Computer Science (User Experience and Design) with Industrial Placement BSc (Hons)

Great technology needs to work technically, but it also needs to work for people. This degree combines computer science with user experience and interaction design. This gives you the skills to both build technology and understand the people who use it.

You'll begin by developing strong foundations in computing. These include programming, algorithms, artificial intelligence, databases, software engineering and web development.

As you progress, you'll learn how to investigate people's needs and experiences. You will learn how to use research to inform design decisions, and design and evaluate interactive technology. You'll combine this with your technical skills to understand how those designs become working systems.

You'll also have the opportunity to spend a year on industrial placement before your final year. You'll be responsible for securing a suitable placement. Careers support will be available to help you with your search and applications.

By the time you graduate, you'll have gained a wealth of experience. This will span software development, user research and interaction design. This will be supported by substantial project work. This will show how you move from understanding a problem to designing, building and evaluating a solution.

Understand the people behind the technology

Good user experience starts with understanding the people who will actually use what you create.

You'll learn how to investigate people's needs, behaviours, and experiences. You will learn how to use what you discover to make better design decisions.

You'll develop skills in user research and evaluation. This will allow you to gather evidence throughout the design process. This means that you don't have to rely on assumptions about what people want or need.

Design, build and evaluate

User experience is about much more than what an interface looks like.

You'll develop software alongside learning how to design it. You'll build experience across programming, web and mobile development, databases and interface design. You will do this while also learning how to prototype and evaluate interactive technology.

This combination allows you to understand both sides of creating digital products: how technology is built and how people experience it.

Make technology work for more people

People have different needs, abilities and experiences of technology.

You'll explore accessibility and inclusive design. You will learn how these considerations can shape technology from the beginning of the design process.

As you progress, you'll also explore new and emerging ways of interacting with technology. You will consider how changing technologies create new possibilities for the people who use them. You will also consider what new design challenges these raise.

Put your computing and UX skills into professional practice

An industrial placement gives you the opportunity to spend a year in a professional environment. On placement, you will apply the computing, research and design skills you've developed at Dundee.

You'll be responsible for finding and securing a suitable placement. You'll have access to careers support to help you search for opportunities and prepare your applications. 

However, placements are competitive and are not guaranteed.

If you secure a placement, you'll gain professional experience. This will allow you to see how technical, user and organisational needs come together when creating digital products and services.

After your placement, you'll return to Dundee to complete the final stage of your degree. You will bring back that experience into your studies and your individual project.