Advice for an undergrad psych student

Why Read This from an HCI Perspective

This article is meaningful to both HCI practitioners and researchers because it concretely reveals the decision paths, learning sequence, and internship strategies that psychology majors face when entering UX research (User Experience Research, UXR). In particular, questions like ‘degree vs. online courses,’ ‘whether UX design should come first,’ and ‘which experiences can transfer’ highlight the key issues in early career planning. It’s also highly valuable from the perspectives of instructional design and talent pipeline development.

CIT's Commentary

From a CIT perspective, this piece is a classic example of an entry path that shows ‘UXR is more about the ability to transition into research than about innate talent.’ A psychology background is a clear strength because it often already includes fundamentals in conducting interviews, observation, questionnaire design, and interpretation. Therefore, rather than a linear path that suggests you can only do UXR after fully completing UX design (UX design), it’s more realistic to quickly strengthen your research foundations and build up small case studies. That said, internships are more strategic when you don’t insist only on a ‘UXR’ title; instead, you secure transferable skills through roles that involve user interviews, organizing research materials, and experience at service touchpoints. In environments like India’s—where hiring positions are still mixed and not fully standardized—this flexibility matters even more.

Questions to Consider While Reading

• Q.What core competency should psychology majors first strengthen when transitioning to UXR?
• Q.In what situations is the advice to learn UX design first actually useful, and in what situations is it unnecessary?
• Q.In the early career stage, what job titles and work keywords should you prioritize when looking for internships that are close to UXR roles?