Major studies 106-116 credits, comprising compulsory courses in the major (96 credits) and the bachelor’s thesis (10 credits).
The scope of the bachelor’s thesis is 10 credits. The thesis seminar is not part of the thesis but is a separate study attainment ([COURSE CODE] Design research) that is included in the compulsory studies in the major.

Elective studies and minor subject max. 40 credits. As elective studies, students can take individual courses from other programmes at Aalto University or other Finnish Universities, participate in an international student exchange programme and/or do an internship. The minor subject may be produced by Aalto ARTS or another School at Aalto University. It may also be completed as a JOO (Flexible Study Rights Agreement) in another Finnish university.

Common general studies 34 credits, including art and theory studies, language and communication as well as common Aalto studies.

The aim of the degree is to provide students with:

1. theoretical and general knowledge as well as artistic and practical expertise necessary for professionals of art and knowledge of the basic research of the field, and the prerequisites to follow developments in the field;
2. knowledge and skills needed for artistic work and for scientific thinking and the use of scientific methods;
3. knowledge and skills needed for the studies leading to a Master of Arts (Art and Design) and for lifelong learning;
4. adequate language and communication skills for work in the field as well as for international operations and cooperation.

The education shall be based on research and artistic activity and professional practices of the field.

Goal of education (learning outcomes)

The Bachelor’s Programme in Design focuses on the expanding nature of design and the work of designers in an increasingly global, networked and service-driven society. During the three years of study, students learn to design with both physical and digital media as well as acquire the skills and knowledge they need to position their work in the broader context of contemporary society and industry. They also learn to engage with commercial and societal challenges and developments in the private, public and cultural sector through the design of products, services and systems.

The programme prepares students for further studies in design and media as well as gives them a foundation for pursuing a professional career as a designer. In preparing students for life after graduation, the programme assists them in carving out an identity and locating a professional niche for themselves as a designer, either working with clients independently as a design consultant or as a member of a team within a larger organization. Additionally, as future-oriented designers, they are trained to be entrepreneurial and self-directed in their endeavours and to explore opportunities in new and emergent areas of design in academia, industry and the public sector.

Upon graduating from the programme, students will be able to:

• identify and generate material, interactive and speculative responses to future phenomena in society from a reflective design practitioner perspective.
• recognize and apply emerging tools and practices for design, as well as participate in the construction of new ones.
• create commercial, public and self-initiated proposals in relation to personal and societal values and evaluate and discuss the broader impact of their work.
• plan, execute and organize their own professional practice within transdisciplinary conditions with a variety of stakeholders.

The curriculum is structured to help students acquire knowledge and skills to design with both physical and digital media as well as a rich understanding of the role and functioning of design in society. Understanding – and being able to operate within – the broader societal and industrial context for design forms a foundational aspect of the
curriculum in preparing students for a changing future and in developing their ability to work with others and impact the environment around them.

During the three years of study, students develop skills and knowledge to design in face of complexity and uncertainty as well as hands-on expertise to prototype ideas and materialize solutions. They learn to use contemporary tools, methods and processes for design as well as develop practices for acquiring new skills in the future. Building on the research in design and media at the School of Arts, Design and Architecture, special emphasis is placed on the ability to work in teams and co-create with others to develop solutions that are more human-centred, societally relevant and environmentally conscious. Students are also trained to make more informed and responsible decisions as a designer by harnessing business acumen, new technologies and sustainable solutions.

General Studies for the School of Arts, Design and Architecture are provided by the Centre for General Studies (YOYO) and the Aalto University Language Centre. General studies in the Bachelor's programme include art and theory studies and language and communication studies. On YOYO courses students study knowledge and skills that are common to all departments and students of Aalto ARTS.

Art and theory studies

General Art and theory studies consist of Art periods Art Now! and Perception. Art periods form an entity that is compulsory in the Bachelor's Programme in Design.

Art Now! 7 cr

On completing the course you will have a good conception of what is art and its status and significance in society. You will learn various methods of producing art and its possibilities for your own creative work. You will become up-to-date with the latest trends in art and be able to connect them to the earlier traditions. You will understand also how art has been moulded and modified throughout its history as an activity within human communities and different areas of culture.

Perception 7 cr

On completing the course you will have an understanding of how perception works and know the basics of colour and pictorial composition, various projection techniques and plastic expression. You will know how to employ both new and traditional methods of perception-based figurative expression; to describe works of art and their various features and discuss their different modes of representation in their historical contexts; to pay attention to the aesthetic aspects of perception and understand how the senses relate to traditional classifications within the arts.

Aalto studies

Aalto studies consist of Academic Learning Skills (2 cr) and of a cross-school course (3 cr). These studies develop student's goal-oriented learning and studying skills and help the student to orientate in the university community.

ARTS-A0113 Academic Learning Skills 2 cr

After completing the course, the student will be able to evaluate and develop his / her own learning, learning abilities and methods. During the course, the student will learn to set feasible goals and to plan and develop a personal study plan.

Cross-school course 3 cr

The student chooses a course (min. 3 cr) which is organized by another school at the university. This course can be one of the cross-school courses, which are open to all students at the university or it can also be a University Wide Art Studies (UWAS) course. Academic tutor Kasperi Mäki-Reinikka helps students with the course choice if necessary.

Language Studies

The required language studies 12 credits depend on the student’s language of education

’Language of education’ refers to the language of the student’s education in comprehensive (grades 1–9) and upper secondary (grades 10–12) school in Finland, and is thus either Finnish or Swedish.

Language and Communication Studies

The required language studies depend on the student’s language of education*.

Students educated in Finnish or Swedish

Courses fulfilling the language requirements:

Students educated in other languages than Finnish or Swedish

For students who have been educated in a language other than Finnish or Swedish or who have been educated abroad the requirements are:

Courses fulfilling the language requirements:

^{*’Language of education’ refers to the language of the student’s education in comprehensive (grades 1–9) and upper secondary (grades 10–12) school in Finland, and is thus either Finnish or Swedish. The student’s language of education can also be defined by Finnish or Swedish as the second language in the Finnish matriculation examination if the student passes the examination with magna cum laude honours or higher.}

Students demonstrate proficiency in their language of education by writing a maturity essay in that language and taking any other related requisites specified in the degree requirements.  

Note:

• A student who completes the matriculation examination in Finnish or Swedish but whose comprehensive and upper secondary education was in some other language is not considered to have Finnish or Swedish as the language of education.
• Upper-secondary school Finnish or Swedish studies at an IB or EB school are not equivalent to studies in Finnish or Swedish as the language of education.
• Finnish studied as a mother tongue as part of the basic teaching of the German school in Finland does not qualify as equivalent to Finnish as the language of education.
• The language of education is not determined on the basis of a vocational degree.

Structure of the Bachelor’s Degree Programme

Major studies 106-116 credits, comprising compulsory courses in the major (96 credits) and the bachelor’s thesis and the seminar (10 credits).  

Elective studies and minor subject max. 40 credits. As elective studies, students can take individual courses from other programmes at Aalto University or other Finnish Universities, participate in an international student exchange programme and/or do an internship. The minor subject may be produced by Aalto ARTS or another School at Aalto University. It may also be completed as a JOO (Flexible Study Rights Agreement) in another Finnish university.  

Common general studies 34 credits, including art and theory studies, language and communication as well as common Aalto studies.

Degree structure of the Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Design (180 credits)

Compulsory courses in the major, 1^st - 3^rd year of bachelor’s studies

A minor subject of 15–25 credits is a compulsory part of a bachelor's degree. The combined extent of the minor (15–25 cr) and the elective studies (15 cr) is 40 cr. The minor is confirmed in the students personal study plan (HOPS). It is possible to choose a minor within Aalto University, from another Finnish university through the Flexible Study Right (JOO) agreement or from university abroad during a student exchange.

The BA in Design programme does not offer elective studies. As elective studies you can choose 15 credits from other programmes.

As elective studies, students can take individual courses from other programmes at Aalto University or other Finnish Universities, participate in an international student exchange programme and/or do an internship. The minor subject may be produced by Aalto ARTS or another School at Aalto University. It may also be completed as a JOO (Flexible Study Rights Agreement) in another Finnish university.

Studies completed abroad during a student exchange can also be included in the elective studies category (exchange studies can also form an international minor).

Elective art and theory studies

Centre for General Studies (YoYo) offers a variety of art and theory courses which can be included in the elective studies.

Drawing and painting

Drawing and painting courses consist of two-dimensional expression carried out by various methods. The work involved emphasises the importance of practice, or ‘learning by doing’, but without losing sight of the connections to theory. The studies include working with drawing, painting and mixed-media. The student will gain increased awareness of the workings of visual perception and of different ways of describing the surrounding world and our relationship to it. The course also examines the role of ideas and concepts in art as well as art’s relation to design, its role in society and its significance.

Colour and perception

Colour and perception studies focus on visual perception and the theories about it. The English-language version of the course contains both theory and practical assignments. The course covers basic concepts about colour and the principles of colour perception. The course covers basic colour concepts and principles of colour perception. Colour composition and contrasts and their effects – mainly in two-dimensional expression – are studied by experimental means. The course ‘Colour-light-space’ is aimed mainly at Master’s students of architecture, interior architecture and landscape architecture. Through lectures and assignments, it deals with the role of colour and lighting in architecture and in building a city’s image.

Sculpture

Sculpture studies provide students with the skills needed to work with contemporary sculpture and design. Skills that students can apply in their own fields are emphasised, such as how to research new materials, working methods and methodologies. The ‘Ways of Making’ courses offer practical experience working in a sculptor’s studio, and ‘Metal Casting’ introduces foundry techniques. ‘Digital Sculpture’ introduces new and developing technologies in 3D art, and ways to combine these with traditional sculptural techniques. Conceptual and theory-intensive sculpture studies are also included within the contemporary art courses programme.

Printmaking

Printmaking involves the handcrafting of printing plates as well as the prints produced by various methods (copperplate, woodblock, limestone, mesh screen). Prints are regarded as original artworks. Basic courses in printmaking offer the rudiments in a variety of printing techniques and develop the student’s command of the tools used. The intermediate courses deepen the knowledge and skill levels of students in their chosen method and enlarge their range of artistic expression. As printmaking is a specialisation study, beginners are recommended to take it during their second year of Bachelor’s studies.

Contemporary art

Most of the contemporary arts courses focus on the production of art. In addition, the courses update students on the respective expressive forms of contemporary art today, including their current trends, recent histories and ways of operating. While the thematic content of the courses is defined by the teacher, the main emphasis is on themes and concerns of interest to the students themselves.
While the contemporary art courses are aimed at the Master’s level, Bachelor’s as well as Doctoral students may also attend or seek admission. Most of the courses are taught in English.

Art history and theory

Art history and theory courses aim to provide a general overview of the history and key theoretical questions and conceptions of art, design and architecture. The courses also discuss the relationship of the School of Arts, Design and Architecture with social change and cultural history. Seeking to enrich student understanding of their own fields, a particular goal of the classes in theory is to clarify critical concepts and thereby boost the abilities of students to resolve problems in their respective areas. History and theory classes in art and design build competencies relevant to research-based knowledge.

Digital Arts

The Digital Arts courses introduce students to the basic skills needed to work with screen based and digital arts. Students can learn how to use tools such as digital cameras and software that are widely used in all areas of creative work. Programming for artists introduces visual artists and designers to the wider world of computer programming.