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Do I Need a Master’s in User Experience?
In the course of my UX designer career when I mentor junior designers on trydesignlab.com or share designs on my Instagram profile @uiuxdesigns, the one question I’m asked most frequently is: “Do I need a Master’s degree in UX?”
Like many other UX designers, I did my undergraduate degree in Graphic Design a while ago. Graphic Design classes taught me about colors and fonts, as well as how to arrange elements such as images and blocks of text within layouts in printed materials. These principles are pretty much the same for the digital world. The difference, however, is that while traditional graphic design is static, the visual aspects of the UX are ultimately interactive and thus require a whole new set of considerations and design solutions.
It’s only later that I learned that visual design is just the tip of the UX iceberg. Over the next few years, I learned about the design thinking process, user-centered design, user research, informational architecture, cognitive science, and much more. Like many others, I learned UX on the job. I have worked with a lot of small- and medium-size startups, and now I am working as a Sr. UX Designer at Visa Inc., where we are building the future of payments.
Is design grad school worth it?
There are a lot of great and successful designers working in UX roles without a degree. A lot of companies do not require a degree at all and mostly make a decision based on your portfolio, skills, and experience. Furthermore, having a UX degree doesn’t even add anything to your salary. But it does not mean that the degree is worthless!
Initially, I planned to go for my Master’s degree right after undergrad. However, I was not even sure what Master’s program to pursue. At that moment, I would have been getting a Master’s just for the sake of getting a Master’s degree, and I am very happy that I decided to take some time off to see where my career would take me.
With all that in mind why would anybody want to spend money and time pursuing a graduate degree in UX design?
- To gain new skills and…
