Computer Science (User Experience and Design) with Industrial Placement
User experience and design within computer science addresses the fundamental challenge of making technology that people can actually use. Software and systems can be technically sophisticated and still fail if users cannot understand or navigate them intuitively. UX and design is the discipline that bridges the human and the technical, drawing on cognitive psychology, interaction design, visual communication, and user research to create interfaces, apps, websites, and systems that work the way people think and need.
This five-year full-time degree at the University of Dundee includes an industrial placement, giving you substantial experience in a professional UX or design environment before you complete the degree, and a year abroad that broadens your technical and cultural perspective. Dundee's programme is distinctive in its emphasis on creation alongside study: you do not just learn about user experience, you design and build it. You will develop skills in user research, prototyping, interaction design, visual design, accessibility, and usability testing, alongside the computer science foundations in programming, software engineering, and systems thinking that underpin professional UX work.
The typical entry tariff of 200 points reflects the rigour of the programme and the strength of the student intake.
Graduates of UX and design programmes are in strong and growing demand across the technology industry. Roles as UX designers, product designers, interaction designers, service designers, user researchers, and UX writers are common destinations. Technology companies, digital agencies, consultancies, financial services, healthcare organisations, and the public sector all recruit UX professionals.
The combination of computer science depth and design expertise means Dundee graduates can move between technical and design roles in ways that more narrowly focused graduates cannot. Postgraduate study in human-computer interaction, design, or computer science is an option for those who wish to deepen their expertise or move into research.