‘Costume designers can add significant value to animated films’
I claim series: costume designer can have a key role in animations.
The Costume Design Major of the Master’s Degree Programme in Film and Television focuses on the students’ personal development in artistic practice, through creative enquiry and collaboration, theoretical and critical thinking, and aims at their professional competence as costume designers in projects for screen and the performing arts. The studies are continuously enriched and updated by new design practices, new technologies and cutting-edge research in the field.
A student who graduates from the Master’s Degree Programme is able to:
The language of instruction in the Master’s Programme in Design for Theatre, Film and Television is Finnish. However, in the major of Costume Design, a large part of the courses are taught in English. The degree can be completed in English.
Aalto University’s tuition fee for master’s programmes taught in English is 15 000 euros per academic year. Tuition fees apply to citizens of countries other than those of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.
Aalto University has a scholarship programme to support non-EU/EEA citizens who study in a fee-charging degree programme. The scholarship may cover 100% or 50% of the tuition fee.
More information on tuition fees and scholarships at Aalto University is available at the Scholarships and Tuition Fees webpage.
The Master studies in Costume Design enhance the development of the students’ artistic expression and conceptual thinking, and expand their creative, professional and technical skills and competency as visionary costume designers. The students have the possibility to experiment on advanced concepts for costume design in special areas of performance and media, and to reflect and respond to artistically demanding productions through the design and creative processes of costume design.
The studies include entrepreunial aspects, time and budget management skills, training in developing collaborative artistic work and in communicating ideas to a technical team. If interested, the students can focus on the history, theory and research of costume, and enrich their research skills. The learning is based on a practice-led research approach, where the students’ personal strengths and interests are taken into consideration in planning the content of the studies. The studies are organised in collaboration with the Master’s Programme of Film and Television and with the University of the Arts/Theatre Academy, as well as with external institutions, individual artists and professional companies.
For further details on the education content, see the study guide for the academic year 2022-2024.
Specialisation is built mainly through advanced studies, where students may choose courses.
The students are encouraged and supported to participate in international study exchanges and work placements abroad, as well as in major international events and projects such as exhibitions, festivals, and competitions. International visiting lecturers contribute frequently to the programme. The studies are also enriched and updated by the international mobility of the teaching and technical staff. The English language is predominantly used in teaching and supervision.
The programme provides good foundations to continue to doctoral studies. More information on the Aalto Doctoral Programme in Arts, Design and Architecture: Doctoral programmes.
Students are supported to plan their own future path from the beginning of the Master studies with personal study plans (PSP) and individual guidance, which continues during the courses and seminars. The interests and strengths of each student are encouraged and complemented with minor and optional studies. Each student is offered a possibility to focus on a specific area within the performing arts or the film and television professional field or any other performance context involving costume. The field of artistic practice for a costume designer is very broad and includes all kinds of live performance (theatre, opera, dance, circus, opening ceremonies and special events, and performance art), film, television and other screen and media projects, commercials and promotional events, festivals and celebrations. The structure of the studies in cooperation with other programmes and individuals provides a unique opportunity for networking and collaboration with professionals from other fields, opening the potential for new cooperation in the future. It is also possible to focus on the theory and research of the agency of costume in performance, and later undertake doctoral studies.
Costume designer, costume concept artist, costume supervisor, costume advisor, costume expert, teacher/educator in costume design, costume theorist, costume researcher, costume curator
The research in this programme is linked to several focus areas in the School of Arts, Design and Architecture. Additional information about research related to this programme can be found at the Department of Film website.
Aalto University and the departments involved in the programme collaborate with many high-quality universities worldwide.
The student can take advantage of the studies within other Aalto University Schools, studies under the flexible study right agreement (JOO) within other universities as well as the major's international connections and student exchange possibilities.
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The applicants are first evaluated based on Aalto’s general eligibility requirements. Applicants meeting the general eligibility criteria for master's studies are evaluated and ranked according to the evaluation criteria decided in advance for each study option.
The applications to the Master’s Programme in Film and Television - Costume Design are evaluated based on the following criteria:
Relevance of previous studies, phase 1 and 2 |
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Assessed area |
Content and quantity in relation to the applied study-option-specific requirements |
Admission requirements
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The prerequisite for admission to the major in Costume Design is a bachelor’s degree in the same field or in a relevant field of study, or equivalent skills and knowledge. |
Method of demonstrating competence |
Transcript(s) of records, degree certificate(s) |
Artistic and/or design practice, phase 1 and 2 |
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Assessed area |
Demonstration of artistic experience in the field of costume design. |
Admission requirements
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In the portfolio, applicants display work that shows their artistic expression and design skills. The portfolio must contain diverse samples of the applicant’s previous artistic, scientific and/or professional activity. Artwork can be presented by costume sketches, technical drawings, and/or production photographs. The work contained in the portfolio must include full credits, listing the title and/or theme, type of project, the year and place where the work was produced or presented, as well as the role of the applicant in the project. The applicant’s name, address and phone number and the degree programme applied for must be indicated clearly on the cover of the portfolio. The portfolio should be in digital format (electronic portfolio) and it should be uploaded as a single PDF-file onto the application system before submission of the application. |
Method of demonstrating competence |
Portfolio (electronic)
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Other areas of competence, phase 1 and 2 |
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Assessed area |
Work experience and other acquired knowledge/achievements e.g. publications/articles, non-formal education, competitions, awards and grants, study trips, positions of trust. |
Admission requirements
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Applicants should demonstrate the range of their prior activity in both work experience and other acquired knowledge that relates to the field of costume design, as well as other types of experience and achievements. The applicants are expected to demonstrate work experience in costume design in at least one of its areas of practice (theatre, film, television, opera, dance, commercials, etc. – for a complete list see the study option description). Other interests, achievements, and other experience are taken into consideration. |
Method of demonstrating competence |
Curriculum vitae, letter of references |
Suitability, phase 1 and 2 |
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Assessed area |
Applicant’s further suitability to the study option, motivation, and commitment for studies/communication skills, artistic visions and objectives |
Admission requirements
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Applicants must write a motivation letter explaining the reasons for applying to the Costume Design major, their particular interests in the field, as well as their goals and expectations related to the studies in Costume Design at the School of Arts, Design and Architecture. The letter should explain the applicant’s personal strengths, areas of interest, artistic and design visions, artistic objectives, and their motivation for advanced studies. Maximum length of the motivation letter is 4000 characters (approx. one A4 page). |
Method of demonstrating competence |
Motivation letter |
Academic performance, phase 1 and 2 |
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Assessed area |
Grades of the previous degree(s) and pace of studies |
Admission requirements |
The prerequisite for admission to the major in Costume Design is a bachelor’s degree in the same field or in a relevant field of study, or equivalent skills and knowledge. |
Method of demonstrating competence |
Transcript(s) of records, degree certificate(s) |
Suitability, phase 2 |
|
Assessed area |
Applicant’s further suitability to the study option, motivation, and commitment for studies/communication skills, artistic visions and objectives |
Admission requirements
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Applicants are invited to an interview in which they provide further insights regarding their motivation for applying to the Costume Design major, their particular interests in the field, their artistic visions and personal development objectives, their work experience and prior design work, their goals and expectations related to the MA studies in Costume Design, as well as their commitment plans for the studies. |
Method of demonstrating competence |
Interview
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Evaluation process of the applicants
The selection process for those who meet the general eligibility criteria comprises of two phases:
In the first phase, students are evaluated based on their application materials according to the criteria listed below. In the second phase, the most suitable applicants are invited to an interview, from which a smaller subset of applicants will be offered a study place. Applicants accepted to the programme may be required to take supplementary studies.
Phase I
In Phase I, the applications are evaluated based on the following criteria
Only the applications who fulfill the requirements/are ranked highest in the preliminary evaluation will be invited to Phase II in the selection process.
Phase II
In Phase II, the evaluation is based on the following criteria
Final selection
The final selection decisions will be made based on the evaluation conducted in Phase II.
Study-option-specific documents requested
The documents requested from all applicants are listed here (https://www.aalto.fi/en/study-at-aalto/applying-to-masters-programmes). In addition, applicants to this study-option are requested to provide the following study-option-specific documents:
CV (Curriculum vitae)
The lack of this application document will adversely affect the evaluation of your application.
Motivation letter
Applicants must write a motivation letter explaining the reasons for applying to the Costume Design major, their particular interests in the field, as well as their goals and expectations related to the studies in Costume Design at the School of Arts, Design and Architecture. The letter should explain the applicant’s personal strengths, areas of interest, artistic and design visions, artistic objectives, and their motivation for advanced studies. Maximum length of the motivation letter is 4000 characters (approx. one A4 page).
The lack of this application document will adversely affect the evaluation of your application.
Portfolio (electronic)
In the portfolio, applicants display work that shows their artistic expression and design skills. The portfolio must contain diverse samples of the applicant’s previous artistic, scientific and/or professional activity. Artwork can be presented by costume sketches, technical drawings, and/or production photographs. The work contained in the portfolio must include full credits, listing the title and/or theme, type of project, the year and place where the work was produced or presented, as well as the role of the applicant in the project. The applicant’s name, address and phone number and the degree programme applied for must be indicated clearly on the cover of the portfolio.
The portfolio should be in digital format (electronic portfolio) and it should be uploaded as a single PDF-file onto the application system before submission of the application.
Maximum size for the portfolio is 1.0 GB. Name the file Portfolio-lastname-firstname.pdf.
The lack of this application document will adversely affect the evaluation of your application.
Language of the application documents
The applicants are asked to send the abovementioned programme-specific documents preferably in English. The applicants also have the right to use Finnish or Swedish in the documents, if they wish.