User Experience & Service Design

Overview

Imagine a world where every interaction with a digital product or service is seamless, intuitive, and delightful. The MDes User Experience and Service Design course is your gateway to mastering the art of creating exceptional user experiences across various digital platforms and services.



On the course you will dive deep into understanding user behaviour, creating content that captivates, and crafting services that exceed expectations. Through a blend of theory and hands-on practice, you will learn to use design thinking as a powerful tool to solve complex problems.



From wireframing to prototyping, you will have the opportunity to both develop and hone your skills in translating ideas into tangible solutions. In addition, you will explore the intricate relationship between technology and psychology, ensuring that every touchpoint resonates with users on a deep level.



What sets our program apart is its focus on real-world applications. Collaborating with industry partners, you can tackle authentic challenges, gaining invaluable experience that transcends the classroom.



The course is run by seasoned experts and supported by industry professionals who are ready to guide you towards becoming visionaries in user-centric design and research.



By the end of this journey, you will emerge not just as a designer or researcher, but as a strategic thinker who can shape the future of digital experiences and services. Join us at Ulster University and embark on a transformative adventure where creativity meets functionality, and where your passion for design and research finds its true purpose.



Through ongoing development during the course, students are able to identify themselves with a variety of outcomes:



Become a Designer – Thrive as part of in-house or agency teams or as a self-employed creative.



Pursue Design Research – Join in-house or agency teams, or lead academic research as a PhD student.



Emerge as a Designer Leader – Propel your career towards business leadership or strategic thinking in the creative industries.



The MDes in User Experience and Service Design equips graduates with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in these roles. The program emphasises practical learning, collaboration with industry partners, and a research-focused approach that prepares students for the dynamic design and research field. Graduates benefit from cutting-edge thinking, practice-led learning, and exposure to diverse perspectives that enhance their employability in high-demand areas of design and research.

Full- Time Programme:

Semester 1

Exploration and Enquiry

Design Thinking



Semester 2

Specialist Skills Development



Students will choose to study one of the following during the second semester:

Design Futures

Creative Entrepreneurship



Semester 3

Master’s Project



Part-Time Programme:

Year One

Exploration and Enquiry

Design Futures - This module is optional

Creative Entrepreneurship - This module is optional



Year Two

Design Thinking

Specialist Skills Development

Masters Project

Applicants must hold a degree (with at least 2ii Honours standard) or equivalent or demonstrate their ability to undertake the course through the accreditation of prior learning.



The course interlinks the domains of User Experience Design, Service Design and Design Thinking. Students first explore aspects of each before selecting a personal focus during Semester 2.



The specific requirements for admission are detailed below:



i) Applicants should normally hold a good honours degree in design practice or cognate subject from a University of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, from the Council of National Academic Awards, the Higher Education and Training Awards Council or from an institution of another country which is recognised as being of an equivalent standard.



ii) Applications are welcomed from diverse backgrounds however, where there is a discipline shift the applicant must represent a coherent rationale for this shift and evidence prerequisite understanding and skills/experience (see below).



iii) Interview by portfolio and proposal. Portfolios must be digital but multiple file types are acceptable (e.g., .pdfs, .docx, .pptx, .jpegs, etc.). Portfolios may also take a variety of forms. For example, if applicants come from a non-design background (e.g., the social sciences), they may use the portfolio to demonstrate research competencies or outline a series of possible projects.



The programme is devised specifically to support continuing lifelong learning for professions in a rapidly changing field. Therefore APL (Accreditation for Prior Learning) will be considered as evidence of exceptional ability appropriate to recruitment to the programme. Applications from professionals with extensive professional, industrial and/or commercial experience but lacking recent or higher-level academic qualifications will be encouraged. APL (Advanced Prior Learning) will be considered as evidence of exceptional ability appropriate to the course.



English Language Requirements

English language requirements for international applicants

The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.



Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.



• For English language requirements go to: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/global/apply/english-language-requirements



• For Your country go to: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/global/apply/country



Exemptions and transferability

Exemptions will be considered on an individual basis.

Your Application

You can apply directly to Ulster at any time of year. We advise that you submit your application no later than two weeks prior to your course start date. This is to ensure there is sufficient time for your application to be reviewed and, should you be made an offer, time for you to complete all the necessary pre-enrolment tasks.



Some programmes will have specific deadlines as additional selection (e.g. interview, portfolio submission etc) is required, so please check the course page to ensure you have sufficient time to complete your application.

1 year full-time, 2 years part-time.

Start Date: September 2026.

Careers and Opportunities

A master’s in UX and Service Design opens diverse career paths across technology, public services, creative industries, and consultancy. Graduates are valued for combining human-centred thinking with practical research and design skills, making them well placed for both practitioner and strategic roles.



UX Research careers focus on understanding user needs through interviews, testing, and data analysis, leading to roles from UX Researcher to Head of Research. UX Design centres on creating intuitive digital products through prototyping, wireframing, and testing, with progression from Designer to Head of UX or Product Design. UX Writing (Content Design) is a growing area, shaping microscopy and digital content to guide users clearly, with career paths from UX Writer to Content Strategy Lead.



Beyond these, Service Designers map and improve end-to-end experiences, working across digital and physical touchpoints in sectors from healthcare to finance. Related roles include Product Design, Design Strategy, Accessibility, and Innovation Consultancy. With experience, many graduates progress into leadership, consultancy, or entrepreneurship, driving innovation locally and globally while shaping more inclusive, sustainable digital and service systems.



Our course includes industry collaborations, allowing regular access to local and international practitioners and design leaders. Visiting professionals have included designers and researchers from BBC, Google, Deloitte Digital, IDEO, Kainos, and many more.