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User Experience & Design Pathway

UX Design Pathway

User Experience Pathway will provide students with a variety of skills to improve design and development of information systems and to measure usability of products and applications. The User Experience focus is specifically on creating new information sciences professionals who will be educated to perform UX research in both libraries and other information-intensive environments. These professionals will be well versed in user centered design, UX principles, tools and techniques in user interaction and user experience design.

➡️ Learn about Application Requirements

➡️ Explore Our Master’s Program

➡️ View our Undergrad UX Concentration


UX: Position Titles in Information Sciences

The top careers and job opportunities of the next 10-25 years will be information intensive and require the ability to acquire and apply information and knowledge. The need for expertise in designing and conducting UX research and testing is growing. Positions for information professionals in this area include titles such as:

  • Usability Researcher
  • User Experience Designer
  • Digital Experience Manager
  • UX Strategist / Researcher
  • User Experience Librarian
  • User Interface Designer
  • Information Architect
  • Taxonomist

Preparing to Enter the Professional World of User Experience:

Professional Development:

Associations:

  • User Experience Professionals Association (UXPA) 
  • Human Factors and Ergonomic Society (HFES) 
  • Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction (ACM SIGCHI) 
  • American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) Experience Design 
  • American Society for Information Science and Technology (ASIST) SIGIA (Information Architecture), SIGUSE (Information Needs Seeking and Use) 
  • The Interaction Design Association (IxDA)  
  • The Information Architecture Institute (IAI) 
  • Society for Technical Communication (STC): Usability & User Experience Special Interest Group (UUX SIG) 

Conferences:

  • American Society for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T)
  • User Experience Professionals Association (UXPA) Conference
  • ACM Conferences
    • Computer Supportive Cooperative Work (CSCW),
    • Supporting Group Work (GROUP),
    • Computer Human Interaction (CHI),
    • Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST),
    • Accessible Computing (ACCESS)
  • HCI International Conference
  • NordiCHI Conference

Publications of Note:

  • International Journal of Human – Computer Interaction‎
  • International Journal of Human Computer-Studies
  • UX Magazine
  • Journal of Usability Studies
  • Computers in Human Behavior
  • Interacting with Computers
  • Behavior and Information Technology
  • ACM Transactions on Computer Human Interaction (TOCHI)
  • Conference Proceedings – CHI, HFES, GROUP, HCII

Recommended Courses:

In addition to completing the courses required for the MSIS degree, students with an interest in user experience might consider enrolling in some of these courses (please note that this listing is not a substitute for consulting with the MSIS Program Advisor). 

SIS

  • INSC 504 Research Methods for Information Professionals 
  • INSC 586 Usability Testing and Evaluation 
  • INSC 588 Human-Computer Interaction 
  • INSC 597 Information Architecture 
  • INSC 598 Web Design 
  • INSC 599 Practicum 
  • CCI 660: Doctoral Seminar in Human-Computer Interaction and User Experience (UX) 

Other UX Related Courses at the University of Tennessee

(please note—students typically must secure permission from the course instructor prior to registering for courses offered outside CCI. These courses also may be offered on campus only)

  • EDPY 577 – Statistics in Applied Fields I

Recommended Online Training & Workshops

  • UTK OIT Workshops:
    • Advanced Excel 2 & 3
    • PowerPoint Advanced Techniques
    • NVivo
    • QuestionPro
    • SPSS
  • Lynda.com Online Training Playlists:
    • Time Management
    • Project Management
    • UX Research
    • UX Design
    • Communication

Real-World Experience:

Potential Practicum Settings:

  • University Libraries – University of Tennessee
  • U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
  • CCI – User-Experience Lab
  • IIa – Information International Associates, Inc.
  • Oak Ridge National Laboratory
  • Discovery Inc

Recent Placements of UTK-SIS Alumni:

  • Tombras Group, Knoxville
  • Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI)
  • University of Tennessee Library

Professional Certifications in User Experience