Aalto Ventures Program (external link)
The program prepares students for high-growth entrepreneurship through top-level education and curricular activities.
Sustainable Entrepreneurship, Master of Science (Economics and Business Administration)
Sustainable entrepreneurship is about creating and managing businesses that prioritise environmental and social impact alongside financial success, driving positive change for the planet and society. Amid growing environmental and social challenges, future entrepreneurs will be tasked with creating, guiding, and managing profitable companies while prioritising sustainable and socially responsible practices.
This programme brings students of diverse backgrounds together to take concrete steps towards understanding and tackling modern sustainability challenges. Graduates from this programme will possess skills enabling entrepreneurship across a wide range of contexts, including corporations, startups and policymaking. Are you up for it?
This programme brings students of diverse backgrounds together to take concrete steps towards understanding and tackling modern sustainability challenges. Graduates from this programme will possess skills enabling entrepreneurship across a wide range of contexts, including corporations, startups and policymaking. Are you up for it?
Degree:
Master of Science (Economics and Business Administration)
Application period:
30 Nov 2023 – 2 Jan 2024
Language of instruction:
English
Duration:
2 years,
full-time
Eligibility:
Relevant Bachelor's degree
Field of study:
Business and Economics
Credits:
120 ECTS
Organising school:
School of Business
Tuition fees:
For non-EU/EEA citizens, €15000/y (Master’s studies)
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Applying to master’s programmes
Description
Today’s complex problems require expertise, dedication and heart. In response, the Masters’ Programme in Sustainable Entrepreneurship aims to build the next generation of sustainable leaders – a generation committed both to positive social and environmental impact and economic prosperity.
The business world is moving towards a more holistic approach to entrepreneurship that emphasises adding value to society. Trained professionals who can effectively transition existing business processes and develop sustainable solutions through corporate, public, and startup entrepreneurship are in high demand. This makes sustainable entrepreneurship a promising career path where you can make a profound impact on both the environment and society.
Whether you envision yourself as a budding founder, startup executive, or corporate innovator, our programme provides a comprehensive, individually tailored curriculum to prepare you for the rapidly evolving landscape of sustainable business. Graduates will be able to:
- Understand the principles of entrepreneurship and the systemic nature of social, environmental, and economic sustainability challenges
- Understand how entrepreneurship and sustainability-related challenges impact each other
- Apply scientific knowledge to critically evaluate the sustainability of entrepreneurial opportunities
- Develop an entrepreneurial mindset to address sustainability-related challenges in a variety of managerial settings and roles
- Develop the essential soft and hard business skills to experiment with and create sustainable new ventures
Sustainable entrepreneurs like you will face the challenge of maintaining profitability while addressing large-scale societal issues. This degree programme will give you the tools to do just that. Become a part of the solution to some of the world's most pressing problems!
Language of instruction
The language of instruction is English.
Tuition fees and scholarships
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.
Structure of studies
Sustainable Entrepreneurship is organised by the School of Business and comprises a total of 120 ECTS credits. The two-year programme consists of:
Programme studies, which includes the Master’s Thesis
Elective studies
Students have the opportunity to complete their minor studies at an official exchange programme partner of the School of Business.
Minor studies are a structured, self-selected set of courses that add breadth and multidisciplinarity to your educational experience. Elective studies allow you to personalise their education in sustainable entrepreneurship (elective courses are listed below).
At the beginning of their studies, you’ll define your Personal Study Plan (PSP) together with an academic advisor. The primary purpose of your PSP is to ensure that the studies support your interests and are completed in a logical order.
Key courses in the programme include (but are not limited to):
- The Foundations of Entrepreneurship
- Startup Experience
- Startup Leadership
- Market Entry Strategies
- Social Innovation
- Entrepreneurship Law
- Entrepreneurial Financing
- Sustainable Development Goals as Business Opportunities
- Startup Marketing (elective)
- Accounting for Sustainability (elective)
- Product Sustainability (elective)
Study methods
The Sustainable Entrepreneurship programme offers a fresh and supportive environment for you to learn to think and build like a sustainable business leader.
You’ll learn through an engaging blend of practical training and academic coursework alongside fellow students, researchers, and companies. Teaching methods include team projects, problem-based learning, interactive lectures, guest presentations, and case studies.
Teamwork and challenge-based learning are key to the programme. You’ll learn to work in a multidisciplinary environment, collaborating with peers from different cultural and professional backgrounds to develop business concepts that address real-world problems. You’ll need to bring your own background into play and explore your own knowledge and interests to come up with fresh and exciting business ideas.
Psst! We strongly encourage applicants from a wide range of backgrounds – not just business – to apply!
Specialisations
There are two tracks offered in the Sustainable Entrepreneurship degree programme. Each represents a different facet of sustainable entrepreneurship, and the ability to choose between them – or carve out a personalised path – is what makes this programme different.
Sustainable startup track. For those who want to become entrepreneurial leaders interested in taking a wider view of startup value creation.
Sustainable corporate entrepreneurship track. For future intrapreneurs who want to practise entrepreneurial behaviour to drive positive change and innovation within established businesses. Interested in corporate entrepreneurship? Define your own path through courses in accounting, product development, project management, marketing, HR, and more.
In practice, these degree tracks are based on elective courses and serve only as a guide – you’re free to craft your personal study plan to create your own unique path.
Internationalisation
Sustainable entrepreneurship lends itself to an international, multidisciplinary study experience. You will be able to develop your global competence in a variety of ways – such as by spending a semester abroad or taking a summer course at one of Aalto University’s partner schools around the globe.
If you’re interested in deepening your knowledge in a specific area, you can take your minor on exchange, tailoring your study path to your personal interests and career goals. Some students even carry out their practical training, internships, or master’s thesis research abroad.
If you’d rather stay a bit closer to home, the programme will also welcome visiting lecturers and speakers from abroad, who will bring their diverse perspectives and insights to our classrooms.
Further study opportunities
The degree grants eligibility for doctoral studies.
Career opportunities
This programme prepares professionals for a meaningful sustainable business career, with the opportunity to work on large-scale world challenges. Graduates can work as entrepreneurs, sustainability specialists at established companies, as policy advisors, and much more. Here are a few typical examples:
- Business founder
- Impact-oriented entrepreneur
- Startup executive
- Corporate venturing specialist
- SME consultant
- Impact investor
- Head of entrepreneurship incubator
Research focus
Aalto University’s entrepreneurship unit houses top experts in the field, and across industries. Our faculty’s research focus lies in the crossroads where entrepreneurship and sustainability meet. The topics we study include sustainable and social entrepreneurship, organising in response to disasters, refugee crises and other grand challenges, impact investing, wellbeing in entrepreneurship, and more.
And you will have the opportunity to shape the research direction of the field through your selected thesis topics.
We also work closely with the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management (DIEM), whose research focuses on strategy and venturing, operations and service management, and entrepreneurial leadership.
Co-operation with other parties
The Sustainable Entrepreneurship programme is an expertise hub, with a curriculum built through active collaboration between:
- The Department of Management Studies’ entrepreneurship research unit
- Aalto Ventures Program (AVP)
- The Department of Industrial Engineering and Management (DIEM)
Within the programme, project-based courses could involve collaboration with government organisations or outside corporations. You can also supplement your studies with courses from other Aalto schools, programmes, and majors – or even courses offered by other universities.
Webinar | Sustainable Entrepreneurship
Hear more about School of Business' new master's programme, Sustainable Entrepreneurship! The teachers and admissions staff present the programme and answer questions about content, applying and more.
Chat with Aalto students
Are you wondering what it is like to study at Aalto? Come chat with our students about all things Aalto on Unibuddy chat platform.
Study-option-specific Admission Procedure and Evaluation Criteria
Applicants meeting Aalto’s 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 Master’s Programme in Sustainable Entrepreneurship are evaluated based on the following criteria.
Admission group 1: Bachelor’s degree from a university in Finland
| Relevance of previous studies | |
|
What is evaluated? |
Content and quantity in relation to the applied study-option-specific requirements |
| Admission requirements | To be considered for admission the applicant must have completed at least 60 ECTS of courses covering the domains of business and economics, management, industrial engineering, or related fields of study (social sciences, political sciences, arts and design, educational sciences, law, policy studies, communications, etc.) Internships can be included in the credits. The previous studies are assessed by a representative of the programme. Applicants who fulfill the above requirement of previous studies are ranked according to the following criteria. |
| Evaluated documents |
Transcript(s) of records, degree certificate(s) |
| Criticality | Critical, (0 points = rejection) |
| Academic performance | |
|
What is evaluated? |
Grades of the previous degree(s) |
| Admission requirements |
Weighted GPA of previous degree and overall evaluation of study success. Applicants with a weighted GPA of previous degree lower than 3.50 are not eligible for admission. |
|
Evaluated documents |
Transcript(s) of records, degree certificate(s) |
| Criticality | Critical (0 points = rejection) |
| Suitability | |
| What is evaluated? |
Motivation letter, CV |
| Admission requirements/What we look for in an applicant |
The needed documents are 1) motivation letter and 2) the applicant’s CV. There are four questions for the motivation letter; yet, the applicants are encouraged to not feel restrained by these guiding questions:
The motivation letter will be a maximum of 1200 words, including a 200 word summary and a 1000 word ‘main’ section CVs will be a maximum of two pages, highlighting most relevant experiences and skills. Applicants selected to the interview phase will receive further information of the format and schedule of the interviews after the initial evaluation. |
| Evaluated documents |
Motivation letter, CV |
| Criticality | Critical (0 points = rejection) |
Phase 2
| Suitability | |
| What is evaluated? |
Interview |
| Admission requirements | Interviews will be carried out online. The interview panel will assess the applicant’s suitability to the study option based on general cognitive ability, critical thinking skills, learning orientation, pro-social orientation and communication skills. |
| Evaluated documents |
Interview |
| Criticality | Critical (0 points = rejection) |
Admission group 2: Bachelor’s degree from a university of applied science in Finland or from a higher education institution abroad
| Relevance of previous studies | |
|
What is evaluated? |
Content and quantity in relation to the applied study-option-specific requirements |
| Admission requirements | To be considered for admission the applicant must have completed at least 60 ECTS of courses covering the domains of business and economics, management, industrial engineering, or related fields of study (social sciences, political sciences, arts and design, educational sciences, law, policy studies, communications, etc.) Internships can be included in the credits. The previous studies are assessed by a representative of the programme. Applicants who fulfill the above requirement of previous studies are ranked according to the following criteria. |
| Evaluated documents |
Transcript(s) of records, degree certificate(s) |
| Criticality | Critical, (0 points = rejection) |
| Academic performance | |
|
What is evaluated? |
Grades of the previous degree(s) |
| Admission requirements |
Weighted GPA of previous degree and overall evaluation of study success. Applicants with a weighted GPA of previous degree lower than 3.50 are not eligible for admission. |
|
Evaluated documents |
Transcript(s) of records, degree certificate(s) |
| Criticality | Critical (0 points = rejection) |
| Standardized tests | |
|
What is evaluated? |
Analytical and quantitative skills |
| Admission requirements | GMAT or GRE is obligatory in admission group 2 (minimum score 550 in GMAT, 515 in GMAT Focus edition or GRE score of 154 verbal reasoning - 155 quantitative reasoning). |
|
Evaluated documents |
GMAT/ GRE test results |
| Criticality | Critical (0 points = rejection) |
| Suitability | |
| What is evaluated? |
Motivation letter, CV |
| Admission requirements/What we look for in an applicant |
The needed documents are 1) motivation letter and 2) the applicant’s CV. There are four questions for the motivation letter; yet, the applicants are encouraged to not feel restrained by these guiding questions:
The motivation letter will be a maximum of 1200 words, including a 200 word summary and a 1000 word ‘main’ section CVs will be a maximum of two pages, highlighting most relevant experiences and skills. Applicants selected to the interview phase will receive further information of the format and schedule of the interviews after the initial evaluation. |
| Evaluated documents |
Motivation letter, CV |
| Criticality | Critical (0 points = rejection) |
Phase 2
| Suitability | |
| What is evaluated? |
Interview |
| Admission requirements | Interviews will be carried out online. The interview panel will assess the applicant’s suitability to the study option based on general cognitive ability, critical thinking skills, learning orientation, pro-social orientation and communication skills. |
| Evaluated documents |
Interview |
| Criticality | Critical (0 points = rejection) |
Read more about entrepreneurship at Aalto University
Advancing entrepreneurship and innovations
Behind Aalto's entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem are both student-led entrepreneurial activities and the university's own research and innovation hubs.
Contact information
If you have open questions about the admissions and applying instructions, you can reach out to [email protected].
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