User Experience Design (BDes)

Combine your interest in design, people and technology and learn how to make a person’s experience with a product, service or environment a positive one. With UX professionals in high demand and ranked among the top 10 best jobs, you could work in a wide range of industries including retail, medicine, technology, finance, education and government.  

Offered exclusively at Laurier Brantford, you will learn both the theory and practical tools used by UX designers in today’s industry. Graduate ready to join a professional community creating something new for the world by combining creativity, strategic design thinking, user research and social awareness. 

Program Details

Degree Highlights

Your future professors work hard to make sure your academic experience is current, complete and designed to open doors in your career. Here are a few things you can count on:  

  • Industry Informed Curriculum: Get your information and skills right from the source. Industry partners have played a significant role in informing the UX curriculum. They have a continuing interest in supporting Laurier students, partnering on portfolio-building classwork, co-op placements, workshops, internships and employment opportunities.
  • Career-Focused Learning: UX students are trained to understand the pain points in human experiences and design real solutions. Projects and core principles from this program are transferable to various workplaces and industries.
  • Pathway to Teaching: Looking ahead to a career in education? Apply to the User Experience Design with Teaching Option program to get a head-start on your next step.

 

Top Experiences

Here are just a few of our students’ favourite ways to apply their learning in the real world throughout their degree (check out the Experience Guide for even more!):

  • Co-op: You can apply for co-op at the end of your second year. Develop skills and gain real-world experience in the career path of your interest with our awarded co-op program.
  • Professional Experience: Gain practical entrepreneurial experience through LaunchPad Brantford. Work with real-world design challenges and real clients throughout your courses starting in first year.
  • Competitions: Take part in Laurier's UX Design for Change competition and present your work for a chance to win a cash prize.  
  • Active learning: Get hands-on training in usability testing, interface design, storyboarding, graphic design, web prototyping, prototyping, wireframing, and more. 

Courses, Options and Pathways

First-Year Courses

  • Design Thinking
  • Digital Technology Lab
  • UX Strategy
  • UX Writing
  • Service Design
  • UX Research Methods I
  • 2.0 elective credits

Sample First-Year Electives

  • Critical Game Design
  • Introduction to Programming
  • Business in a Networked Society
  • Introduction to Psychology

Sample Upper-Year Courses

  • Design of Immersive Spaces
  • Graphic Design Studio III
  • UX Research Methods II
  • Interaction Design II
  • Capstone

Options and Minors

These are a few of the many popular academic opportunities which allow you to dive deeper into your major area of study or broaden your knowledge:

  • Game Design and Development Specialization
  • Leadership Minor/Option
  • Psychology Minor
  • Computer Science Minor
  • Politics & Public Policy Option 
  • Teaching Option 

Check out other options to enhance your degree.

Teaching Pathway

Prepare for future studies and a rewarding teaching career. The Teaching Option direct entry pathway is a path to the Bachelor of Education program (BEd). Students applying for an honours degree with the Teaching Option will be considered for admission directly into the BEd program.

Admissions

  • Format: full time or part time
  • Duration: four years
  • Start: September (fall term), January (winter term) or May (spring term)
  • OUAC codes: UUE; UXT (User Experience Design with Teaching Option)

Your Career Awaits

It’s not only about the journey; it’s about the destination. Let us help you get to where you’re going.

Here are just some examples of our graduates' destinations. What’s yours?

Sample Career Options

Note: Additional training and education may be required.

  • user experience designer
  • user researcher
  • information architect
  • interaction designer
  • lead designer
  • marketing director
  • senior user experience consultant
  • startup lead
  • usability analyst
  • visual designer
  • web content designer

Explore more careers.

Support After Graduation

Alumni for life means that you have access to Career and Employment Support offered at Laurier for your entire career.

Your Co-op Experience

Co-op is a way to integrate what you are learning in the classroom with practical experience in your field of study. Build your resume, earn money, develop your network, and graduate with work experience.

You are required to apply for admission to co-op at the beginning of third year and participate in a competitive entry process. As a student in this program, you will be eligible to complete paid work terms lasting 12 to 16 months.

Interested? Learn more about co-op.

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98%employment rate for co‑op students – 2023 / 2024

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Tuition and Scholarships

Getting a university education is an investment in your future.

At Laurier, we take financial health seriously by providing a wide variety of funding opportunities for you throughout your degree, such as scholarships and bursaries, and by equipping you with the skills to manage your finances effectively in the years to come.

 

Laurier is among the top 6 percent in the Global 2000 World University Ranking

 

Laurier students engaged in hands-on learning in 2023

 

Laurier graduates employed or in post-graduate studies in 2023

Brantford Campus

The Brantford campus is woven into the downtown core of the City of Brantford and is home to more than 3,000 students. Close to great walking and biking trails, you get the best of both worlds.

There are many ways to tour our Brantford campus, whether that's on a guided tour with one of our Laurier student ambassadors, on your own using virtual reality, or even on-demand through one of our pre-recorded tours. See our campus spaces and start to picture yourself at Laurier.

Chat with Current Students

Want to know what it’s really like to be in this program? U Community is our Discord server where future Golden Hawks like you can connect with current students to get their first-hand stories and tips on living and learning at Laurier.

Connect with Us

Questions? Email chooselaurier@wlu.ca, call 519.884.0710 x3385 or see all contact information.


You Belong Here

Think this program might be the perfect fit for you and your future?