Find Your Perfect School
Did you know that the average American internet user spends 32 hours a month online? A huge chunk of their day is spent browsing web pages, shopping online, and checking social media platforms. Online users and shoppers who find what they want immediately are likely to buy, download apps, or take similar actions that ultimately benefit the company—underscoring the importance of user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design.
Take a look: Best Schools For Becoming a Web Developer: Degree and Job Info
UI and UX professionals identify users’ problems and requirements when browsing web pages. They conduct tests to ensure that all such issues are resolved and every need addressed. The objective is to create an efficient User Experience Design that converts users to customers and loyal visitors or buyers.
The Bureau of labor statistics forecasts job growth of 23 percent for web developers and digital designers in the next decade.
Quick Summarization
UI and UX are concerned with the integration of branding, design, and usability as essential components of a website or application. They are a blend of elements of graphic design, visual arts, and information technology. Typically, they involve user research, design patterns, computer programming, social and collaborative computing, UX/UI processes, and usability testing.
With an online Bachelor’s in UX/UI degree, graduates obtain the skills to create a website that generates a positive overall experience for visitors or users.
Methodology
Earn a Bachelor’s in UX/UI degree from top-rated tech schools at your convenience! We gathered the best UX/UI undergraduate programs across the United States, each of which meets these criteria:
- Accommodates busy students and professionals through partial or hybrid and fully online class options,
- Prepares students for UX/UI jobs upon graduation by equipping them with both technical and soft skills required in real-life work environments, emphasizing fundamentals to advanced-level UX/UI courses,
- Offers convenient online access to all UX/UI subjects and coursework through cutting-edge online learning systems,
- Features expert UX/UI professionals as instructors,
- Features financial aid and transfer credit programs for reduced undergraduate tuition and fees,
- Affiliated with industry associations that promote the UX/UI industry and its professionals,
- Regionally accredited.
Visit our Methodology page and explore our online undergraduate program selection criteria and process.
5 Best Schools with Online Bachelor’s in UX/UI
Academy of Art University
The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interaction and UI/UX Design degree is available at the Academy of Art University. The program prepares you for a career in digital design, computer programming, web design, and web development.
This online degree in UX/UI Design focuses on these four fundamentals:
- Technology
- Design thinking
- User experience
- Visual communication
Among the topics covered in the 7.5-week and 15-week online courses are User Experience, Visual Design, and Design Strategies. After graduating, you can build a strong professional portfolio that you can use to land your dream job in this industry.
The online classes are facilitated through a brilliant Learning Management System featuring slideshows, videos, digital documentation, and other resources. Students are given numerous opportunities to interact with fellow learners from different departments and the same field to expand their creative network.
Lesley University
Lesley University’s online Bachelor of Science in Design for User Experience features web design solutions based on product and service concepts. It teaches the fundamentals of graphic design while placing the human experience as the focal point. Digital interaction experiences are designed and prototyped through research and concept generation.
From wire-framing to testing and presenting concepts, this online degree aims to make effective and efficient browsing times for users. Students become adept at web interface, mobile interface design, information kiosk design, and product interface design.
Lindenwood University
Lindenwood University’s online Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art and Design – Web and User Experience degree requires 78 credit hours. Students become prepared for professional roles involving game development, animation, graphic design, digital marketing, web design, and video production.
Here are the courses that you are expected to go through in this online program
- Digital Painting
- 3D Art
- 3D Painting
- Applications for Mobile Devices
- Motion Graphics
- Design with Illustrator
- Video Production
- Introduction to Digital and Web Design
- Design with Photoshop
- Desktop Publishing
Students can choose courses that meet their artistic or technical interests to pursue a career in the UX/UI industry. They are encouraged to obtain an Adobe Certification while earning their Web and User Experience major to enhance their portfolio.
Savannah College of Art and Design
The Savannah College of Art and Design – Bachelor of Fine Arts in UX Design online degree, intend to create a smooth experience for users as they use digital products and applications or visit eCommerce stores.
The 90-hour major curriculum consists of these courses, among others:
- Contextual Research Methods
- Graphic Design Media Management
- UX Design Methods
- Coding for UX Designers
- Interactive Product Design
- Information Architecture
- Prototyping Electronics for Designers
UX Design students at SCAD also benefit from optional undergraduate internships and collaborative projects that give them a realistic view of the profession.
Students also complete General Education courses that develop their communication and critical thinking skills.
Full Sail University
The Bachelor of Science in User Experience Degree at Full Sail University goes into detail about how UX Design is crafted and its influential factors.
Leveraging modern technology, the online degree introduces students to systems design, visual design, psychology, and perception to determine the relationship and interaction between users and products or services. They utilize the principles and tools of industry-standard workflows, research, prototypes, and testing to optimize user experience.
Focusing on the gaming community, the program also helps deliver an engaging gaming experience on a UX/UI-optimized platform.
Full Sail’s philosophy emphasizes creativity and hands-on learning. Students will also benefit from the university’s affiliation with entertainment and media industry associations.
Common Courses in an Online Bachelor’s in UX/UI
Computer Programming
UX designer needs to have foundational computer programming skills. Creating prototypes and testing user interfaces requires a basic knowledge of computer programming as a UX specialist. Using computer programming to design UX is the main focus of this course.
Graphics Design
Visual elements are used in graphics design courses to convey ideas. Graphic design courses use diverse tools and technologies to teach foundational principles in art and design. Through this course, students will learn how to design for clients.
User Experience Design
UI and UX experts should study UX Design courses. This course examines how a product or service interacts with its users. Many topics will be covered, such as testing, user experience workflows, and mastering jargon and industry terminology.
UX/UI for Gaming Platforms
Game user experience and user interface are explored in depth in this course. To become a game developer, this course is a must. Students will need to design games with the best experience for all players.
Design Principles for Effective Visual Communication
During this course, participants will learn different visual design principles. They involve collaterals, digital posters, websites, dashboards, and other mediums used for effective visual communication in virtual environments.
Web Designing
Courses in Web Designing fall under the Computer Science and Information Technology programs usually. But this is also a requirement for UX/UI students. Students learn different techniques, languages, and tools to create and maintain web pages.
Design with Illustrator
This course is intended to enhance your skills in using computer-based design tools. One primary tool that you can master is the Adobe creative suite. Future illustrators and artists can master creating impressive designs. Students will learn various illustrator tools as they progress from image retouching to vectors.
3D Printing
3D printing is now in demand by many industries. This is a layer-by-layer process for creating three-dimensional objects. A 3D part is created by building layers of material together in an additive process. And that’s what you’ll learn in this course.
3D Graphics
As a part of this course, students will learn how to create 3D models, map textures, apply lighting, light mapping, use cameras, and render them. The skills you can earn from this course will allow you to land many in-demand jobs today.
Career Pathways After Graduating with an Online Bachelor’s in UX/UI
Lead UX Designer
As the leader of a design team, the UX designer evaluates design ideas and organizes project plans. You’ll lead how the design will go and ensure that the goals and standards are met. Strong leadership and design skills are vital for this position.
Interaction Designer
In interaction design, users interact with interfaces. As the designer, you must ensure that the website has efficient navigation features. They should be easy to understand by the user.
User Experience Specialist
User experience designers create user-friendly designs. Creating designs for specific target audiences is their primary objective. You must create projects from start to finish and make the web page user-friendly and effective. Aside from web pages, you’ll tackle ads and software applications.
UX Writer
Another possible job is a user experience writer. This involves user experience design and copywriting. With this role, you need to create information that the target audience understands.
Product Designer
Most products that people use daily are designed and developed by product designers. Many industrial companies hire product designers who build and design products from scratch. After graduating with an online bachelor’s in UI/UX, this is a possible job to apply for. Otherwise, you can work your way up with experience and finally become a product designer.
Information Architect
Your responsibilities as an information architect will include scoping, building, and optimizing a website’s content. You must develop realistic user experience plans to achieve an organization’s goals. Your website will focus on the target audience and the technologies used in creating it. Web developers and creative teams work with information architects to implement design strategies.
Web Marketer
If you want to go into the business and marketing side of UI/UX, you can be a web marketer. Although design experience isn’t necessarily required, it will help you become a top choice for employers. Your familiarity with digital communication should make it easy for you to pick up on the fundamentals of web marketing. You can understand digital tools, elements, and design concepts easier than those who don’t have UI/UX backgrounds.
Project Manager
If you enjoy working behind the scenes on projects, project management might be the right career path for you. No matter what industry or business you want to participate in, they must hire project managers. Planning, budgeting, overseeing, and documenting your assigned project are all opportunities for you. Project managers ensure that projects are executed efficiently. Project managers have skills that can be applied to many industries, so they aren’t limited to UX and web design.
UX Manager
You can work as a UX manager for top management positions in UX or UI. This makes you in charge of projects. Like other roles for managers, you’ll facilitate the entire UX/UI team. Consider taking on new responsibilities and experiences as you advance in your UX career. You will also learn how to respond to new challenges while working on different projects. All the experiences you’ll earn in this management position will prepare you for even higher roles at the top management level.
Top Skills for User Design and User Experience Experts
In their design work, UX designers combine technical and workplace skills. UI/UX-specific skills and soft skills are required for User Experience professionals. Check out both these tech skills and soft skills necessary to be an active contributor in this industry:
UX Research
UI and UX design requires research, but UX designers especially depend on research and analysis. Hence, it would help if you’re equipped with UX research skills. You can use this strength to collect qualitative and quantitative user information. There are many research methods and strategies to apply, such as conducting surveys and holding interviews. You can even plan it out with the marketing team to make it more effective.
Visual Design
A product’s visual elements are created using visual design software. This is a UX/UI-specific skill that you must master. The tools are not the only thing you need to acquire expertise in. You also learn graphic design principles by heart and develop your design skills in color theory, layout, and other design concepts.
Agility
Agility is a soft skill needed for UX/UI specialists. Teams can use them to work incrementally, iteratively, and simultaneously.
UX Writing
Copywriting for user experience refers to what users see as they navigate a website or app. UX writing must play an important role in the overall aesthetic and branding message of UI design and UX design. The copy should be able to convey all the necessary information succinctly, directly, and intuitively. This is an important skill for UI/UX professionals.
Information Architecture
Organizing and structuring content effectively is part of information architecture. UX designers must have basic to advanced information architecture skills to facilitate projects.
Coding
The UI/UX designers don’t write code for the apps or pages since these tasks and roles belong to web designers or developers. But it would be a plus for UX professionals to have basic coding skills such as CSS, HTML, and Java. You can make minor changes as you move along in the design process by understanding how these elements work together.
Communication
Communication is relevant in different companies and for all employees. As a UX/UI designer, you should be well-versed in communication. After all, there may be instances where you need to work and communicate with external people or partners. Communication skills are essential for obtaining valuable customer data and building stakeholder enthusiasm. Ensure to have good oral and written communication skills.
Collaboration
As a UX designer, you regularly collaborate with other departments and team members. You need to have good collaboration skills. While there are also instances of working independently, there are more opportunities to successfully collaborate with other team members to launch an app or website.
Are you interested in other aspects of Design? Check this out: Highest Paying Jobs in Art and Design
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does an online Bachelor’s in UX/UI Design degree take?
To become a UX designer, you may need to attend college or university online for several years. Like many other bachelor’s degrees, an online bachelor in UX/UI degree usually takes four years. However, it’s important to note that influential factors would take play on the duration of the program. For instance, you may enroll as a part-time or full-time student. The latter would let you speed up your online study and finish earlier.
Some accelerated online programs are offered, too, while others allow transfer credits that save students time and money. Lastly, you need to consider the number of credit hours you take per semester and see how long it’ll take to finish the 120 credit requirement for an online Bachelor’s in UX/UI.
Which is better: a Bachelor of Science degree or a Bachelor of Arts in User Design program?
A Bachelor of Science is preferred for UI designers, game developers, computer programmers, full stack developers, and other tech sector roles. This type of degree program deals with all things technical in the UI and UX design process and graphic information technology. while also teaching human-computer interaction and human systems engineering principles.
Conversely, a Bachelor of Arts degree offers a broader education covering a broader range of subjects. The good side of a BA degree is that it qualifies graduates for more career opportunities with their general skills.
Is studying for an online Bachelor’s in User Design Degree difficult?
Contrary to what some online students expect, an online UX design degree is not as difficult as you expect. However, online degree programs require the same focus and commitment as on-campus programs. If the school that provides the course provides adequate support to its students, learning an online skill like UX design won’t be any more difficult than learning it in person.
Key Points to Ponder
- A User Experience and User Interface Design bachelor degree can develop a student’s fundamental hard skills or technical abilities, but this undergraduate program’s general education courses also enhance their soft skills.
- UX/UI graduates can pursue careers such as visual designers, UX researchers, UX designers, web developers, information architects, or interaction designers.
- Students learn interactive display skills in a UX/UI design program. Interactive exhibits, game design, and interactive displays are all covered in the courses.
This is an exciting career to consider! Check it out: Best Schools with Online Bachelor’s in Game Design