School of Business

ITP Coordinators from 2022 Share Their Experience!

Are you thinking about applying to the Information Technology Program (ITP) this year? That’s awesome! Here are Mikael, Inkeri and Otto, the ITP coordinators of 2022. They have all previously experienced ITP as students, so they know how it feels like to apply. You probably have a lot of questions right now, but don’t worry, they are here to answer them!

Quick recap of ITP

Information Technology Program (ITP) is an annual Aalto University summer minor program of 24 ECTS. It combines business, design, and technology and hosts students from various fields and countries, making it both international and multidisciplinary. At the core of the three-month program are business projects done in collaboration with real companies.

There are 3 specialization tracks with their respective coordinators: Information and Service Business (ISB), Digital and Intelligent Ecosystems (DIE) and Strategy and Experience Design (SED). Unfortunately, we are not offering the Digital and Intelligent Ecosystems (DIE) track this year.

Apply now!

ITP coordinators support you during the summer

This is what coordinators do:

Find interesting project partners and challenges for the students to tackle
Form balanced and versatile project teams based on the interests and skills of the students
Support and help the project teams during the summer
Provide feedback and grade the business projects
Organize fun activities to help you get to know your fellow students!

Their reasons for attending ITP

ITP coordinators are always alumni of the program, and they definitely recommend applying based on our their experiences. But why did they originally apply to ITP?

'Broadening my skills is something I am always seeking to do, and currently having both business and IT skills is highly desirable for employers. ITP attracted me because it was an opportunity to build these skills during the summer and apply my learning into practice within a real company over 3 months.'

Mikael, DIE Coordinator

'The business project definitely drew me in, since I wanted some real experience working in a design project. I wanted to do my minor in SED, cause I want a career in service design or UX. So, it seemed like a perfect fit!'

Inkeri, SED Coordinator

'I've always been interested in the more creative side of things, so I figured ITP would be ideal for me to explore that, adding some depth into my studies. Also, I heard about the community aspect of the program, which got me excited!'

Otto, ISB Coordinator

So now that you are familiar with them and what they do, they will answer some burning questions about the program.

'Why should I choose ITP instead of working in the summer?'

ITP is a laid-back mixture of studying and hands-on business projects. It gives you personal learning experiences, social life, and project experience comparable to a summer job, while still being applicable for student allowance.

On top of that, ITP offers you:

Networks. Through ITP you can build valuable company and alumni networks.
Career opportunities. The topics covered and the skills learned provide you with a new job opportunities.
Smart study planning. When you complete your minor in the summer, you can graduate faster or free up time for a part-time job during the academic year.
Alternatives for exchange. In case your planned exchange got cancelled, ITP is a perfect alternative to get the needed minor done in a similarly multi-cultural environment.

'OK, sounds useful, but can it actually be fun?'

Definitely! Studying in the summer may sound dull, but ITP is far from that.

A regular ITP day looks like this:

Lecture in the morning – And it is on-campus!
Lunch break outside in the sun with your fellow students
Project work in the afternoon with your team

As a team, you can very freely decide to work however you want to – for example, work longer on some days and then other days take the afternoon off to enjoy the summer.

ITP spirit and free-time activities

In 2021, the official ITP events were cancelled due to the pandemic. However, everyone was so active and willing to get to know each other that we managed to maintain the ITP spirit nevertheless.

Even though the courses were offered online, we would still get the sense of community, as most of the students joined the summer hangouts! Whether it was badminton, card games or just chatting, people were always interested to participate. During the last month, we got to enjoy an end of ITP event, where the students and professors could enjoy their time and talk with each other outside of study-hours.

In 2022, we aim to hold the community intact with student events (read: a sits-party, kick-off week extravaganza and last supper) throughout the summer, so we encourage you to join!

'Do I need to be a tech guru to attend?'

Nope. Some students come from a more technical background, but there are no prerequisites of IT skills. Diverse representation of skills and interests brings valuable versatility which comes in handy in the project work. Also, even students with existing tech skills will learn new, interesting perspectives to IT.

Excited already!?

We recommend ITP for anyone interested in having a productive summer, developing their skills and deepening their knowledge related to business, technology or design. Challenge-based learning and the intense, hands-on business project differentiate ITP from typical university studies.

Don’t hesitate – apply now. Prepare yourself for the digital future.

Coordinators look forward to receiving your application and meeting you in June. In case you have any questions or concerns related to anything at all, feel free to contact the 2025 ITP coordinators at any time.

Two people walk through a modern lobby with a light wood interior and a geometric wall art. Others sit on black chairs.

This page provides detailed information and answers to common questions regarding the application process and guidelines. Applicants from a wide range of academic and professional backgrounds are encouraged to apply to Aalto University’s summer Minor Program in Information Technology (ITP).