Human-Computer Interaction MSc
September 2026 Start
Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
Please note: This course is subject to validation.
Applications for September 2026 are not open yet. Please click here to register your information and be notified when applications open.
In a digital society, there is a growing demand for those who can think beyond the technical possibilities to consider the human side of ubiquitous computing. Human-Computer Interaction MSc aims to address this, developing your knowledge and skills to evaluate, design and critique technology and its effects on people and society. Designed for those who may not have a computer science background, this conversion course will provide you with both a theorical grounding and practical skills to become a successful human-computer interaction (HCI) practitioner in your future career path.
You'll explore the principles of HCI while engaging with issues such as ethical computing, AI as a design material, and multi-modal interfaces. You'll develop technical expertise in areas including usability testing, programming, and user-centred design, supported by research-rich teaching from staff active in the field.
Learning is practice-focused and mirrors real-world challenges, encouraging you to think critically and collaborate effectively. With access to modern facilities and online resources, you'll gain both theoretical grounding and industry-informed skills, preparing you to engage with emerging technologies and contribute to the design of inclusive, accessible, and innovative digital experiences.
Full UK Fee: £11,250
Full International Fee: £21,500
Scholarships and Discounts
ADDITIONAL COSTS
TBC
else
This course will equip you with the necessary skills to enter career paths such as user experience (UX) or user interface (UI) design, user research, human factor engineering or service design. You'll attain a range of industry standard skills, along with ability to communicate with technical and non-technical audiences, apply computational thinking, work independently as a reflective practitioner, and collaborate effectively. These skills are in demand both nationally and internationally, and will allow you to work for diverse employer types, for example, governmental departments, the NHS, third sector organisations, or industry.
This course allows you to engage in experiential learning, drawing upon laboratory work, simulation and problem-based learning to provide an authentic learning experience that will aid your development of specialised and transferable skills that can be taken into employability or further study.
Through your capstone project and other course content, you'll be provided opportunities to practice and develop independent project management skills, respond dynamically to challenges, and work sensitively in complex contexts and scenarios to become a skilled computer science professional.
Our staff are experts in HCI, with a strong teaching focus and experience. Teaching focuses on introducing real-world scenarios and problems to illustrate the link between theory and practical application of skillsets in real-world contexts.
Staff have worked on projects such as precarity in working in the gig economy, representation in Instagram imagery, the availability of charging infrastructure for electric wheelchairs, and worked with national and international partner organisations such as the Red Cross.
You'll learn from experts in accessibility and inclusion in technology design, working with communities and participatory methods, developing bespoke interactive interfaces, and working in cutting-edge contexts such as social media analysis and human-centred AI.
This is a research-rich course that incorporates research into the teaching in multiple ways.
You'll be introduced to contemporary HCI research across health and wellbeing, the world of work, and social media, and given the opportunity to critically interrogate its implications and weaknesses.
You'll also be introduced to academic skills and practices in conducting your own research for the final capstone project and applying industry skills, such as eye tracking, as methods. Your knowledge base will be underpinned by faculty introducing core research which has produced models, frameworks and toolkits commonly used in HCI.
As a School of Computer Science student, you’ll benefit from modern facilities that support flexible, collaborative, and hands-on learning.
You’ll study in the purpose-built, £7m Computer and Information Sciences building—designed as a sustainable Smart Building and home to dedicated computing spaces, teaching labs, and collaboration zones.
Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) is embedded throughout the course, with digital tools such as Claude for Education and Blackboard eLearning Portal. Blackboard serves as a virtual learning environment, offering access to reading lists, digital learning materials, and announcements and messages from tutors.
Outside of the classroom, you'll have access to quiet study spaces and areas for social and collaborative working at our City Campus Library and University Library Digital Commons. These spaces are open 24/7 during term-time.
All information is accurate at the time of sharing.
Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.
Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.
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