Aalto University Summer School
Everything you need to know about Summer School! Make this summer unforgettable and experience the best of Aalto University and Finland under the Nordic summer sun.
Data Visualisation
Communicating data-driven insights in ways that are quick and easy to grasp is an essential part of many professions today. This summer course allows students to critically analyse data visualisations and use them as part of storytelling in presentations and argumentations.
Teaching period:
-
Application period:
31.1.2025 – 31.5.2025
Course format:
Campus
Duration:
2 weeks
part-time
Course level:
Undergraduate
Field of study:
Technology and Engineering
Credits:
3 ECTS
Organiser:
School of Science
Tuition fees:
1170€ tuition fee
Early Bird offer at Aalto University Summer School
Today, everyone needs to have an understanding of data and its impact. Data visualisation enables us to process information faster, work more efficiently, and increase productivity. Data visualisation, visual communication, and storytelling are powerful tools for businesses, making information more accessible and impactful.
Combine Creativity with Analytical Thinking
This course provides a unique blend of analytical and creative skills, allowing students to transform complex data into compelling visual stories. Using effective visuals like hierarchies, graphs, charts, lists, maps, and timelines, these techniques help convey complex information clearly and efficiently.
This course especially benefits programmers interested in upskilling, designers who want to integrate data-driven design into their portfolio, and business professionals who want to learn how to turn data into easily understandable designs for better decision-making and presentations.
Summer School Alum Story: The impact of data is not underestimated in the Data Visualisation summer course
Meet Mrinal from New Delhi, India. With a bachelor’s degree in design and six years of professional experience in user experience and user design, Mrinal decided to enhance his skills by joining the Data Visualisation course at Aalto University Summer School.
Pre-assignments (online)
4 August – 15 August 2025: Lectures and workshops on-site at Aalto University campus
- Daily lectures and workshops (Monday-Friday) between 09-12
- Supported project work
- The final day of the course is reserved for the final presentations.
- Optional social program in the evenings
Post work (online)
| WEEK 1 | Monday 4 August | Tuesday 5 August | Wednesday 6 August | Thursday 7 August | Friday 8 August |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning (9-12) | Introduction | Psychology | Storytelling | Data | Time |
| Afternoon | Individual or group work | Individual or group work | Individual or group work | Individual or group work | Individual or group work |
| WEEK 2 | Monday 11 August | Tuesday 12 August | Wednesday 13 August | Thursday 14 August | Friday 15 August |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning (9-12) | Space | Holistic Approaches to Time and Space | AI, AR, VR and MR | Pitching and Storytelling | Demo Day |
| Afternoon | Individual or group work | Individual or group work | Individual or group work | Individual or group work |
In this course, students will learn how to:
- Recognise the basics on how to visualise data in interactive and explorative ways and how to improve information usability for creating visualisations with web technologies based on data
- Understand the requirements for data and data descriptions for various visualisation and application scenarios, ranging from data journalism to business scenarios, and from research to art and design
- Create information visualisations based on data and enhance your presentation, communication and organisational skills
- Learn how to handle spatial, temporal and thematic data in creative ways
- Interact and collaborate with other students by sharing knowledge and ideas through workshops, presentations and demo sessions
The Data Visualisation course uses interactive teaching methods that enable students to produce their own projects while receiving feedback.
The online materials consist of podcasts, examples, tutorials and articles about preparing, handling and analysing data, and integrating different datasets. It also contains approaches to create visual demonstrations of data with maps, timelines and thematic overviews.
The intensive weeks on campus consist of sessions including mini-lectures, discussions, group works and presentations. Additionally, the course includes a demo day where students will present their works and get supportive feedback about their visual storytelling.
Pre-assignment 8h
Lecture hours 20h
Coaching hours 10h
Project work 28h
Post-assignment 15h
Total 81h (3 ECTS)
The course is graded as pass/fail.
Please note that the undergraduate courses offered by Aalto University Summer School can not be included in Aalto degree studies.
This course does not require previous experience in data analytics or data visualisation. It is well suited for people from different fields and can accommodate people with various perspectives on the topic, e.g., programmers, designers and business professionals.
Applicants to this course must have completed a high school or vocational degree or equivalent by the time the course starts. However, you do not have to be a degree student at a university to participate in our courses.
Additionally, all summer school course students must be 18 years or older, as it is the legal age in Finland.
Please include a motivation letter or video in your application. In your motivation letter or video, describe your motivation for taking this course. The recommended length for the motivation letter is 150-250 words, and 1-2 minutes for the video.
Tuition fees for Summer School courses
One course: 1170€ (incl. VAT 25,5%)
- The course fee includes academic course sessions and assignments, an official digital Aalto University certificate and support from the Summer School team. The fee does not cover accommodation, daily meals, or transportation during the course
- Unfortunately, Aalto University Summer School does not offer scholarships for participants.
Social program fee
If you need a visa, we recommend applying by April 15th 2025.
- This is to ensure that we have enough time to process your application and that you have time to make the tuition fee payment, book a visa appointment and wait for the application to be processed.
- You can apply and be accepted to the courses after April 15th. In that case, we recommend that you pay at your earliest convenience so that we can deliver your invitation letter to you promptly.
- According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, the processing time for a visa application is 15 days. However, the processing time may be longer if a more detailed application examination is required.
Learn about the Aalto University Summer School cancellation terms. You will receive the full terms before making the payment and confirming the course participation.
Teacher Information
Tomi Kauppinen, Ph.D., leads Aalto Online Learning at Aalto University and the expert group on Creative and Collaborative Learning Environments at Unite! European University alliance. He holds a habilitation (2014) in geoinformatics and consecutively Privatdozent (2015) from University of Münster, Germany, and a title of docent (2014) and a Ph.D. (2010) in media technology from Aalto University, Finland.
Tomi Kauppinen is the co-author of Design Education Across Disciplines: Transformative Learning Experiences for the 21st Century (Palgrave, 2023). He has actively facilitated trainings and taught Data Visualization, design thinking, visual storytelling and AI in international settings, and led related projects. His areas of expertise include Cognitive Systems, Information visualisation, Information design, Ubiquitous Computing, and Online learning.
Listen to Tomi Kauppinen's podcasts
Discover the power of stories, time, space, and themes to create visualisations that inspire and engage.
Summer school teacher interview: The Data Visualisation summer course equips you with the must-have tools for communication in a data-scentric world
This August, Aalto University Summer School offers a course on Data Visualisation that deep-dives into visualisation methods, digital tools, and principles of storytelling. Course instructor Dr. Tomi Kauppinen, Head of Aalto Online Learning at Aalto University, shares his thoughts on why data visualisation is such an important skill in your toolkit today.
Contact
Summer School team
Information for Summer School Applicants
Get to know the application guidelines and tuition fees.
Summer School social programme and events
Get to know your coursemates and Finland through engaging extracurricular activities and social events organised by the Summer School team.
Travel arrangements for Summer and Winter School students
Learn about the guidelines for visa application and budgeting for your stay during the summer course.
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