MA Interaction Design - AD439

The MA Interaction Design brings together candidates from a range of fields including design, art, computer science, psychology, sociology and business, and prepares graduates to play a leading role in the development of emerging technology in society. It is a 1-year, full-time course. Successful applicants must pay a €500 deposit within 10 working days of receiving the offer in order to secure their place.

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What to Expect

The MA Interaction Design is a one year full time taught masters delivered in NCAD. The course teaches fundamental approaches, methods and tools related to the design of digital products, experiences, systems and services with a focus on users and context of use. The MA is studio-based with students engaging in lectures, seminars, workshops, fieldwork and independent and group projects. The studio environment is an essential component, fostering collaborative and peer-to-peer learning. The programme focuses on the inter-disciplinary nature of Interaction Design, covering topics ranging from human-computer interaction and psychology, to product design and experience prototyping.

The course is underpinned by a deeply human-centred design approach. Through a range of studio projects students learn to conduct designerly research, extract meaningful insights, create and visualise concepts, and develop and evaluate prototypes in context. Covering the theoretical and practical aspects of the discipline, the course encourages students to design from both a pragmatic and speculative perspective, to imagine things as they might be and not necessarily as they are. During the first and second semester students develop knowledge and skills in areas including user experience (UX), user interface design, design ethnography, service design, coding, physical computing, augmented and virtual reality, systems thinking, data visualisation, prototyping and digital fabrication. Each year the students collaborate with the MSc Medical Device Design students on intensive real-world briefs. Over the summer students complete a self-directed major project and dissertation.

Opportunities to Engage

Based in Dublin city centre, the hub of Ireland’s rapidly growing technology sector, the MA offers exciting opportunities for students to engage with industry, extending their existing skill set into new territory. Students are exposed to a broad range of topics and real-world contexts through industry projects and engagement with design practitioners and visiting academics. Through project work students engage in fieldwork connecting with the local community, businesses and organisations.

Student work is exhibited through work-in-progress shows. In addition to this, students are encouraged to display, implement and evaluate their work beyond the college in appropriate settings. Students are also supported to prepare publications to contribute new and relevant knowledge to the academic community.

Qualification

90 ECTS credits/Taught masters

Educational Standard

All applicants are expected to present an approved Bachelor degree at minimum level of 2nd class honours (2.2)

Applicants who do not meet the minimum academic entry requirements may be considered on the basis of prior work or learning experience (RPEL). Candidates may be required to pass a qualifying examination set by the relevant department before being accepted to a Masters degree programme. Attendance at selected undergraduate lecture courses at NCAD, together with related written work may be prescribed. 

You may apply for the programme if you are currently completing your Undergraduate Degree. NCAD will review the rest of your application If necessary, we can make you a Conditional Offer. When your degree is completed and you send us final transcripts we will upgrade this to a Full Offer. 

Essential Supporting documents 

  • A Statement of Interest - 500 words framing your reasons for applying to the programme.
  • Portfolio^
  • A recent CV
  • Certified copy of Level 8 degree (2.2 or higher)
  • Certified transcripts of previous programmes followed
  • Reference 1 (Academic - Head of School/Department preferred) **
  • Reference 2 (Tutor or Current/Recent Employer)
    • **Note: Please supply the reference. Some referees prefer to submit the reference directly to the college. If this is the case, please instruct your referee to email a standard reference to postgraduate@ncad.ie.
    • Please make sure all references contain the letterhead and the institution contact email address for the referee.

Portfolio^

Applicants are required to submit a portfolio which should contain a sample of their relevant work.

The form of the Portfolio depends on the individual experience and background of each applicant. You should submit any visual material that you feel showcases an aspect of your skill-set that is relevant to the programme. However, the portfolio does not have to contain design work for the MA, as applicants are not expected to have a demonstrable design ability.

We are also open to reviewing written work or documentation of a project that might be more theoretical or technical in nature. In these cases, we would like to see some sort of documentation of relevant work; this could be some written work or documentation of a project that might be more theoretical or technical. Some applicants choose to describe projects they have been involved with in a "case study" format for projects that are not necessarily visual. There is no set requirement on the number of pages or projects - this is up to each individual applicant.

Document Description

When uploading documents please make sure you clearly label them using the Description Box like in the example below 

English Language Requirements 

All programmes in NCAD are taught through English. International Applicants are asked to provide proof of their English Language Proficiency.

Full details of acceptable tests and the standard required can be found at the following link English Language Requirement.

The MA prepares graduates for careers in industry, independent design consultancy, start-up venture, creative practice and academic research. With the skills to develop design solutions related to web technologies, software, physical products, systems, services, environments and installations, graduates have a wide range of local and global opportunities available to them.

Recent graduates have gone on to work as Interaction Designers, UX Designers, UX Researchers, Service Designers, Product Designers and User Interface Designers for companies such as IBM, Frontend, Fjord, Daqri, Ryanair, Workday, Verizon Connect, SilverCloud, Radii, among others. The School of Design actively participates in the EU-funded Erasmus+ programme, which offers recent graduates the opportunity to avail of internships in high profile design companies within the European Union.

Students are also supported to progress to PhD level.

The priority deadline for applications is 19 February 2025

Fees

For information on tuition fees please follow this Link

There is an application fee of €55.00*

Successful applicants must pay a €500 deposit within 10 working days of receiving the offer in order to secure their place.  Deposits are non-refundable.

Application Process

Step 1: Click on Apply Now button below | Step 2: Fill in your details

Step 3: Upload your Supporting Documents

  • You can also submit your application even before you upload the necessary documents. 

  • You can not add new documents after you have submitted. 

  • Additional documents can be sent to postgraduate@ncad.ie and we will upload them on your behalf. 

Step 4: Pay the application fee & submit your application to NCAD*

  • If you are applying for multiple Postgraduate Programmes then you are only obliged to pay the application fee once.

    • Complete your application as far as the fee payment page

    • Click save + exit

    • Email postgraduate@ncad.ie and let us know you are ready to submit and we will submit the application on your behalf. 

  • NCAD Graduates are not required to pay the application fee. 

    • Complete your application as far as the fee payment page

    • Click save + exit 

    • Email postgraduate@ncad.ie and let us know you are ready to submit and we will submit the application on your behalf. 

 

Programme Contact

Emma Creighton: creightone@staff.ncad.ie

Admissions Contact 

postgraduate@ncad.ie

01 636 4200