Torn with uni choices!

Community
1

Hey everyone,

I am currently in the last year of high school and have decided to pursue UX as my long-term career. I am very torn about which degree to go after and thought some advice from some fellow UXers would help. What are you guys’ opinions on the following degrees i.e. What it’s like to to be in the UX programme- the people, atmosphere, resources, syllabus, teaching environment, student experience, is it worth it etc. ? The unis that I am more inclined towards are- UCL, UAL, NYU, SCAD, and U of T.

The degrees I have applied for are:
Loughborough University BSc User centred design
University College London (UCL) Arts and Sciences (BASc)
UAL London College of Communication BA (Hons.) Information and Interface Design
University of Leeds BA Digital Media
The Glasgow School of Art BA (Hons) Interaction Design
NYU Integrated Digital Media (BS)
Savannah College of Art & Design BFA UX Design
University of British Columbia BA Media Studies
University of Toronto Interactive Digital Media (Specialist), Honours Bachelor of Arts / Master of Information
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University BA(Hons) Communication Design

I was initially very keen on the SCAD UX Design course but am held back for safety reasons- drugs, alcohol, gun, racism against Asians and personal security issues are some things that I am very concerned about. I read the security report on the Savannah campus and there are 100+ drug/alcohol reports. Is SCAD Savannah a safe environment to be in? What are the things I need to be aware of?

I am also quite worried that the learning atmosphere might not be as active/motivated and the overall quality of students might not be as good as traditional universities of higher rankings where students come from better academic backgrounds and are more motivated to do better. Is the statement true?

Also, what are the prospects of computer programming in these courses- How advanced does it go? What are some tips you can give me in my portfolio submission?

If you have taken any of the degrees listed above, I would really appreciate your honest opinion! Thank you so much!

Serene

2

I attended SCAD from 2004 to 2009 and never had a problem with crime.

No, you get what put in and some people put in more than others just like any other environment.

My BFA is in graphic design but I have friends who went for animation and interaction design. If it is a programming position you seek I would recommend a traditional computer science degree. From what I know SCAD focuses more on art and design than programming and computer science. You might be exposed to computer science but not nearly as much as a traditional SC degree.

I have a BFA in GD but have been a web developer for nearly a decade. My recommendation is to pick either art/design or programming. If you would like to do art/design than an art school like SCAD is a very good choice. If you would like to do programming than I recommend a traditional SC degree. For programming / engineering a traditional SC degree has more value than a UX design degree.

If you aren’t dead set on art / design I would highly recommend a traditional degree.

I think the concept of UX design as a degree is half on the horse. Either get on the horse or just stay completely off.

1 Like
3

That is quite a spread across the globe. Where do you ultimately wish to work?

1 Like
4

This topic was automatically closed 91 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.