MSc Interaction Design | Cyprus University of Technology

Aims and structure

There is a continuous demand for passionate, creative experts, especially in the fields of Interaction Design, User Experience and Human Computer Interaction (HCI). The program equips its graduates with immediate marketable skills in design, technology, and theory as related to the domain of Interaction Design, User Experience and Human-Computer Interaction.

Interaction Design shapes the experiences of people as they interact with products in order to achieve their goals and objectives. Interaction designers define product behaviour, mediating relationships between people and people, people and products, people and environments, and people and services across a variety of social, cultural and technological contexts.

The MSc in Interaction Design (www.idmaster.eu) is offered by the Cyprus University of Technology (Cyprus) and Tallinn University (Estonia) bringing together an impressive experience and knowledge in Interaction Design, Human Computer Interaction Design and Online Learning.

The course is offered fully online in English and its current cohort is multi-disciplinary and international coming from more than 25 different countries.

Career options

Our graduates can pursue careers as Content Strategists, Creative Directors, Creative Technologists, Design Strategists, Developers (front-end or back-end), Information Architects, Interaction Designers, Mobile Designers, Service Designers, Usability Specialists, User Interface Designers and many more.

Our graduates have excelled as entrepreneurs and have been prepared for self-employability through successful pitching and presentation of their ideas and work to professional and public bodies as well as pursued suitable funding opportunities.

Specifically, graduates will have the following skills:

knowledge about the techniques necessary for the design and development of easy to use, appealing and thoroughly designed software and systems
understanding how digital media, as products and services, relate to existing social, cultural, economic and technological systems
skills to effectively lead and collaborate in multi-disciplinary teams through the entire process from design to development and evaluation of software and systems
capacity to follow established professional, ethical and intellectual property protection principles
ability to undertake internationally recognised research and continue studies at PhD level

Priorities in Focus

This course differentiates itself from other Interaction Design and HCI programs by addressing worldwide and European Union’s priorities as highlighted by the EU’s Digital Agenda.These are:

e-Inclusion, as reflected by the European Commission’s view on the role of eGovernment, eHealth and eInclusion domains in sustainable human development
e-Accessibility, which targets the removal of the barriers encountered when trying to access and use digital media products, services and applications
e-Services, which reflect the recognition of information technology as a powerful tool for accelerating economic development, whose benefits include accessing a greater user base, broadening reach, lowering of entry barrier to new domains and cost of acquiring new audience, alternative communication channel, increasing services to enhancing awareness and perception, gaining competitive advantages and potential for leveraging knowledge.

Courses

1st Term
	ECTS
MGA 670 Foundations of HCI	5
MGA 671 Interaction Design Methods	5
MGA 672 Developing Interactive Systems	5
MGA 673 Evaluating User Experience	5
MGA 674 Research Methods	5
MGA 675 Seminar I	5
TOTAL	30
2nd Term
	ECTS
MGA 676 Design Theory and Methodology	5
MGA 677 Design for All	5
MGA 678 Computer Supported Collaborative Work	5
MGA 679 Ubiquitous Computing	5
MGA 680 Sustainability in Interaction Design	5
MGA 681 Seminar II	5
TOTAL	30
3rd Term
	ECTS
MGA 682 Group Project	15
MGA 683 Thesis I	15
TOTAL	30
4th Term
	ECTS
MGA 684 Thesis II	30

Enrolment

The MSc in Interaction Design is designed for students with a Bachelor’s degree, who have a strong interest in the human aspects of interactive systems and a background preferably, or related to, Computer Science, Informatics, Design, Media Studies, Internet Studies, Social sciences, Psychology and Education.

Students wishing to enrol in the program must possess the following qualifications:

A degree in a related field with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 6.5/10, or equivalent, from a recognized and accredited university.
Excellent knowledge of English. Graduates from a non-English speaking University may be required to produce evidence to prove their proficiency in the English Language.

International applicants whom English is not native language are required to provide a proof of their English language proficiency. One of the following is accepted:

GCE/ IGCSE Ο level: C;
FCE (First Certificate in English): A;
CAE (Certificate in Advanced English): C;
CPE (Certificate of Proficiency in English): C;
IELTS (International English Language Testing System): 5.5;
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign language) paper version: 525, internet based: 70, computer-based: 196;
CEF (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: learning, teaching, and assessment): B2.

Exemptions from submitting the English proficiency test scores may be given if the applicants fill one of the following conditions: English is their mother tongue, or they have completed a certifiable English taught degree.

You can also read Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section for more information