Design, Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts (Art and Design)

Description

Design is not linked purely to physical objects but digital experiences and abstract concepts as well, enhancing its power to shape the world. Embracing these opportunities, the Bachelor’s Programme in Design prepares students for designing future products, services and systems in a creative and critical manner. The programme also provides students foundation to define themselves as creative professionals throughout their studies, each finding their own ways of working and direction when exploring problems, developing solutions and forming opportunities.

Upon graduating from the programme, students are 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 and digital media, 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.
• document their own work processes and results in both visual and textual form and contextualize it in relation to existing information sources and research.

After completing their bachelor studies, students also are admitted the right to continue their studies in one of the five majors on the master’s level offered by the Department of Design and Department of Art and Media that are associated with the programme.

Major Description

The Aalto School of Arts, Design and Architecture is one of the most prestigious design schools in the world and the leading design school in Northern Europe. The Bachelor’s Programme in Design builds on the ethos of Finnish and Scandinavian design: developing solutions that are human-centred, societally relevant and environmentally conscious. Drawing from this Nordic approach to design and media education, students are encouraged to find their own identities, ways of working and professional niche as designers. Graduates have:

• A professional worldview. Graduates are highly context-sensitive, asking what, how, and particularly why, as they propose new directions for how to shape the world around them.
• Unique and personal professional identities. Graduates carve out their own identities and creative ways of working as designers and media professionals.
• Comprehensive design and media toolboxes. Graduates are trained to use contemporary tools, methods and processes for design as well as conduct research in design and media.
• Ideation and prototyping skills. Graduates generate strong ideas, are able to bring them into life and materialise their solutions regardless if they are approaching or embracing business, cultural or societal problems or opportunities.
• Expertise and knowledge of design in different areas. Graduates are trained to work with the design of creative products, services, systems and the synthesis of all three.
• Teamwork, co-creation and facilitation skills. Graduates thrive in working with different people, cultures and world views, enabling them to pursue a variety of professional careers.
• Impact consciousness.Graduates are informed about their responsibility to respect sustainability, the environment and social values in their design.

Upon graduation from the Bachelor’s Programme in Design, graduates will have a strong foundation to reflect the world and shape it for the better: figuring out what could be, proposing how it could be, and explaining why it should be.

Language of instruction

In the programme, the language of instruction is English.

Tuition fees and scholarships

Aalto University’s tuition fee for bachelor’s programmes taught in English is 12 000 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.

Structure of studies

The Bachelor’s Programme in Design is organised by the School of Arts, Design and Architecture and comprises a total of 180 ECTS credits. The three-year programme consists of:

• Major studies (111 ECTS)
• Common general studies (26 ECTS)
• Minor studies (min 18 ECTS)
• Elective studies (max 25 ECTS)

The first two years of studies follows a streamlined fast-paced curriculum. During the third year, students profile themselves and dive in to complete their bachelor’s thesis and minor studies.

The student-centred curriculum embraces the expanding nature of design and media and their role in society. Specifically, students are trained to analyse and explicate the meaning of design for users, business, society and the environment. The programme embodies a holistic and thematic perspective on design: starting from a larger societal theme, investigating what it could be, and exploring what could be through the design of a product, service and system that would improve the status quo.

Theory, skill development and practice inform and strengthen each other throughout the curriculum, building on the world-class research in design and media at the School of Arts, Design and Architecture. Consequently, courses and studios are grounded in a combination of hands-on design work, lectures, seminars, workshops, group projects, self-studies and critiques. Topics covered vary from strategic and sustainable design to product design and digital development and manufacturing. Examples of the course selection include:

• Introductory Design Project (9 ECTS)
• Digital Service Design Project (9 ECTS)
• Design Futures (6 ECTS)
• Design and media cultures (3 ECTS)
• Strategic Identity and Design (6 ECTS)
• Sustainable Design (6 ECTS)
• Thematic Studio I & II (12 ECTS)

At the School of Arts, Design and Architecture, students have access to world-class facilities, including brand new studios and workshops for physical (printing, metal, wood, etc.) and digital (3D printing, electronics, web, etc.) projects. The studio and workshop supervisors and masters are experts in their fields, ready to support students when needed. Further, students work closely with teacher teams, who facilitate a thriving mode for learning in the classroom, including constructive feedback, critique, comments and open discussions during courses.

For further details on the education content, see the study guide for academic years 2022-2024.

Specialisations

After completing the Bachelor’s programme in Design, students are entitled to continue for master studies in one of the following programmes or majors:

• Master's Programme in Design, Collaborative & Industrial Design
• Master's Programme in Creative Sustainability
• Master's Programme in International Design Business Management
• Master's Programme in Art and Media, New Media
• Master's Programme in Art and Media, Visual Communication Design

Internationalisation

Upon joining the programme, students are welcomed to an international community of competent, creative and responsible individuals. Students and faculty come from across the world, bridging students with the global design network. Students are encouraged to apply for exchange studies and internships to further enrich their journey towards a designer. To ensure an extensive selection of opportunities, the School of Arts, Design and Architecture has strong connections to other leading design schools and universities across the globe.

Aalto University is international by nature, welcoming thousands of degree and exchange students from abroad each year. These students join the diverse Aalto community not only through studies, but multiple free time events, activities and celebrations around the campus. Programme administrators, active student tutors and student support services work rigorously to help international students integrate into Nordic culture and welcome them at home in Finland.

Further study opportunities

Aalto University provides a rich environment for higher education which students can tap into by pursuing elective and minor studies for their degree at other schools and programmes. Through the Finnish Flexible Study Rights Agreements, they also have the opportunity to expand on the scope of their studies by pursuing elective and minor studies at other universities in Finland.

Career opportunities

A degree from the Bachelor’s programme in Design gives graduates a foundation for pursuing a professional career in the private, public, cultural and academic sectors and to explore problems and opportunities with other design professionals in the fields such as:

• Communication design
• Digital and media design
• Industrial design
• Interaction design
• Product design
• Service design
• Strategic design
• Sustainable design

Additionally, as future-oriented designers, graduates are expected to be entrepreneurial and self-directed in their endeavours and explore opportunities in new and emergent areas of design. This can entail working with clients independently as a design consultant, an entrepreneur or as a member of a team within a larger organisation.

Aalto University has well-established career services that help you find employment in Finland and abroad. Aalto students tend to find interesting positions with ease upon graduation.

Research focus

Research at the School of Arts, Design and Architecture is at the international forefront in design and media. The strong research environment of the School in many ways informs what is happening in the programme and proides a foundation for how students are trained to take on 21st century design challenges. The faculty teaching in the programme is in many instances also active researchers and recognized as international experts in their field. If an academic career is of interest, the bachelor’s programme in design prepares for master’s studies that serve as a strong basis for doctoral programmes.

Co-operation with other parties

The School of Arts, Design and Architecture has a long tradition of successfully collaborating with external partners in projects and courses and nurture close relationships with a number of companies and public sector organisations. Companies, nonprofits and public organisations frequently reach out to Aalto University as the leading design school in the Nordic region to work with students on real-world societal problems and business opportunities.

Contact information

Aalto University Admission Services

For enquiries regarding the application process please contact Admissions Services.

[email protected]

Learning Services at the School of Arts, Design and Architecture

For enquiries regarding programme-specific application documents or studies in the programme, please contact Aalto ARTS Learning Services.

[email protected]