Introducing MSc User Experience Engineering — City St George’s, University of London

If you want to be at the forefront of ensuring that technology is user-friendly and effective in both its design and delivery, then the MSc User Experience Engineering is for you

As advances in artificial intelligence (AI) change the way people interact with technology, Nick Hine, professor in user experience engineering at City St George's, University of London explains how the course helps you to lead the way.

What is user experience engineering?

It is the application of engineering design principles and practices to optimise the fit between people and technology so that users have experiences, mediated by technology, that meet their needs/wants and are measurably and demonstrably viable and appropriate.

Tell us about the practical skills that students will learn.

The students will have the opportunity to practice measuring the behaviour of users as they have experiences mediated by technology, using a variety of biosensors, eye-gaze tracking and brain busyness. They will also explore the engineering design process in order to choose appropriate technology-based platforms and tools for providing the solutions that meet the needs of users in a given situation.

Importantly, they will practice the various research skills that they will need to gather evidence that the intervention that they propose for users has been rigorously investigated and documented so that it can be developed and deployed with confidence.

Various expert facets of the current UX and technology landscape such as inclusive design principles, AI based tools and user experience, AR/VR/MR and low code development skills for the construction of mock-ups and testable prototypes will be explored within the core curriculum and as specialist electives.

What links does the course have with UX professionals?

Staff teaching on the programme have extensive personal experience and networks of colleagues working in various aspects of UX, both directly in the technology (design and development of devices and services) sectors and as users of technology in domains as diverse as education, rehabilitation and medicine, automotive, finance and entertainment. This provides relevant inputs to the curriculum to be made at various levels such as case studies, guest speakers, internships and externally seeded thesis topics. Companies range from startups such as Anomify, MoveMe and Amplified Global through to established brands such as:

• Tik Tok
• Microsoft
• Jaguar Land Rover
• JP Morgan Chase
• Nationwide Building Society
• IKEA.

Where can the course lead?

The programme will build on the background of students to prepare them for careers as UX designers, researchers, developers or engineers. Some students may choose to move in the direction of marketing or other business functions, while promoting the roles of UX professionals in the enterprises that they work in.

What types of students would suit this course?

Candidates with a background in industrial or product design, human factors/HCI, computer science or psychology who are seeking to gain UX specific skills would benefit from this programme. By selecting the most appropriate electives and thesis topic, students can build an emphasis on the design, research or technical aspects in order to align most closely with their career aspirations. In addition, people from backgrounds such as architecture with an interest in smart homes or smart cities, education technologists, biomedical engineers and service providers in a variety of context can all gain skills and knowledge to enhance their careers in their chosen domains.

What advice do you have for anyone considering a career in UX engineering?

You need to become passionate about evidence. Any UX intervention is going to depend on the availability of resources to implement the intervention. The resources will only be released if the benefit to the users and the organisation can be demonstrated and justified. For that, evidence of the value of the intervention to all the stakeholders needs to be gathered and communicated to the stakeholders for their buy-in.

At the same time, employers are finding that short courses or industry experience without solid mentoring are unlikely to provide employees with the skills they need. This MSc is designed to meet that need in industry, commerce and service provider enterprises.

Find out more

• Read all about the MSc User Experience Engineering.
• Learn about being a UX designer.
• Discover what it's like to be a UX researcher.