24
IADT
12 Jun 2026
IADT
90
DL936
3 Semesters over 18 months
EU Fees: €7,000 / International Students: €16,000
User Experience (UX) Design is the process of designing the experience a user has with a product, service or system, with the primary focus of making it easy and accessible, useful and enjoyable and hopefully beautiful.
IADT is offering a full-time Masters (MA & MSc) in User Experience Design (UX) building on a decade of award-winning success with an enviable alumni, now working in senior and strategic UX design roles across the sector nationally and internationally.
The MA/MSc in User Experience Design is an 18-month immersive on-campus experience working in a studio environment on practical projects and research, with access to IADT’s state-of-the art facilities including: immersive media lab (VR/AR/MR, motion capture, greenscreen), Fab Lab (3D printing, laser cutting), Psychology & UX testing lab (eye-tracker, biofeedback, sensors).
This programme is committed to human-centred, inclusive and universal design promoting positive and beneficial user experiences for all.
You will learn about the broader ecosystem of UX design across platforms, devices, objects and places in a connected world. You will critically engage with emerging technologies and their impact on people and the planet. You will gain an advanced understanding of user needs and interdisciplinary design principles for creating effective and engaging experiences.
For more than ten years, IADT has demonstrated a strong postgraduate academic record in UX education winning multiple awards and publishing peer reviewed research in the field.
The MA and MSc share the same foundational curriculum in Semester 1 (Sept–Jan). From Semester 2 (Jan–Apr) onwards, the awards diverge through different Research Proposal modules and different orientations in the Major Research Project.
The MA is a design-led pathway while the MSc is a science/technology-led pathway.
A design-led, practice-based pathway suitable for students who wish to pursue applied, exploratory and creative UX investigations.
A science and evidence led pathway suitable for students who wish to undertake structured empirical research.
| User Experience Design | MA | MSc |
| Research approach | Practice-led, design inquiry | Scientific, empirical, data-driven |
| Research Proposal (5 ECTS) |
Design-focused | Science-focused |
| Major Research Project (30 ECTS) | Applied design investigation | Experimental or analytical study |
| Typical Backgrounds | Design, media | Psychology, computing, engineering |
| Typical graduate roles | UX Designer, Interaction Designer, Product Designer, Design Researcher | UX Researcher, Usability Specialist, UX Analyst, HCI Researcher |
This programme provides a comprehensive grounding in user experience design. You will examine how people interact with products, services, systems and technologies. You will learn to investigate and frame complex problems, and develop design concepts informed by research, creativity and analysis.
Teaching combines lectures, workshops, critiques and applied studio projects. You will work iteratively, receiving regular formative feedback to support your development.
All students complete a shared 30 ECTS Semester 1 before choosing the MA or MSc route for Semester 2 and the Major Research Project.
You will work across research, design, prototyping and evaluation.
Semester 1 [Sept-Jan]
User Research (10 ECTS)
Interaction Design (10 ECTS)
Psychology of UX Design (5 ECTS)
Critical Research (5 ECTS)
Semester 2 [Jan-Apr]
Universal & Inclusive Design (10 ECTS)
Speculative Design for Sustainable Futures (10 ECTS)
UX of Emerging Technologies (5 ECTS)
MA/MSc Research Proposal (5 ECTS)
Semester 3 [Sept-Jan]
Major Research Project & Exhibition (30 ECTS)
Full-time programmes in IADT run across three 15-week semesters, each with:
Fixed weekly timetable across all semesters
