User experience already has a university master's degree

Telefónica I+D and Esne have launched this master's degree, primarily aimed at designers and user researchers, to respond to the growing demand for professionals with specific training in this environment for the design of digital products and services.

The agreement signed between Telefónica R&D and the Esne University School (in the image David del Val, CEO of the first, and Rafael Díaz, general director of the academic center) Its purpose is to jointly launch the university master's degree in User Experience (UX) for the design of digital products and services; an initiative that arises from the increase in demand for qualified professionals in the market in this environment with a specific academic offer

For David del Val, CEO of Telefónica I+D, “Today the creation of innovative services is not conceivable without the user experience being an essential part of their development.”. The appearance of your product or service is of little use if users do not know how to interact with it.. It's more, You should enjoy that interaction.. This makes the user experience a crucial part of any company's business.".

For your part, Delfina Morán, director of the Esne UX Master, emphasizes that “the master's degree fills a gap in university training, since it addresses a field that today is strategic in the development of innovation projects: design applied to improving the quality of life of people and their social environment. Both, a determining factor in the success of business initiatives”.

This master's degree is primarily aimed at designers and user researchers., as well as other profiles such as engineers, computer scientists or marketing specialists. According to a recent study, currently only the 10% of professionals dedicated to user experience come from design schools and have followed formal training, while the 50% has learned in his workplace and 40% remaining has been formed through unofficial channels.

The contents of the program will revolve around five large blocks, four of them focused on the design phases of a product or service – discovery, concept, development and launch and monitoring- and a fifth that brings together transversal contents related to the professional's skills.. The master's degree will last one year, including a module of professional internships in companies, whose start is planned for October 2016.

Telefónica I+D and Esne will jointly develop the structure and program that seeks to respond to the growing demand for professionals with specific training in user experience. An innovative practical methodology and the promotion of active participation, are other of its elements, with the creation of multidisciplinary teams, mixing different profiles, in order to develop a common project in which UX can be delved into from different professional perspectives.

In this sense, Two work spaces will be created designed for the practice of coworking, where students will be able to work on the development of projects and technological areas: Telefónica's User Experience Lab (in the Gran Vía building in Madrid), and the CEEIC- Esne Entrepreneurship and Employment Center for the Creative Industries.

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