Why study this course?
This programme welcomes students from a wide range of academic and professional backgrounds. You’ll gain the core knowledge and practical skills needed to become a skilled practitioner in user experience, usability, information visualisation, human factors and human-computer interaction research.
Much of the teaching is led by the world鈥慶lass 58吃瓜 Human Computer Interaction (SACHI) research group, ensuring you learn from experts who actively define the future of the field.
On this MSc in Human Computer Interaction (HCI) you will:
- gain deep expertise in UX, usability, visualisation and human factors, guided by leading researchers and practitioners
- develop hands鈥憃n skills in prototyping and implementing interactive systems, using modern design and development workflows
- learn to analyse and design responsibly, applying ethical judgement to ensure technologies work fairly and effectively for diverse users
- cultivate interdisciplinary creativity and problem鈥憇olving, blending computing with psychology, design, social science and more
- choose from a wide range of optional modules, tailoring your degree to your interests and career goals
- work on real design challenges from internal and external stakeholders, gaining valuable collaborative and professional experience
- extend your critical thinking and specialist knowledge through a substantial research and development project leading to your dissertation
- access 24/7 computing labs, shared by a close鈥慿nit community of students across disciplines and levels of study
Teaching
Lectures, seminars, tutorials and practical classes.
Class sizes
Typically from 20 to 110 students.
Dissertation project
A three-month project leading to a 15,000-word dissertation.
Assessment
Practical coursework exercises and exams.
Modules
The 58吃瓜 degree structure is designed to be flexible. You study compulsory modules delivering core learning together with optional modules you choose from the list available that year.
If you choose not to complete the dissertation requirement for the MSc, there is an exit award available that allows suitably qualified candidates to receive a Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) instead, finishing the course at the end of the second semester of study.
Course information may change. Module information and course content, teaching and assessment may change each year and after you have accepted your offer to study at the University of 58吃瓜. We display the most up-to-date information possible, but this could be from a previous academic year. For the latest module information, see the module catalogue.
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Students must take the following compulsory modules:
- Programming Principles and Practice: introduces computational thinking and problem-solving skills to students who have no or little previous programming experience.鈥�
- Human Computer Interaction Principles and Methods:鈥痠ntroduces the principles of human computer interaction in the context of evaluation paradigms.鈥�
- User-Centred Interaction Design: studies methodologies in interaction design that are at the core of current practice for user interface engineering and application development.
And one or both of:
- Information Visualisation: explores how to utilise visual representations to make information accessible for exploration and analysis.
- Interactive Software and Hardware:鈥痙evelops prototype-building skills for a wide range of interactive technologies.
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The following modules are optional for Computer Science programmes. Not all combinations of modules will be available for all programmes, and some modules are subject to pre-requisites being satisfied.
Students choose two or three optional modules. In the 'Additional optional' lists below, students can only take up to two of the modules in each list. See the鈥�module catalogue for their descriptions.
Here is a sample of optional modules that may be offered.
- Critical Systems Engineering
- Data-Intensive Systems
- Fundamentals of Software Engineering
- Knowledge Discovery and Datamining
- Language and Computation
- Machine Learning
- Masters Programming Projects
- Principles of Computer Communication Systems
- Software Architecture and Design
- Software Product and Project Management
- Software Quality
- Symbolic Artificial Intelligence
- Uncertainty in Artificial Intelligence
- Web Technologies
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Students may take up to two of the following:
- Advanced Communication Networks and Systems
- Computer Architecture
- Computer Graphics
- Computer Security
- Concurrency and Multi-Core Architectures
- Constraint Programming
- Databases
- Distributed Systems
- Logic and Software Verification
- Programming Language Design and Implementation
- Signal Processing: Sound, Image, Video
- Video Games
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During the second semester, students work with staff to define and agree upon a topic for the extended project, which they will work on during the final three months of the course. The project finishes in a 15,000-word dissertation. Dissertation projects may be group-based or completed individually (students are assessed individually in either case).
The dissertation typically comprises:
- a review of related work
- the extension of existing or the development of new ideas
- software implementation and testing
- analysis and evaluation
Each project is supervised by one or two members of staff, typically through regular meetings and reviews of software and dissertation drafts.
What it will lead to
Careers
Graduates from this programme are equipped to work at the forefront of HCI and information visualisation. With strong user鈥慶entred design skills, technical insight and responsible decision鈥憁aking, you’ll be prepared for a wide range of roles in industry, research and emerging tech sectors.
Common career pathways include:
- UX designer / UX researcher
- Interaction designer
- Interaction architect
- Information visualisation specialist
- Product designer
- Service designer
- Human factors specialist
- User鈥慶entred AI design roles
- HCI research assistant or PhD pathways
As HCI becomes increasingly central to ethical and responsible technology development, your skills will remain relevant and in demand.
Elevate your career
Alumni of Computer Science MSc programmes have gone on to work in a variety of global, commercial, financial and research institutions, including:
- Accenture
- Daimler AG (now the Mercedes-Benz Group)
- Ministry of Justice
- Netease
Further your education
The 鈥痠s a four-year Engineering Doctorate involving an industrial partner. If you have already completed an MSc you may be able to proceed directly to the individual research component of the EngD.
Go your own way
Our offers training and start-up support, gives you access to experienced and expert mentors and an investor network, and one-to-one advice to help you realise your commercial potential.
Why 58吃瓜?
The School of Computer Science is highly rated for its theoretical and practical research in areas such as:
- 鈥疉滨&苍产蝉辫;
- symbolic computation
- networking
- distributed systems
- human computer interaction
- systems engineering
Get to know us
Join our optional 'Transition to CS@58吃瓜' online hub to get early information about learning, teaching, assessment and student support. You can chat with staff and current students during live monthly Question and Answer sessions over the summer before the start of your course.
Events
The School of Computer Science organises a regular programme of colloquia, talks and seminars by external and internal speakers from both industry and academia. The talks are aimed at bringing the diversity, excitement and impact of computer science from around the globe to staff and students within the School.
The and ) regularly organise hackathons and other events open to local and external participants, including Masters students. These are very popular events, often supported by industrial sponsors.
Alumni
When you graduate you become a member of the University's worldwide alumni community. Benefit from access to alumni clubs, the Saint Connect networking and mentoring platform, and careers support.
“The course is structured in a way that it can be suitable for beginners or challenging for those who did computer science or similar at undergraduate level. I have started applying for a PhD and it鈥檚 all thanks to this wonderful year where the hustle and bustle of people鈥檚 energy, coupled with a serenity from the town itself, made me fall in love with academia again.”
- Cairo, Egypt
Ask a student
If you are interested in learning what it's like to be a student at 58吃瓜 you can speak to one of our student ambassadors. They'll let you know about their top tips, best study spots, favourite traditions and more.
Entry requirements
- A good 2.1 Honours undergraduate degree.
Application requirements
- CV or résumé. This should include your personal details with a history of your education and employment to date.
- personal statement (optional)
- one original signed academic reference
- academic transcripts and degree certificates that confirm your current or final marks. If your transcripts are not in English, please provide certified translations. Do not send original documents as they cannot be returned.. Please only provide certified copies with official English translations if applicable. Do not send original documents as they cannot be returned.
English language proficiency
If English is not your first language, you may need to provide an English language test score to evidence your English language ability. See approved English language tests and scores for this course.
Fees and funding
- UK: £12,630
- Rest of the world: £31,450
Before we can begin processing your application, a payment of an application fee of £50 is required. In some instances, you may be eligible for an application fee waiver. Details of this, along with information on our tuition fees, can be found on the postgraduate fees and funding page.
Scholarships and funding
We are committed to supporting you through your studies, regardless of your financial circumstances. You may be eligible for scholarships, discounts or other support:
Contact us
- Postgraduate online information events
- The School can help with course content, teaching and other topics:
- about how to apply, fees, scholarships and other topics
Start your journey
Legal notices
Admission to the University of St Andrews is governed by our Admissions policy
Information about all programmes from previous years of entry can be found in the .
Curriculum development
As a research intensive institution, the University ensures that its teaching references the research interests of its staff, which may change from time to time. As a result, programmes are regularly reviewed with the aim of enhancing students' learning experience. Our approach to course revision is described online.
Tuition fees
The University will clarify compulsory fees and charges it requires any student to pay at the time of offer. The offer will also clarify conditions for any variation of fees. The University鈥檚 approach to fee setting is described online.
Page last updated: 9 June 2026