Despite the consistently high demand for UX designers, user experience design majors are still few and far between. That said, this scarcity of UX-specific majors doesn’t mean you can’t still have a successful career in UX.
You have options beyond a UX design major. In today’s guide, we’ll discuss these options in more depth so you can embark on the most rewarding educative journey!
The Best Majors for UX Design
UX designers have to utilize a wide range of skills every day, including competencies in psychology, technology, and visual design. The best majors will enable you to expand and refine these skill sets, contributing to your career prospects.
To point you in the right direction, we’ve explored the most beneficial, skill-enhancing majors below.
1. Human-Computer Interaction
UX design would be incomplete without human-computer interaction (HCI).
HCI refers to the study of how people interact with different technologies. Beyond studying these interactions, HCI specialists aim to optimize them by designing user interfaces from which users derive value. Sound familiar?
HCI majors are perfect for budding UX designers, especially since they combine human perception, UX design principles, and computer science. They are research-heavy, and we don’t have to tell you how integral user research is to the UX design process.
Because of HCI’s dedication to cognitive sciences, HCI majors provide insights into both the technical and behavioral aspects of UX. You’d even acquire invaluable practical experience as you create prototypes during hands-on projects.
Unsurprisingly, by acquiring an HCI degree, you’ll also have many career prospects. From UX design and UI design to software engineering and product management, HCI can open a lot of doors.
2. Psychology
Aptly named, user experience design revolves around the end user. To create successful digital products, you need to understand the many complexities of the human mind. Needless to say, a psychology major is perfect for this endeavor.
Being a psychology major will allow you to explore the intricacies of human behavior, emotions, and thought processes. With this knowledge, you’ll acquire a greater understanding of how your future users perceive the world around them.
You’ll also learn about the crucial social, biological, cognitive, and emotional factors that affect these perceptions. So, when you become a UX designer, you’ll understand what will motivate your users and what will frustrate them.
This knowledge will not only help your user research but also improve the way you design user interfaces. Just think, with your understanding of cognitive loads, you’ll be able to structure your product’s content without overwhelming your users.
Plus, if you find that you love psychology more than UX design, you can pursue a great number of careers. From becoming a counseling psychologist to securing a role as a social researcher, the world is your oyster.
3. Graphic Design
By studying a graphic design major, you’ll learn how to leverage visual communication to create compelling visual designs. You’ll dive deep into the visual elements that make modern digital products engaging, including typography, color, illustration, and animation.
If you want to learn UX design, you should definitely consider majoring in graphic design. This is because the work of a graphic designer closely resembles that of a UX designer. Specifically, graphic design students have to solve design problems, exercising their design thinking, design mapping, and portfolio development skills.
Graphic design students will also become proficient in design software like Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop while collaborating with other designers. Such competencies would help you refine both the technical and soft skills that every UX designer needs.
What’s more, your graphic design degree can lead you to many rewarding careers beyond the UX and graphic design industries. For instance, you could secure a role as a web designer, digital marketer, and illustrator.
4. Industrial Design
Industrial design (ID) focuses on creating and testing various products, such as cars, furniture, and technologies. A major in ID will introduce you to the lucrative blend of art, business, science, and user experience.
During your studies, you’ll also get the opportunity to delve into inclusive product design, design methodologies, and digital tools. As an added bonus, there is no shortage of hands-on experience, collaborative projects, and chances for in-depth product analysis.
Above all, an ID major will put your problem-solving abilities to the test. You’ll have to ideate multiple design solutions, adapting to a variety of contextual factors and design specifications.
After acquiring your ID degree, you could become a product designer, architect, interior designer, and, of course, a UX designer.
5. Interaction Design
An interaction design major is another major that explores the relationship between people and technology. By studying this major, you’ll explore the components of HCI in great depth, scrutinizing task flows, user interactions, and contexts.
You’ll also focus heavily on using design practices to make your own designs more inclusive, accessible, and human-centered. Not only will this significantly improve your approach to problem-solving, but it will also help you enhance your design’s usability.
Like the other majors we’ve discussed, you’ll also have ample opportunities to showcase your new competencies within your prototypes.
If you were to earn an interaction design degree, you could become a UX, UI, and interaction designer.
The Best Colleges With UX Design Majors
To help you even further, we’ve listed some of the colleges that are worthy of your contemplation below.
- Carnegie Mellon University
- University of Washington
- Georgia Institute of Technology
- Stanford University
- University of Maryland
- University of California – Berkeley
- Parsons School of Design
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
UX Design Major: Improve Your Skills With Page Flows
Each major we’ve discussed can catalyze your emergence into the UX industry. Choose wisely, and think of the skills you need to work on the most.
In addition to your major, there are other ways you can enhance your skills, like working alongside Page Flows.
Page Flows is a comprehensive user flow hub where you can find top-tier, annotated recordings and screenshots. Through our flows, you’ll learn how to master intuitive in-product navigation at every stage of the user’s journey.
Our resources are as detailed as they are versatile, capturing exceptional desktop and mobile app UX across dozens of industries. With such variety, you’ll never struggle to find the inspiration that perfectly accommodates your specific needs.
Pair the trove of knowledge of a UX design major with the abundance of inspiration you’ll receive from Page Flows. You’ll find that achieving your goals is easier than you first thought. Get started today to learn the fundamental user flow design skills that every proficient UX designer has!
FAQs
What should I major in for UX design?
If you want to become a proficient user experience designer, consider studying the following UX design majors:
– Graphic Design
– Interaction Design
– Psychology
– Human-Computer Interaction
– Computer Science
What do UX designers major in?
A lot of UX designers major in industrial design, graphic design, psychology, information technology, and even anthropology.
Is UX design a STEM major?
Yes, UX design is a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) major. UX designers use scientific research methods to understand their target users and their decisions are data-driven.
