Bachelor of Science User Experience Design

The BS in User Experience Design (UxD) degree is an interdisciplinary, hands-on program that integrates creative and technical disciplines including artificial intelligence, data visualization, design research, graphic design, industrial design, and information technology. Students in the UxD program prepare to work in the expanding fields of user-experience design, interaction design, and social computing by developing their skills as designers, coders, and user researchers. In project-based, collaborative courses, students learn a user-centered software development process to conceptualize, design, build, and conduct research on interactive systems such as web and mobile applications, game systems, designed objects and spaces, and other products and experiences.

For international students: this is a STEM-designated program.

Degree Requirements

Career Options

Graduates of the UxD degree will be able to begin career paths in roles such as User Interface (UI) Designer, User Experience (UX) Designer, User Researcher, Social Media Strategist, Software Engineer, Web Developer, and Mobile Web Application Developer. They may find careers in a variety of industries, such as software development, marketing, publishing, healthcare, and education.

Inside UX Design

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LeAnne Wagner
LeAnne is an experience designer who focuses on emerging user interfaces and digital fabrication. She brings a diverse background of professional experience, from advertising and graphic design to design thinking and product development. She is particularly passionate about projects that center on social impact and collaborating with community partners.
Denise Nacu
Denise’s current research interests focus on examining the interactions of educators and learners in online learning platforms, and building technology tools and visualizations to support youth learning and development.
Paige Treebridge
Paige is a designer, programmer, and code media researcher whose current work focuses on user experience design for privacy and security, programming pedagogy for designers, and geo-located augmented reality.
Jess Westbrook
Mx Jess Westbrook (they/them) is a disabled T1D cyborg, social scientist, mix methods research architect, and learning experience designer who is into real realities, alternative realities, complexity, Queerness, time travel, possible futures, and finding beauty in dystopian landscapes.

Student Research Opportunities

Faculty in the UxD program are active in designing, developing, and researching interactive systems in a variety of domains. Undergraduate UxD students have opportunities to work with faculty to gain experiences as designers, researchers, and developers. This work can be conducted through independent studies, the Undergraduate Research Assistant Program (URAP), or paid positions.

Labs and Software

UxD students have access to labs dedicated to software evaluation and user research, including the Software Observation and Usability Laboratory (SOUL) which is available to conduct usability studies and playtests. Additional CDM labs provide students with professional software tools for user research, creating visual designs and prototypes, and developing web and mobile applications.

UxD Minor

Students with a major other than User Experience Design are encouraged to consider a User Experience Design minor. The UxD minor allows students to acquire skills that can be applied in a variety of fields that technology is used to innovate. Increasingly, design and computation are fueling innovation in nearly every field. The ability to design and develop interactive systems can be especially valuable when combined with focused study in other areas.

Community and Professional Connections

UxD students have access to a network of undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, alumni, and professionals in the Chicago area and beyond. Activities and events related to UxD are organized by student organizations, the Career Center, and local professional organizations.

Exhibition and Presentation Spaces

State-of-the-art spaces for presentations, showcases, special events, and collaborative work are available for students to build skills, share projects, and connect with others.

School of Design Talks

The School of Design Talks series invites diverse speakers from across the globe — who have created innovative responses to the personal, local, and global challenges of the 21st century — to lead workshops and discussions.

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