User Experience Design - B.S.

The Bachelor of Science in User Experience Design combines design thinking, research and technology, providing you with the skills to plan, create and deliver user experiences across websites, apps, games and other emerging interfaces. Through hands-on projects and real-world applications, you’ll be ready to start your career as a UX and UI designer, UX practitioner and product designer.

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Program Information for User Experience Design - B.S.

Program Description

Program Description

Full Description

The Bachelor of Science degree in User Experience Design prepares students to create products, systems and services that prioritize people and positive impact through a human-centered approach. Students develop technical understanding and design skills that are in high demand. The coursework emphasizes UX/UI processes, user research, sketching, wireframing, prototyping, scenario building and front-end development. Students design user interfaces, interactive experiences, application and tool design, motion sequences, video, screen displays and interactive experiences that merge the digital and physical environments. Students learn to define design problems, research solutions, conceptualize interactive products and experiences, prototype those ideas and evaluate their concepts through user testing to create a revised and vetted experience.

There are many study abroad/away opportunities. For more information contact the or the coordinator of the college's .

Students may apply early to the and double count 9 credit hours of graduate courses toward both degree programs. See the in the University Catalog for more information.

Admissions for User Experience Design - B.S.

Admissions

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the .

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of proficiency of the English language (unless they meet specific exceptions) through the submission of an English language proficiency test score or by completing English language classes at Kent State’s English as a Second Language Center before entering their program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Former Students: Former Kent State students who have not attended another institution since Kent State and were not academically dismissed will complete the re-enrollment process through the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center. Former students who attended another college or university since leaving Kent State must apply for admissions as a transfer or post-undergraduate student.

Transfer Students: Students who attended an educational institution after graduating from high school or earning their GED must apply as transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's .

Students may be required to meet certain criteria to progress in their program. Any progression requirements will be listed on the program's Coursework tab

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Design with the user in mind, empathize with their needs and values while demonstrating an understanding of human cognitive, limitations and perceptual and physical capabilities, and how they affect design decisions.
  2. Apply design skills relative to the use of digital technologies, including (but not limited to) code, typography, aesthetics, composition and construction of meaningful images.
  3. Communicate, collaborate and practice effectively, ethically and legally in fields closely associated with technology, user experience design and visual communication design.
  4. Use different models, frameworks and approaches for user experience design processes and deliverables to deconstruct, analyze and identify problems in customer experiences.
  5. Present user experience design strategies — interaction design concepts through pathways, flows, journeys, maps, presentations, reports, rapid prototyping, animated scenarios, product demonstrations — to clients and stakeholders.

Coursework

On This Page

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
EMAT 10010TECHNOLOGY, EXPERIENCE DESIGN AND SOCIETY 3
EMAT 21000INTRODUCTION TO WEB DESIGN 3
EMAT 25310CREATIVE CODING 3
EMAT 32210DATA IN EMERGING MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY 3
EMAT 33310HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION 3
EMAT 40999INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECTS (ELR) 3
EMAT 41000RESPONSIVE WEB DESIGN 3
EMAT 41510PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND TEAM DYNAMICS (WIC) 12-3
or VCD 49198 WRITING FOR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE (ELR) (WIC)
VCD 13000VISUAL DESIGN THINKING 3
VCD 13001INTRODUCTION TO VISUAL COMMUNICATION DESIGN STUDIO (min B- grade)3
VCD 23001TYPOGRAPHY I 3
VCD 33101INTERACTION DESIGN I 3
VCD 34004VISUAL ETHICS 3
VCD 40182INTERNSHIP PREPARATION: DESIGN, ILLUSTRATION AND PHOTOGRAPHY 2
VCD 40192INTERNSHIP: DESIGN, ILLUSTRATION AND PHOTOGRAPHY (ELR) 21
VCD 43007INFORMATION DESIGN 3
VCD 43101INTERACTION DESIGN II 3
VCD 44006MOTION DESIGN I 3
Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA)
UC 10001FLASHES 101 1
College of Communication and Information Core Electives, choose from the following:9
CCI 10095
SPECIAL TOPICS IN COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION
CCI 12001
PHOTOGRAPHY
CCI 40089
BRANDING AND SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIES FOR ITALIAN LIFESTYLE (DIVG) (ELR)
CCI 40095
SPECIAL TOPICS IN COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION
CCI 40189
ITALIAN POP CULTURE (DIVG) (ELR)
CCI 40289
ITALIAN CINEMA (DIVG) (ELR)
CCI 40389
DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING (DIVG) (ELR)
CCI 40489
MULTIMEDIA EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING (DIVG) (ELR)
CCI 45089
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN THE COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION (DIVG) (ELR)
CCI 46089
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN THE COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION (DIVG) (ELR)
COMM 15000
INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN COMMUNICATION (KADL)
COMM 35852
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION (DIVG)
LIS 30010
INFORMATION FLUENCY IN THE WORKPLACE AND BEYOND
MDJ 20001
MEDIA, POWER AND CULTURE (DIVD) (KSS)
MDJ 21008
SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIES
6
3
9
6
6-7
6
General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours)24
Minimum Total Credit Hours:120
1

A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.

2

Minimum 1 credit hour of VCD 40192 is required. Students may apply a maximum 4 credit hours of VCD 40192 toward their degree.

Graduation Requirements
Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
2.000 2.000
Roadmap

Roadmap

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester OneCredits
EMAT 10010 TECHNOLOGY, EXPERIENCE DESIGN AND SOCIETY 3
!VCD 13000 VISUAL DESIGN THINKING 3
!VCD 13001 INTRODUCTION TO VISUAL COMMUNICATION DESIGN STUDIO 3
UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours16
Semester Two
EMAT 21000 INTRODUCTION TO WEB DESIGN 3
!VCD 23001 TYPOGRAPHY I 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Three
EMAT 25310 CREATIVE CODING 3
EMAT 33310 HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION 3
VCD 34004 VISUAL ETHICS 3
College of Communication and Information Core Elective 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Four
EMAT 32210 DATA IN EMERGING MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY 3
VCD 33101 INTERACTION DESIGN I 3
College of Communication and Information Core Elective 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Five
VCD 43007 INFORMATION DESIGN 3
VCD 43101 INTERACTION DESIGN II 3
VCD 44006 MOTION DESIGN I 3
General Electives 6
 Credit Hours15
Semester Six
VCD 40182 INTERNSHIP PREPARATION: DESIGN, ILLUSTRATION AND PHOTOGRAPHY 2
EMAT 41510
or VCD 49198
 PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND TEAM DYNAMICS (WIC)
or WRITING FOR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE (ELR) (WIC)
2-3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
General Elective 3
 Credit Hours13
Third Summer Term
VCD 40192 INTERNSHIP: DESIGN, ILLUSTRATION AND PHOTOGRAPHY (ELR) 1
 Credit Hours1
Semester Seven
EMAT 41000 RESPONSIVE WEB DESIGN 3
College of Communication and Information Core Elective 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
General Electives 6
 Credit Hours15
Semester Eight
EMAT 40999 INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECTS (ELR) 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
General Electives 9
 Credit Hours15
 Minimum Total Credit Hours:120

Program Delivery

Program Delivery

  • Delivery:
    • In Person
  • Location:
    • Kent Campus

Accreditation for User Experience Design - B.S.

Accreditation

National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for User Experience Design - B.S.

Web developers and digital interface designers

8.0%

much faster than the average

174,300

number of jobs

$77,200

potential earnings

Graphic designers

-3.8%

decline

281,500

number of jobs

$53,380

potential earnings

Designers, all other

-1.9%

decline

13,600

number of jobs

$63,750

potential earnings

Project management specialists and business operations specialists, all other

5.9%

faster than the average

1,361,800

number of jobs

$77,420

potential earnings

Additional Careers
  • User Experience (UX) Designer
  • User Interface (UI) Designer
Notice: Career Information Source
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' . Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.
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