Master's Programme in International Design Business Management - Master of Arts

Study objectives

IDBM educates students with arts, business, science and engineering backgrounds as T-shaped professionals providing them with a strategic view into creative leadership and management of international design-centric businesses, operations, and product and service development. The objective is to gain knowledge in multiple disciplines and to learn to connect one’s own disciplinary expertise to a wider transdiciplinary design business framework.

The global approach of the IDBM programme prepares students to work in multi-cultural settings and collaborate across national and cultural boundaries. Graduates of the IDBM programme will be able to manage and lead initiatives and other individuals in order to undertake new business ventures within global environments.

The objectives of the programme are to enable students to:

• discover and make full use of your own potential in interdisciplinary teams
• acquire knowledge about current and future trends shaping organisations and societies
• expand your competences achieved at the bachelor’s level by bringing in design and technical perspectives to better recognize and understand how to create value for end-users
• develop important interpersonal and communication skills through collaborative industry projects
• gain insights to how design can be managed, as well as how its impact can be evaluated and analysed
• learn from industry leaders how to create new ideas and execute them with design-driven strategies and processes
• improve on vital project management skills to make you a more effective team player

Career opportunities

Studies in International Design Business Management prepare for a career in industries that use and manage design as a key component of their competitive strategy. This can involve large multinational corporations, as well as small start-ups operating in a variety of fields. These businesses typically leverage design to create new products and services, often involving the latest technology and business venturing and entrepreneurship.

After graduation, our students embarking on a career in the private or public sector typically work in domains such as:

• service design
• business design
• design and technology strategy
• product and project management
• development of product and service offering
• academic or design research
• innovation management, marketing
• creative direction, export management
• trend analysis and forecasting

Content of the studies

The learning outcomes are achieved through compulsory and elective studies. The compulsory IDBM core studies are linked to an extensive joint industry project and related teamwork. The business, design and technology components of the programme ensure that the students gain the necessary business, design and technology perspectives. Parallel to these the IDBM industry project deepens participants’ understanding of the real-life processes of the participating firms in global design intensive businesses. Skills in project management and business planning are developed through the projects.

For further details on the education content, see the study guide for the academic years 2020-2022.

Structure of studies

Admission to the IDBM programme is granted through six tracks in three different fields depending on the applicant's background and the targeted degree.

Students from all of the tracks will study the same compulsory IDBM major studies during the first academic year. At the core of the programme is the semester long Industry Project where multi-disciplinary student teams work together on real-life challenges provided by industry partners.

The master’s degree studies in International Design Business Management in the field of design consist of the following modules:

• Compulsory IDBM studies 40 cr
• Compulsory studies in Department of Design 12 cr
• Master’s thesis 30 cr
• Alternative and Elective studies 38 cr

Graduates of the IDBM programme will be able to drive innovation and lead initiatives to undertake new business ventures within global environments.

This includes the ability to:

• Use design approach in product, service, and business development
• Lead and collaborate in multi-cultural and interdisciplinary teams, connecting one's own disciplinary expertise to a wider business context
• Drive change and development activities in organisations
• Communicate ideas and concepts both verbally and visually at operative and strategic levels
• Understand and utilise academic research in defining and approaching problems in systematic and systemic manner.

See further information on the course content on the programme website and Into student portal.

Programme-specific Admission Procedure and Evaluation Criteria

Study-option-specific evaluation criteria

Applicants meeting Aalto’s general eligibility criteria for master's studies will be evaluated and ranked according to the evaluation criteria that has been decided in advance for each study option. The applications to Master’s Programme in International Design Business Management (IDBM) Master of Arts will be evaluated based on the following criteria.

Phase I

Phase II

Evaluation process

The applicants will be first evaluated based on Aalto’s general eligibility requirements. Applicants meeting the general eligibility criteria for master's studies will be evaluated and ranked according to the evaluation criteria that has been decided in advance for each study option.

The selection process for applicants who meet the general eligibility criteria comprises of two phases. 

Phase I

In Phase I, the applications are evaluated based on the following criteria

• Artistic and/or design practice
• Relevance of previous studies
• Suitability/Motivation letter
• Other areas of competence

Only the applicants who are ranked highest in the Phase I evaluation will be invited to Phase II in the selection process.

Phase II

In Phase II, the evaluation is based on the following criteria

• Suitability/Interview

Part of the applicants are invited to Phase II. The invitation to Phase II will be send to the applicants at latest 7 days in advance. Phase II consist of a face-to-face interview, which can be conducted online.

After the evaluation conducted in Phase II, the best applicants will be selected based on the joint evaluation from Phases I and II.

Study-option-specific documents requested

The documents requested from all applicants are listed on the Aalto University website (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:

Portfolio

A portfolio consisting of the applicant’s own works is mandatory. Please upload a single PDF-file to the application system before submitting the application.

In the portfolio, applicants display work that illustrate their design skills and artistic expression. The portfolio must contain diverse samples of the applicant’s previous design, scientific, professional and/or artistic activity and interests. Artwork/project work can be provided as technical drawings, illustrations or photographs. If you present a work that has been undertaken as a team, please clarify your particular role in, and contribution to, the project. The work contained in the portfolio must be catalogued, listing at least the title and/or theme, materials utilized, size, purpose and year of completion of each piece. The catalogue must also detail where and when the work has been exhibited, displayed or otherwise published.

The portfolio should be uploaded as a single PDF-file. Maximum size for the portfolio is 1.0 GB. Name the file as: Portfolio-surname-firstname.pdf. If your portfolio contains password protected video links, include the password(s) in your portfolio. If a portfolio is not uploaded to the online application form by the deadline, the application will be rejected.

The intake committee will only evaluate the material displayed in the PDF-file. Links to external material (e.g. website) or video material will not be considered during the intake process.

Motivation letter

The applicant must convey his/her motivation for studying in the IDBM Master’s Programme by writing a motivation letter. The letter should address the following questions:

• Why am I applying for admission to the IDBM Master’s Programme?
• What am I expecting to learn or gain by participating in the IDBM Programme?
• What can I contribute to fellow students and to the continued success of the IDBM Programme?

The maximum length of motivation letter is 4000 characters.

(The lack of this application document will adversely affect the evaluation of your application.)

CV

The professional experience of the applicants is looked at broadly and is considered to include work experience relevant to the IDBM programme as well as experience in artistic and scientific work, including entrepreneurship and other relevant civic activities.

Language of application documents

All the application documents must be submitted in English.

An applicant can apply to the IDBM programme through more than one School. Such an applicant, however, can be selected only through one of the Aalto University Schools. An accepted student completes the master’s degree of the School which he/she is accepted to.

The criteria mentioned here are for the IDBM programme in the Department of Design at Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture. Applicants with a bachelor’s degree in architecture can apply both through the science/technology field and through the design field, depending on the applicant’s background studies and career intentions or aspirations. Students graduating from the School of Arts, Design and Architecture will complete and be awarded a Master of Arts (MA) Degree in International Design Business Management (IDBM).

Read more about International Design Business Management (IDBM) community on their website