Your chance to design the future! Join Digital Design to create the next generation of apps, websites and digital experiences.
Our Digital Design course will equip you to shape the world we all live in. If (and this is all of us) you’ve used a website, phone app, social media or other digital interface, you’ve
benefited from the work of a Digital Designer.
If you have an interest in digital products or Graphic Design and want to be the next innovator in a fast changing world, this course is for you.
Even better, our course is highly rated by industry professionals and our contacts with world-class companies like Google, Deloitte Digital, Square, Spotify and others mean that you’re well positioned to land a job at the end of your studies.
A degree in Digital Design will offer opportunities in a wide range of exciting and well paid careers, including app design and web design; user experience and user interface design; content design; digital marketing; virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR); and digital product design.
Our Digital Design graduates will develop technologies and services we haven’t even thought of yet. Here’s your chance to get in at the ground floor and shape the future.
We know that choosing to study at university is a big decision, and you may not always be able to find the information you need online.
Please contact Ulster University with any queries or questions you might have about:
For any queries regarding getting help with your application, please select Admissions in the drop down below.
For queries related to course content, including modules and placements, please select Course specific information.
We look forward to hearing from you.
In this section
Students work both individually and collaboratively in a dynamic studio environment designed to provide you with the skills required to work within a rapidly growing global industry.
With an emphasis on design, the first year equips you with a solid understanding of communication design fundamentals, both on-screen and off-screen. Projects include paper-based interaction design exercises; an introduction to the fundamentals of HTML and CSS as well as no-code website building software; an overview of data and imagery and their role in communication; and an exploration of identity and the psychology of branding, which enables you to develop a professional presence for yourself and your projects.
Year two focuses on content and user experience design and how people interact with, and use digital products. The second-year also focuses on professional practice, designed to introduce you to the realities of self-promotion, getting a job and equip you with the skills and thinking needed for working in the industry.
An optional placement year provides students with the opportunity to work with world-leading companies in the development of digital products or study at universities around the world.
In the final year of the course, the emphasis shifts towards self-directed study through the creation of a digital product from idea generation through to final prototype with a substantial portfolio of work and additional projects designed to ensure graduates are highly employable. Opportunities are available through strong industry links, to fund and further develop digital products beyond the course.
The course also engages students with a range of industry-led projects and international competitions designed to showcase their abilities on a world stage amongst their peers.
Do I need to be a computer expert?
No, nor do you need to understand coding before starting the course. Throughout the course you will be introduced to the industry-standard digital skills necessary to produce high quality, creative outcomes. You will develop the practical, creative and theoretical skills that will enable you to address both given projects and your own work through the use of various media.
The teaching team
Our teaching team has an internationally respected profile in the field of interaction design. Our team are regularly invited to speak at events all over the world and contribute to the industry’s leading publications, ensuring that what we teach you is relevant, up-to-date and what industry needs.
In addition to our core team, the course draws upon the talents of a wide range of international visiting lecturers. With these high profile, design-focused connections, the course ensures that your experience is challenging and dynamic, offering opportunities internationally in what is a high growth global industry.
100% of the course team hold Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy
Diploma in Professional Practice DPP
Diploma in International Academic Studies DIAS
Diploma in Professional Practice International DPPI
This is a full-time three year course with an additional, optional placement year.
Attendance to all sessions is mandatory. The course is made up of workshops, lectures, seminars, tutorials, peer review/feedback, supervised studio sessions and independent study.
It is expected that you will not only engage with the taught elements but also with independent learning in the studio. Here your individual learning can be expanded through informal conversations with your fellow students and feedback from staff.
Learning and Teaching Methods
Lectures will introduce the historical and contemporary practices and discourses in interaction design. Discussing the origins, purpose, roles and effects of such practices.
Seminars will provide opportunities for you to explore issues emerging from the lecture programme, to listen to contributions from peer group members, to articulate ideas and to reflect on emerging discussions.
Workshops will enable you to develop skills necessary to achieve the module learning outcomes. Workshops are essentially task-orientated where you learn by doing and by reflecting on the outcomes of both individual and the peer groups’ learning.
Demonstrations will normally be embedded within workshop sessions and are conducted by module staff. These sessions provide you with clear guidelines on the usage of specific techniques, materials and processes.
Critiques will provide opportunities for you to reflect on your work, articulate carefully considered constructive criticism, and realise the potential of peer learning. Students will have the opportunity to present their work in progress, to reflect on and evaluate your work and to listen to peer views. There are three key elements of critiques: self-reflection, constructive criticism and peer learning.
Tutorials will give you advice and feedback and monitor student’s individual progress. During tutorials key areas for enhancement will be identified and work strategies will be discussed.
Independent Studywill provide opportunities for you to reflect on learning requirements, to plan coursework preparation and execution, to explore independent learning pathways and to exercise self-motivation and discipline in your work patterns.
Assessment Methods
At each level, modules are assessed according to specific criteria and weightings which are provided at the beginning of each module. Coursework includes, paper prototypes, live projects, design outputs, practical and contextual research, written commentaries, online journals, presentations, and dissertations. Both formative and summative feedback is provided on coursework.
Feedback offers you clear guidance regarding your performance and future development. Feedback helps you reflect on your strengths and weaknesses allowing you to develop and improve your creative abilities and technical skills throughout the course.
The content for each course is summarised on the relevant course page, along with an overview of the modules that make up the course.
Each course is approved by the University and meets the expectations of:
As part of your course induction, you will be provided with details of the organisation and management of the course, including attendance and assessment requirements - usually in the form of a timetable. For full-time courses, the precise timetable for each semester is not confirmed until close to the start date and may be subject to some change in the early weeks as all courses settle into their planned patterns. For part-time courses which require attendance on particular days and times, an expectation of the days and periods of attendance will be included in the letter of offer. A course handbook is also made available.
Courses comprise modules for which the notional effort involved is indicated by its credit rating. Each credit point represents 10 hours of student effort. Undergraduate courses typically contain 10, 20, or 40 credit modules (more usually 20) and postgraduate courses typically 15 or 30 credit modules.
The normal study load expectation for an undergraduate full-time course of study in the standard academic year is 120 credit points. This amounts to around 36-42 hours of expected teaching and learning per week, inclusive of attendance requirements for lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical work, fieldwork or other scheduled classes, private study, and assessment. Teaching and learning activities will be in-person and/or online depending on the nature of the course. Part-time study load is the same as full-time pro-rata, with each credit point representing 10 hours of student effort.
Postgraduate Master’s courses typically comprise 180 credits, taken in three semesters when studied full-time. A Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) comprises 60 credits and can usually be completed on a part-time basis in one year. A 120-credit Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) can usually be completed on a part-time basis in two years.
Class contact times vary by course and type of module. Typically, for a module predominantly delivered through lectures you can expect at least 3 contact hours per week (lectures/seminars/tutorials). Laboratory classes often require a greater intensity of attendance in blocks. Some modules may combine lecture and laboratory. The precise model will depend on the course you apply for and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. Prospective students will be consulted about any significant changes.
Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments. This feedback may be issued individually and/or issued to the group and you will be encouraged to act on this feedback for your own development.
Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification, the assessment timetable and the assessment brief. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised. The module pass mark for undergraduate courses is 40%. The module pass mark for postgraduate courses is 50%.
The class of Honours awarded in Bachelor’s degrees is usually determined by calculation of an aggregate mark based on performance across the modules at Levels 5 and 6, (which correspond to the second and third year of full-time attendance).
Level 6 modules contribute 70% of the aggregate mark and Level 5 contributes 30% to the calculation of the class of the award. Classification of integrated Master’s degrees with Honours include a Level 7 component. The calculation in this case is: 50% Level 7, 30% Level 6, 20% Level 5. At least half the Level 5 modules must be studied at the University for Level 5 to be included in the calculation of the class.
All other qualifications have an overall grade determined by results in modules from the final level of study.
In Masters degrees of more than 200 credit points the final 120 points usually determine the overall grading.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 60% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.
Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (19%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (22%) or Lecturers (57%).
We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic and learning support staff (85%) are recognised as fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advance HE - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.
The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise. The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff. This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.
Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
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Here is a guide to the subjects studied on this course.
Courses are continually reviewed to take advantage of new teaching approaches and developments in research, industry and the professions. Please be aware that modules may change for your year of entry. The exact modules available and their order may vary depending on course updates, staff availability, timetabling and student demand. Please contact the course team for the most up to date module list.
In this section
Year: 1
Status: C
This module focuses on a series of practical, hands-on workshops, which enable students to fully explore the foundational principles of interaction design, both off and on-screen. Paper-based exercises introduce students to fundamental communication design principles, including those developed at the Bauhaus, Ulm School of Design and beyond. Computer-based exercises introduce students to the core languages (HTML5 and CSS3) and no-code tools required to understand the development of digital content.
Year: 1
Status: C
This module equips students with a comprehensive understanding of the history of design. Through a series of connected lectures, students are introduced to the breadth and depth of communication approaches, intended to inform their practical work. Coupled with the focus on history and theory, students are equipped with a range of practical study skills, through team and solo exercises.
Year: 1
Status: C
This module contains a series of practical, hands-on workshops, which equip students with both a theoretical understanding of visual identity, and the skills required to communicate their ideas. These skills are utilised in the creation of a series of brand assets that form the basis of a successful commercial brand project.
Year: 1
Status: C
This module equips students to elements of visual design such as photographic, illustrative and diagrammatic including imaging and data visualisation. The tools and processes taught here will allow students to work in roles within healthcare, finance and cyber security which requires designers to design with data using dashboards. Through a series of connected lectures, students are introduced to the breadth and depth of visual and data design approaches, intended to inform their practical work.
Year: 2
Status: C
This module focuses on equipping students with an understanding of how content can be shaped as a core part of the design process. Students are introduced to a variety of sources of content, including: self generated content; client-supplied content; user generated content; and content dynamically retrieved from external sources. They will consider visual design, usability, and accessibility of designing for various audiences in various screen sizes.
By introducing students to the principles of content design and strategy, students are given the building blocks to build more dynamic material, which will help them in their final year.
Year: 2
Status: C
On completion of this module students will possess a well-structured CV and portfolio that showcases their abilities and experiences and be better prepared for a career in UX design or research, with the ability to generate ideas and contribute effectively to professional design projects.
This knowledge will pave the way for the students to progress to their placement year and final year, where the understanding and awareness of the content covered in this module will form a foundation on which they can build.
Year: 2
Status: C
The digital world demands effective user interfaces and experiences, making UX and Service Design crucial. This module provides students with a comprehensive understanding of both, enabling them to design products and services that meet user needs.
Students learn key skills like creating user personas, storyboards, wireframes, prototypes and usability testing. By focusing on users' real needs, students design effective user experiences and services that succeed in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Year: 2
Status: C
Overall, the Playful Interactions module provides an opportunity for students to explore new and emerging technologies and design principles and to develop their skills in creating engaging and interactive experiences. The module will enable students to create designs that are not only functional but also playful and engaging, enhancing their employability and potential as creative professionals.
Status: O
Year: 3
This module is optional
This module provides an opportunity to undertake an extended period of study outside the UK and Republic of Ireland. Students will develop an enhanced understanding of the academic discipline whilst generating educational and cultural networks.
Status: O
Year: 3
This module is optional
This is an optional placement year for students who have completed Level 5 prior to the final year of study. The placement must be a minimum of 25 weeks duration and can be in a broad range of Art/Professional practice. A programme of work is agreed by the student, the Placement Tutor and the Placement Partner and usually takes place in Europe with respect to the relevant health and safety and disability regulations.(SENDO). The placement is designed to increase experience of workshop/studio/communal and technical practice, while broadening and enhancing the student's social, personal and professional development. Upon successful completion of the placement year the student is awarded a Diploma in Professional Studies (DPP) or a Diploma in Professional Practice (DPP) International upon graduation from the course.
Year: 4
Status: C
This module is designed to showcase the student's learning throughout the course, enabling
them to demonstrate the skills they have acquired to potential employers or possible funders.
Through the creation of a substantial piece of work, students demonstrate an understanding
of both the project management and quality assurance skills needed to work within industry.
The intention of the module is to provide an opportunity to demonstrate the depth and breadth of knowledge students have acquired during their time on the course.
Year: 4
Status: C
This module focuses on the importance of developing students' critical awareness. Through a written piece of coursework, students are encouraged to explore the changing context of interaction design, exploring how the subject area is expanding and evolving.
Students are encouraged to reflect upon their practice and its theoretical underpinnings, helping them to understand the importance of reflective writing and how it can be mapped onto, and benefit, practice.
Year: 4
Status: C
This module focuses on equipping students with the knowledge and understanding required to create a formal presentation and deliver it confidently. The primary aim of the module is to provide an opportunity for students to formally present their project research, concepts, development, and finished application in a structured, coherent and persuasive manner.
Through an emphasis on developing and practicing pitching skills, students are equipped with the confidence and personal qualities required to deliver a design presentation in an effective and convincing manner. The module enhances students' communication skills through verbal and visual material that clearly explains the methodology of their Major Project's design development.
We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements.
In this section
Grades CCC
RQF Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma / OCR Cambridge Technical Level 3 Extended Diploma
Award profile of MMM
We will also accept smaller BTEC/OCR qualifications (i.e. Diploma or Extended Certificate / Introductory Diploma / Subsidiary Diploma) in combination with A Levels or other acceptable level 3 qualifications.
To find out if the qualification you are applying with is a qualification we accept for entry, please check our Qualification Checker - our Equivalence Entry Checker.
We will also continue to accept QCF versions of these qualifications although grades asked for may differ. Check what grades you will be asked for by comparing the requirements above with the information under QCF in the Applied General and Tech Level Qualifications section of our Entry Requirements - View our Undergraduate Entry Requirements
96 UCAS tariff points to include a minimum of five subjects (four of which must be at higher level) to include English at H6 if studied at Higher level or O4 if studied at Ordinary Level.
Grades CCCCC
Grades DDD
Overall profile is minimum 24 points (including 12 at higher level)
Overall profile of 55% (120 credit Access Course) (NI Access Course)
Overall profile of 45 credits at Merit (60 credit Access Course) (GB Access Course)
For full-time study, you must satisfy the General Entrance Requirements for admission to a first degree course and hold a GCSE pass at Grade C/4 or above in English Language.
Level 2 Certificate in Essential Skills - Communication will be accepted as equivalent to GCSE English.
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.
Applicants to this course will be required to submit a portfolio.
The course team encourage potential applicants to show their creativity through their portfolio, which can be paper-based, screen-based or both. We want to see evidence of your thinking and we would encourage you to bring sketchbooks and working drawings that show us how your ideas were developed. We will work with you to improve your drawing and technical skills.
You do not need to be a computer genius to join this course – at this stage we are more interested in your creative potential.
Acceptable alternative qualifications include:
Pass HND with overall Merit to include distinctions in 15 Level 5 credits/units may be specified.
Pass HNC with overall Merit to include distinctions in 45 Level 4 credits/units may be specified.
You may also meet the course entry requirements with combinations of different qualifications to the same standard as recognised by the University (provided subject requirements as noted above are met).
In this section
Graduates from this course are now working for:
With this degree you could become:
Graduates with skills in digital design have many well-paid career opportunities available to them, these include interaction design, web design, app design, user interface design (UI) user experience design (UX), user experience research, graphic design and digital publishing.
Design studios in Northern Ireland, the UK and beyond are staffed or run by graduates taught by the course team. Recent graduates have found employment throughout Europe, the Middle East, the USA and Australia while others have established their own successful interaction design businesses.
Those wishing to research and develop their own work to a higher level can progress to the MA UX and Service Design course or pursue another Masters qualification either at the Ulster University or at other institutions in the UK and further afield. There is also the potential for entry onto a PhD.
There are also opportunities for those wishing to teach after the completion of a postgraduate teaching qualification (PgCE).
In third year you are expected to spend a minimum of 25 weeks in industry. Here you are expected to work as part of the professional practice designed to acquaint you with alternative business cultures and protocols to enhance your personal and professional development.
Alternatively you can study in a wide range of approved institutions around the world.
Successful completion, obtaining a total mark of 40%, of the placement year leads to the award of the Diploma in Professional Practice (DPP) or (DPPI) International or a Diploma in International Academic Studies (DIAS) upon graduation. A mark of 70% and above will enable the award to be granted with commendation.
Undergraduate fees are subject to annual review, 2025/26 fees will be announced in due course.
See our tuition fees page for the current fees for 2024/25 entry.
International Undergraduate Scholarship
https://www.ulster.ac.uk/international/apply/scholarships/international-undergraduate-scholarship
Value
£2,000 scholarship applied as discount to your annual tuition fee.
https://www.ulster.ac.uk/international/apply/scholarships
Other awards and prizes:
https://www.ulster.ac.uk/apply/fees-and-finance/scholarships
Information provided is for guidance only as scholarship details are subject to change - please refer to the source website for up-to-date and accurate information.
Students purchase materials for their own coursework.
Consumable workshop contribution of up to £100 is optional and contributes to materials used by students.
Field trips to museums, galleries and exhibitions may incur additional costs.
It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges) and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees.
Where a course has additional mandatory expenses (in addition to tuition fees) we make every effort to highlight them above. We aim to provide students with the learning materials needed to support their studies. Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. Computer suites and free Wi-Fi are also available on each of the campuses.
There are additional fees for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as a part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs, as well as tuition fees.
See the tuition fees on our student guide for most up to date costs.
We know that choosing to study at university is a big decision, and you may not always be able to find the information you need online.
Please contact Ulster University with any queries or questions you might have about:
For any queries regarding getting help with your application, please select Admissions in the drop down below.
For queries related to course content, including modules and placements, please select Course specific information.
We look forward to hearing from you.
“The level of effort, the processes and thinking around the major projects is not only high at student level, but high within an industry level. The work we saw is not only a credit to the direction IxD has taken, but also a testament to the work Paul, Daniel and Kyle do as a teaching team within the course.”
—Alan Lavery, Senior UX Consultant, Deloitte Digital
“Throughout the course, tutors were always on call to help and went above and beyond to ensure we were heading in the right direction. After graduation, the course still maintains an active community across years sharing advice and job opportunities.”
—Kezie Todd, Senior Interaction Designer, IDEO Play Lab, USA
“Studying Interaction Design allows you to develop a deep understanding of the creative and practical skills you need to excel in your chosen design career. Supported every step of the way by lecturers actively involved in the industry, coursework helps you develop the hands-on experience required to gain employment within this exciting industry.”
—Amber McGregor, UX Designer II, Rapid7, Belfast
“Interaction Design equipped me with the skills, ability, and contacts to jump into the design industry. Learning the fundamentals of design has encouraged me to grow and expand my knowledge as a designer. The lecturers were with us every step of the way encouraging us to push ourselves and explore new aspects of design, which by the end of the course left me with a portfolio and skillset I was very proud of.”
—Nathan Patton, Senior Product Designer, and Fintech Specialist, Dubai
“The Interaction Design course was essential in building my confidence and creativity as a designer. I felt that the lecturers on the course were always there to give me the encouragement and reassurance that helped me to grow and succeed. By the time I finished my degree, I had a portfolio filled with ambitious and exciting industry-standard projects and was able to walk straight into employment as a full-time UX Designer. I couldn’t be the confident designer I am today without the support I received from this course!”
—Hannah Sharp, Creative Assistant, Nerve Centre, Belfast
Ulster continues to develop and support sustainability initiatives with our staff, students, and external partners across various aspects of teaching, research, professional services operations, and governance.
At Ulster every person, course, research project, and professional service area on every campus either does or can contribute in some way towards the global sustainability and climate change agenda.
We are guided by both our University Strategy People, Place and Partnerships: Delivering Sustainable Futures for All and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Our work in this area is already being recognised globally. Most recently by the 2024 Times Higher Education Impact rating where we were recognised as Joint 5th Globally for Outreach Activities and Joint Top 20 Globally for Sustainable Development Goal 17: Partnership for the Goals.
Visit our Sustainability at Ulster destination to learn more about how the University strategy and the activities of Ulster University support each of the Sustainable Development Goals.
