School of Design
User Experience Design Bachelor of Design
- 4 years
- On campus · studio-based (18 hrs/week in studio)
- September intake
- Studio cohort of 36 — everyone gets wall space
You can't learn design from slides. Caldwell's BDes runs on the studio model — small cohorts, permanent desk space, critique every week — and treats research as half the discipline: by second year you're testing your work with real users in the observation lab, not guessing.
Why this program is built this way
- Permanent studio desk from day one; critique culture from week two
- User research lab with observation suite — real participants from year 2
- Civic and accessibility briefs: real constraints, real stakeholders
- Graduating portfolio show attended by 40+ hiring studios and product teams
The four years, year by year
Year 1
Design fundamentals in the studio
- DSGN 101 — Studio I: Form, Type & Composition
- DSGN 110 — Design Histories & Futures
- DSGN 120 — Drawing & Visual Thinking
- COMP 105 — Web Foundations (HTML/CSS)
Year 2
Interaction and research
- DSGN 210 — Studio II: Interaction Design
- UXRS 220 — User Research Methods (lab-based)
- DSGN 230 — Information Architecture
- DSGN 240 — Prototyping: Paper to Code
Year 3
Systems and real briefs
- DSGN 310 — Studio III: Design Systems
- UXRS 320 — Usability Evaluation & Accessibility
- DSGN 330 — Service & Civic Design (external brief)
- Elective: motion, data visualization, or game UX
Year 4
Thesis and the portfolio show
- DSGN 410 — Studio IV: Thesis Project
- DSGN 420 — Professional Practice & Portfolio
- UXRS 430 — Research-Led Capstone Study
- DSGN 440 — Graduating Exhibition
What it takes to get in
- High-school diploma (minimum 70% average — illustrative)
- Portfolio: 8–12 pieces showing how you think, not just what you can render — process pages encouraged
- Short written statement: one problem you'd redesign and why
- Portfolio review happens in February; interviews for the shortlist in March
Straight talk: The portfolio outweighs grades in our review. Applicants without formal art training are admitted every year — we look for observation and iteration, not polish.
Full requirements by applicant type — transfer, mature, international — on the admissions page.
Where graduates actually land
- UX / product designer
- UX researcher
- Service designer (public sector and health)
- Design-systems designer
Reported starting salary $50,000–$60,000 reported median starting range
Class of 2024 survey, 65% response rate. Straight talk: the junior design market is competitive — grads with research skills and accessibility depth landed roles fastest, which is why both are required here. Illustrative.
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