute College of Art - Master of Professional Studies in UX Design

This program is designed for students seeking to master the fundamental principles of interface design, project management, prototyping, and usability as applied to industries from gaming to healthcare and education to defense.

The program consists of nine online modules and one in-person residency.

The 30-credit program can be completed in 15-months for full-time students.

Total tuition is $37,500.

14. University of Southern California - Masters in Integrated Design, Business and Technology

This program is an integrative cross-disciplinary curriculum that’s well-suited for professionals who want to expand their knowledge and expertise across multiple fields.

The program is offered online with live, interactive classes.

The full-time, 38-credit program can be completed in one and a half years.

Total tuition is $70,794

15. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee - Masters in Information Science and Technology

This course is designed for professionals who want to further expand their skills and expertise related to user interface, design, and human computer interaction.

The program is offered on-demand, online.

The 36-credit program can be completed in two years for full-time students.

Total tuition is $28,800.

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College of Professional Studies

The Graduate Certificate in Usability offers a flexible, practical pathway to gain experience in the rapidly growing field of usability and user experience.

A wide variety of industries—from computer software and hardware to biomedical and government agencies—recognize the importance of usability. As a result, there has been an increase in the demand for people with this knowledge. The Graduate Certificate in Usability provides you with the opportunity to learn about the top in-demand skills in this field, including usability testing, prototyping, and information architecture. You can also choose from focused electives that emphasize practical assignments to help get you up to speed with this rapidly growing field.

More Details

Unique features.

• Offered 100% online
• Students can start any quarter, and can complete the program in as little as two quarters
• Flexible learning pathway; choose the electives that suit your learning objectives
• Emphasis on gaining practical experience with the latest usability tools and techniques

Looking for something different?

A graduate degree or certificate from Northeastern—a top-ranked university—can accelerate your career through rigorous academic coursework and hands-on professional experience in the area of your interest. Apply now—and take your career to the next level.

Program Costs

Finance Your Education We offer a variety of resources, including scholarships and assistantships.

How to Apply Learn more about the application process and requirements.

Requirements

• Online application
• Unofficial undergraduate transcripts; official transcripts required at the time of admission
• Statement of purpose (500-1000 words): identifies your educational goals and expectations of the program; please be aware that the university's academic policy on plagiarism applies to your statement of purpose
• Professional resumé
• TOEFL requirement for nonnative English speakers

Are You an International Student? Find out what additional documents are required to apply.

Admissions Details Learn more about the College of Professional Studies admissions process, policies, and required materials.

Admissions Dates

Our admissions process operates on a rolling basis; however, we do recommend the application guidelines below to ensure you can begin during your desired start term:

Domestic Application Guidelines

International Application Guidelines *

*International deadlines are only applicable if the program is F1 compliant.

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For 100+ years, we’ve designed our programs with one thing in mind—your success. Explore the current program requirements and course descriptions, all designed to meet today’s industry needs and must-have skills.

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Northeastern's signature experience-powered learning model has been at the heart of the university for more than a century. It combines world-class academics with professional practice, allowing you to acquire relevant, real-world skills you can immediately put into action in your current workplace. This makes a Northeastern education a dynamic, transformative experience, giving you countless opportunities to grow as a professional and person.

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Northeastern University faculty represents a broad cross-section of professional practices and fields, including finance, education, biomedical science, management, and the U.S. military. They serve as mentors and advisors and collaborate alongside you to solve the most pressing global challenges facing established and emerging markets.

By enrolling in Northeastern, you’ll gain access to students at 13 campus locations, 300,000+ alumni, and 3,000 employer partners worldwide. Our global university system provides students unique opportunities to think locally and act globally while serving as a platform for scaling ideas, talent, and solutions.

Below is a look at where our Digital Media & Design alumni work, the positions they hold, and the skills they bring to their organization.

Where They Work

What they do.

• Art and Design
• Engineering
• Information Technology
• Media and Communication

What They're Skilled At

• Adobe Creative Suite
• Social Media
• Digital Media

Learn more about Northeastern Alumni on  Linkedin .

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Graduate Certificate in User Research

The Graduate Certificate in User Research provides students with in-depth knowledge and practical mastery of qualitative research methods rooted in ethnography, with an emphasis on how user research informs design thinking.

Degree Requirements

Course descriptions.

ANTH 540 FUNDAMENTALS OF DESIGN ANTHROPOLOGY (3-0-3) (F). Advanced introduction to anthropological contributions to design thinking, and the reciprocal impact of design thinking on the practice of anthropology. Exploration of the principles and practices of participatory design, interaction design, user-centered design, and behavior-centered design.

ANTH 541 ETHNOGRAPHY FOR USER EXPERIENCE RESEARCH (3-0-3) (F/S/SU). Advanced introduction to the ethnographic tradition in anthropology, and its adaptation for applications outside academia. Emphasis on ethnography in user experience research, and the place of user experience in design thinking. Includes practical exercises and ethical practices.

ANTH 542 EMERGING DIGITAL CULTURES (3-0-3) (F/S/SU). Explores contemporary ethnographic studies of the cultural impact of emerging digital technologies on multiple dimensions of social life, from the future of work to shopping and leisure, from political life to private experience. Considers influences on design decisions, and how those decisions impact the human condition.

How to Apply

Admission requirements.

Applicants are required to have earned at least a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university or a degree from a non-U.S. institution of higher education that is judged equivalent to a U.S. baccalaureate degree by the International Admissions office and have an undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 (based on a 4-point scale) computed for all undergraduate credits from the applicant’s most recent baccalaureate degree.

A prospective student may apply at any time and should follow the general graduate application procedures for degree-seeking students (See Graduate Admission Requirements ).

Required Application Materials

The following items are required for the Graduate Certificate in User Research application:

• Graduate College Application – Complete the Graduate College application . Once you complete the Graduate College portion of the online application and pay the application fee, the User Research program application requirements will be made available to you.
• Transcripts – Please request official copies of all undergraduate and graduate transcripts to be sent to Boise State. Learn more about submitting transcripts to Boise State .
• Personal Statement – A 1000-word statement explaining how the Graduate Certificate in user Research relates to your broader professional goals. In this statement please address the knowledge and skills you hope to acquire in earning the certificate.
• Resume – A current Resume
• Two letters of recommendation – from a supervisor or academic instructor. Applicants will provide contact information for two references in the application system. Upon submission of the recommender contact information, an email will be sent to the recommender with a link to upload a letter of recommendation.

In order to be considered for the User Experience Research certificate, the Graduate application, official transcripts, and all related admission materials and requirements must be turned in by:

• Fall – August 1st
• Spring – January 1st
• Summer – April 1st

Program Coordinator

Dr. Kendall House [email protected] Math Building Room 137A (208) 426-3896

If you are interested in scholarship information please visit our Scholarship Page for new and transfer students.

If you are new to the scholarship process view our Frequently Asked Questions .

Department of Anthropology

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• Home: Explore careers

User researcher

Alternative titles for this job include.

User researchers collect, analyse and test data to design websites, software and applications based on user needs.

Average salary (a year)

£24,000 Starter

£40,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

37 to 39 a week

You could work

evenings occasionally

How to become

How to become a user researcher.

You can get into this job through:

• a university course
• applying directly
• a graduate training scheme

You can do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in:

• human computer interaction (HCI)
• digital marketing
• product design
• graphic design

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
• 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

More Information

• equivalent entry requirements
• student finance for fees and living costs
• university courses and entry requirements

Volunteering

You can volunteer at user research sessions to get some experience. This will be useful, especially if you do not have a degree.

You can also get involved in the online user experience (UX) community and find a mentor to help you.

Direct Application

You can apply directly to user research or digital design companies, or go through a specialist agency.

To apply, you'll need experience in:

• user-centred design practices
• running user research sessions in person and online
• different user research methods
• presenting user research findings in different formats

Other Routes

You could apply for a place on a user research or marketing company's graduate training scheme if you have a degree, for example in digital marketing or product design.

Career tips

It will be useful if you have experience of working in agile project development.

You can find further information on what a user researcher does at the Government Digital Service .

It will also help if you have a portfolio to show examples of your work to employers.

Further information

You can find out more about working as a user researcher from the User Experience Professionals' Association and techskills .

What it takes

Skills and knowledge.

You'll need:

• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• knowledge of English language
• maths knowledge
• analytical thinking skills
• the ability to use your initiative
• the ability to work well with others
• to be flexible and open to change
• excellent verbal communication skills
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

What you’ll do

What you'll do, day-to-day tasks.

On a daily basis you could:

• plan and design user research testing sessions
• recruit users for testing sessions and carry out research
• get an understanding of users' needs, motivations and any problems with a service or product
• use research results to identify new product and design ideas
• work as part of a large product development team
• help colleagues understand user behaviours
• present user insights to project stakeholders at all levels

Working environment

You could work in an office, at a client's business or from home.

Career path and progression

With experience you could move into a management role and supervise a team of user researchers. You could also work on larger, more complicated projects as a head of user experience or research.

You could become a business analyst, or product or service designer.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships in england.

We can't find any apprenticeship vacancies in England for a user researcher right now.

The Find an apprenticeship service can help you with your search, send alerts when new apprenticeships become available and has advice on how to apply.

Courses In England

Level 3 certificate in user experience/user interface (ux/ui) ncfe.

• Provider: THE CITY LITERARY INSTITUTE
• Start date: 01 October 2024
• Location: London

UI UX Design

• Provider: NEW CITY COLLEGE
• Start date: 24 September 2024
• Location: HACKNEY

Jobs In the United Kingdom

The Find a job service can help you with your search for jobs and send alerts when new jobs become available.

Not what you're looking for?

Search further careers, related careers.

• User experience (UX) designer
• Web designer
• Market researcher
• Digital product owner
• Web content editor

Skills assessment

Take an assessment to learn more about your skills and the careers that might suit you.

Speak to an adviser

You can call 0800 100 900 or use webchat to speak to an adviser.

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Purdue Hospitality and Tourism Management graduate student wins best paper award for innovative technology research

Written By: Rebecca Hoffa, [email protected]

Evita Ma poses with the fellow Purdue HTM attendees at the 29th Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism in January. (Photo provided)

As Starship robots deliver food to hungry Boilermakers across Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus, their presence is often welcomed like that of a neighborhood pet — students are often seen helping them when they get stuck or smiling and moving out of their way when they meet them on the sidewalk. When Alei (Aileen) Fan , associate professor in the White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) and an expert in service innovation and experience design, helped one along its way one day, she was met with a low-tone, male voice saying, “Thank you.” This contradicted the “cute” vision Fan had in her mind of the robots being like her dog at home.

When Fan relayed the experience to her PhD student Chang (Evita) Ma , the College of Health and Human Sciences graduate student was inspired to investigate deeper how the combination of appearance and voice impacted the consumer’s overall experience in the service encounter.  

Evita Ma poses with her best paper award at the 29th Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism. (Photo provided)

These efforts culminated in winning a best paper award at the 29th Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism in January.

“I’m really honored,” Ma said. “As far as I know, for the past three years or so, no one from our school has gotten the award, so it was a pleasure to have that. It’s very competitive — over the 130-some presentations, I was selected as one of the four winners.”

The study looked at how people’s reactions differed when comparing matched, or congruent, voice and appearance and mismatched, or incongruent, voice and appearance. The researchers found that depending on the robot’s function, people tended to be either more or less accepting of when a robot’s voice does not match its appearance.

In a utilitarian scenario where the consumer really only desires the robot to perform a job function and doesn’t care as much about having an emotional connection, people often prefer the congruent voice and appearance because they feel the incongruent one is not well-designed or not capable of performing their desired outcome. When consumers are in a hedonic scenario where they don’t care as much about the functions the robot is performing but simply wish to have a connection or engage with the robot, the congruency doesn’t matter as much, and some of the surprising elements, such as the mismatched voice and appearance, may attract people to engage with it.

“We as human beings actually view things holistically,” Ma said. “We don’t separate the different parts.”

Considering how these distinct factors work together to shape consumer perceptions could ultimately shape the characteristics of future service robots to improve service encounters across the industry.

“It’s a timely topic,” Fan said. “Whether you like it or not, technology takes up a lot of our lives. This research provided practical guidelines for industries and companies on how to design different robots to better serve our customer.”

This study resulted as a product of Ma’s study “Decoding the Shared Pathways of Consumer Technology Experience in Hospitality and Tourism: A Meta-Analysis,” which examined the literature currently available to investigate the different types of technology and how humans interact with them. Ma ultimately noticed a gap in papers that combined elements — many simply looked at appearance or voice independently.

“Very few of the papers actually combine all the different subtle elements together; they just focus on one single perspective like appearance or voice,” Ma said. “So, I began looking at: What is the combination between those? Our initial idea was we wanted to know how the combination of design elements of service robots impacts the customer’s reactions and feelings of the service in different scenarios.”

Prior to coming to Purdue, Ma spent four years gaining industry experience at the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals nonprofit in Hong Kong, where she made many connections on the technology side of the industry and solidified her interest in coming to a very technology-focused university to earn her PhD.

“Purdue has such a strong background in terms of technology and engineering, so that was also one of the reasons I wanted to keep focusing on that for my research area,” Ma said. “After taking a class with Dr. Fan, I decided to join her team.”

Beyond research, Ma has fully immersed herself in the teaching and engagement areas of graduate student life as well. Ma teaches two 200-level marketing courses to undergraduate HTM students, where she’s maximized opportunities for the students to engage in experiential education. She’s also working on curriculum development with HTM faculty and has become involved in several graduate student organizations, including the Purdue Graduate Student Government, where she is a senator.

After graduating from the program, Ma plans to pursue a faculty position that allows her to combine her passion for research with her love for teaching and service.

“She’s really the star student,” Fan said. “When we evaluate a PhD student, there are three aspects: research, teaching and service. Evita is excellent in all of these.”

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This report is a collaborative effort based on the input and analysis of the following individuals. Find related reports online at pewresearch.org/topic/economy-work.

Kim Parker, Director, Social Trends Research Juliana Horowitz, Associate Director, Research Richard Fry, Senior Economist          Dana Braga, Research Assistant       Isabel Goddard, Research Associate Kiley Hurst, Research Analyst Rakesh Kochhar, Senior Researcher John Carlo Mandapat, Information Graphics Designer Anna Jackson, Editorial Assistant                                                    Julia O’Hanlon, Communications Manager Mithila Samak, Communications Associate

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Sarachek awards recognize outstanding doctoral candidates and support early career success

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

MANHATTAN — Two Kansas State University doctoral candidates have received Sarachek awards from the Graduate School for their academic and research achievements. Bianca Morejon Viteri, doctoral candidate in microbiology, Quito, Ecuador, was awarded the $19,000 Alvin and RosaLee Sarachek Predoctoral Honors Fellowship in Molecular Biology. Kuan-Lun Ho, doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering, Zhubei City, Taiwan , was awarded the $1,500 Sarachek Scientific Travel Award. Alvin and RosaLee Sarachek, Wichita , established the fellowship and travel awards to recognize resident graduate students enrolled in a doctoral program at Kansas State University who have demonstrated exceptional research and scholastic accomplishments. A selection committee composed of interdisciplinary graduate faculty determines the fellowship and award recipients. The awards program is offered through K-State's Graduate School . Morejon's research aims to keep the world safe from diseases spread by mosquitos. Mosquitoes are responsible for approximately 750,000 human deaths annually. They are deadly due to their ability to transmit various diseases, including malaria, which is caused by parasites spread through the bites of infected mosquitoes. To fight pathogens, mosquitoes mount a vigorous immune response that is partially regulated by extracellular protease cascades. Morejon's dissertation research uses genetics, transcriptomics and gene co-expression analyses to investigate the role of protease cascades in overcoming infections in Anopheles gambiae, the African malaria mosquito. "I have identified 27 proteases regulating the immune response, which control the infection outcome by enabling the mosquito to eliminate the infection rather than tolerate its negative impact," Morejon said. The results of her research reveal a significantly expanded set of proteases, exceeding in number and complexity the molecular makeup of protease cascades known to regulate immunity in other animals, including humans. "These findings not only enhance our fundamental understanding of immune system function but could also inform the design of novel malaria control strategies that prevent the parasite from reaching the human host," Morejon said. Morejon will use the fellowship to support the transition to her next career phase. She has accepted an offer for a postdoctoral position in the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The fellowship will also support her initial research there, which will focus on insect hormones in mosquito reproduction. The initial data she collects will form the basis of fellowship applications for early-career scientists. Kristin Michel , professor of biology, is Morejon's major professor. Ho's research aims to develop point-of-care diagnostic devices and techniques for disease and pathogen detection. Specifically, he studies devices that use digital electro-microfluidics, or DEMF. For diagnostic devices, the microfluidic chip developed in Ho's research can manipulate droplets to perform a reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction in a shorter time than commercial diagnostic machines. The current results show that different variants of SARS-CoV-2 can be detected and distinguished simultaneously using DEMF. Additionally, Ho is working on the development of a novel droplet generation method called electro-emulsion for use in digital diagnostics. His goal is to use this technique for digital polymerase chain reaction detection of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, a foodborne pathogen in ground beef, milk and vegetables. Using this digital approach, a higher sensitivity can be achieved compared to traditional diagnostics. Ho will use the travel award to support his participation in the International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences, MicroTAS, which will be held in Canada from October 13-17. By attending this conference, Ho will have the opportunity to present his research, gain knowledge in his field of study and explore other potential research areas. Shih-Kang Fan , professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering, is Ho's major professor. Alvin Sarachek received his doctorate in genetics from Kansas State University in 1957. He and his wife, RosaLee Sarachek, valued the university's tradition of offering a broad array of quality programs in the life sciences, many with outstanding national reputations. The Saracheks created the fellowship and travel awards because they wanted to contribute to the tradition of excellence by recognizing students who have demonstrated exceptional research accomplishments involving molecular approaches to biological problems. More information on the Sarachek awards is available on the Graduate School website .

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• Updated: 5/29/24

11 Knights Earn NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Recognitions for 2024

The U.S. National Science Foundation Fellowship helps students continue research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. institutions.

By Ryan Randall | May 23, 2024

Five Knights have earned the most prestigious STEM research fellowship in the United States. Another six have earned honorable mentions for the award.

Five UCF alums have received U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships (GRF), which supports outstanding graduate students in STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. institutions. The five-year fellowship includes three years of financial support with an annual stipend of $37,000 and a cost of education allowance of $16,000 to the institution. Each award is valued up to $159,000.

“This is a campuswide achievement that could not be possible without the support of faculty like [Associate Professor of Writing and Rhetoric] Laurie Pinkert, and other academic support offices such as Honors Research and Academic Advancement Programs,” says Morgan Bauer, director of the Office of Prestigious Awards in UCF’s Burnett Honors College.

The Knights who are named fellows are:

Laurie Agosto ’19 Applied sciences alum with a biology minor College of Undergraduate Studies College of Sciences

Saoulkie Bertin ’23 Interdisciplinary studies alum with a medical anthropology minor and anthropology of global health certificate Burnett Honors College College of Undergraduate Studies College of Sciences

Stephen Staklinski ’20 Biomedical sciences alum Burnett Honors College College of Medicine

Andres Torres ’08 Aerospace engineering alum College of Engineering and Computer Science

Stephanie Washburn ’24 Psychology alum with a statistics minor Burnett Honors College College of Sciences

Those who received honorable mentions are:

Rachel Cooper Psychology doctoral student College of Sciences

Michael Kwara ’22 Mechanical engin eering alum; mechanical engineering master’s student Burnett Honors College College of Engineering and Computer Science

Andrea Mullin Psychology student Burnett Honors College College of Sciences

Fahad Nabid ’23 Aerospace engineering alum Burnett Honors College College of Engineering and Computer Science

Sachin Shah ’22 Computer science alum Burnett Honors College College of Engineering and Computer Science

Nyle Siddiqui Computer science doctoral student College of Engineering and Computer Science

For some graduates, such as Bertin and Washburn, the journey to the fellowship was assisted through their involvement with the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program, a U.S. Department of Education program that aims to increase the attainment of doctoral degrees by students from underrepresented segments of society.

Through the McNair Scholars Program, Bertin conducted summer research at John Hopkins University and participated in a global health internship in Puerto Rico while she earned a degree in interdisciplinary studies at UCF.

In 2021, Bertin led a point-of-sale task force in promoting a healthier and tobacco-free county through a collaboration between UCF and the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) in Orange County. For her work, she received the FDOH Health Equity Hero Award, which recognizes public health individuals in the community. The work also led to a thesis in 2023 examining the culture of local activist groups in Central Florida and their influence nicotine-related policy change, using data collected through participant observation and semi-structured interviews with activist group members, key actors, and nicotine users in Volusia County and Orange counties.

As an incoming global and sociocultural sciences doctoral student at with Florida International University, she will further her research interests at the intersection of climate change and the intricate interplay of government and industry policies concerning food, tobacco/nicotine, and their health implications.

“I like community-engaged research, so [I] definitely [have done] a lot of volunteering in the community [and] I know that can help inform my research in the long term,” Bertin says.

While at UCF, Washburn, a psychology major with a specialization in neuroscience, mainly investigated identity research, which examines how one’s characteristics can ultimately shape resiliency and adaptation in the face of trauma. In particular, her work explored identity’s impact on executive functions, which are dominated by the prefrontal cortex and consist of planning and time organization.

Her research led her to studying at MIT, as well as a TEDx talk, titled The Kaleideoscope of You . As part of the GRF, she has been accepted to the University of Florida, where she’ll be a doctoral candidate in psychology and will focus on furthering her research on Alzheimer’s disease.

“As populations get older, we’re striving for keeping them independent and we don’t really know how. That drove me more toward the aging side of things,” Washburn says. “My grandmother also passed away with Alzheimer’s disease, so there’s a personal motivation as well, in addition to the fascination with neuroscience.”

The McNair Scholars Program not only provided students like Bertin and Washburn with research opportunities, but also support and guidance to apply for the NSF fellowship, ultimately taking their studies even further.

“For me, I needed something outside to push me and empower me to apply, and that was my mentor, [Associate Professor of Anthropology] Shana Harris,” Bertin says. “She and the director of the McNair program, [Michael Aldarondo-Jeffries], told me ‘I think you’d be a good fit.’ Now, if there’s an opportunity and I don’t think I fit, I shrug it off and apply because the worst thing they can say is ‘no.’ Not applying is an automatic no.”

Those interested in the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship program and other opportunities, please reach out to the Office of Prestigious Awards at [email protected] .

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