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School of Business

MSc and MA degree studies in International Design Business Management consist of the following study modules: Major studies, Specialisation/ Minor studies, Thesis and Electives studies. The extent and content of modules varies between different fields and tracks, kindly check more details as per your targeted degree.

In addition to the goals stated in (794/2004) 7 § the aim of the Master of Science and Master of Arts degrees in International Design Business Management is to provide students with

• deep overall knowledge of the area of the specialised master’s degree programme, and very good knowledge of the specialisation/ minor subject or corresponding study entities included in the degree;
• the knowledge and skills required in challenging managerial positions or positions demanding a high level of expertise, or as entrepreneur;
• the ability to independently produce and apply knowledge in their own field , and preparedness for demanding international postgraduate programmes;
• the ability to address ethics, sustainability, and international context; and
• excellent communication and team working skills.

School of Arts, Design and Architecture

School of Science

The International Design Business Management (IDBM) is a joint master's programme between Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, School of Business, and School of Science. IDBM educates students with arts, business and engineering backgrounds as T-shaped professionals providing them with a strategic view into management of international design-intensive 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 multi-disciplinary design business framework.

Academically rigorous and practice-oriented IDBM programme prepares students to lead and collaborate in multi-disciplinary teams. The aim is to create enhanced abilities to recognize and acknowledge value in the tools, practices and mental models of other disciplines. During a six-month long real-life industry project students explore and develop innovative product, service and business concepts. Projects are coached by multi-disciplinary faculty and expert industry tutors.

The global approach of IDBM program prepares students to work in multi-cultural settings and collaborate across national and cultural boundaries. On the practical level, the global aspect refers to the continuous development of international networks through student selection, industry cooperation, research activities and study exchange. Additionally, students of IDBM master's programme are offered an opportunity to extend their studies to a double degree with ESADE Business School in Barcelona Spain.

Director of the Master's Programme: IDBM ARTS programme director Peter McGrory

Learning Outcomes

The International Design Business Management (IDBM) is a joint master’s programme between Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, School of Business, and School of Science. IDBM educates students with arts, business and engineering backgrounds as T-shaped professionals providing them with a strategic view into management of international design-intensive 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 multi-disciplinary, inter-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary design business framework. The global approach of IDBM program prepares students to work in multi-cultural settings and collaborate across national and cultural boundaries.

Learning Outcomes of the Master’s Programme in International Design Business Management:

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.

This includes the ability to:

• use a design approach in product, service and business development
• bring design thinking into business management and leadership
• explore, create and implement creative and cross-cutting new business opportunities within complex, ambiguous problem settings and environments
• lead development activities and change initiatives in organizations
• connect one’s own disciplinary expertise to a wider multi-disciplinary design business context
• lead and collaborate in a multi-cultural multi-disciplinary team
• communicate ideas and concepts both verbally and visually in and outside the team on both an operative and strategic level
• understand and utilizing academic research including defining and approaching problems in a systematic and systemic manner

Education Content

Studying consists of the IDBM core studies, the ARTS identity studies and the BIZ/Tech skills studies.  The main part of the IDBM core studies is the industry project. Academically rigorous and practice-oriented, the IDBM programme prepares students to lead and collaborate in multi-disciplinary teams. The aim is to create enhanced abilities to recognize and acknowledge value in the tools, practices and mental models of other disciplines. During a six-month long real-life industry project students explore and develop innovative products, services and business concepts. Projects are coached by multi-disciplinary faculty and expert industry tutors. The ARTS identity studies give the student the chance to deepen the student’s knowledge in design discipline. In order to gain knowledge in multiple disciplines and in order to connect student’s own disciplinary expertise to a wider framework, the BIZ/Tech skills studies are offered.

IDBM ARTS Major Studies 82 ECTS

Alternative and Elective studies 38 ECTS

Students choose 18 ECTS of elective studies. As elective studies, students can complete minor studies and/or take individual courses from other programmes at Aalto University or other Finnish universities, participate in an international student exchange programme, do an internship in Finland or abroad. *Please note that in case of exchange studies at least 20 ECTS needs to be completed in order to receive exchange grant.

Code: XXXX
Credits: XX ECTS
Programme Director: Professor Niina Nurmi, Director of the IDBM Programme
Additional information: IDBM programme 

Learning outcomes

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.

This includes the ability to:

• use a design approach in product, service and business development
• bring design thinking into business management and leadership
• explore, create and implement creative and cross-cutting new business opportunities within complex, ambiguous problem settings and environments
• lead development activities and change initiatives in organizations
• connect one's own disciplinary expertise to a wider multi-disciplinary design business context
• lead and collaborate in a multi-cultural multi-disciplinary team
• communicate ideas and concepts both verbally and visually in and outside the team on both an operative and strategic level
• understand and utilize academic research including defining and approaching problems in systematic and systemic manner

Degree requirements 120 ECTS

1. Programme studies 84 ECTS

Common IDBM Core studies 40 cr

^{*The course is recomended to be completed during 2nd year of studies}

Compulsory BIZ Identity studies 44 cr

2. Minor studies 24 cr

Minor Studies are chosen from relevant business school disciplines, from other study modules at Aalto University or other available minor studies programmes, for instance, based on studies in a foreign university as an exchange student. Students must complete the minor studies module to complete the degree.

3. Electives 12 cr

Students are highly recommended to take ARTS and TECH skills courses as elective studies. The skills courses aim to widen students' perspective and T-profile by providing basic understanding, knowledge and skills from the fields of arts, design and technology.

Courses at ARTS

Courses at TECH

Director of degree programme: Professor in Practice Niina Nurmi
Professor in charge at the School of Science: Matti Vartiainen
Degree: Master of Science (Technology), 120 ECTS
Abbreviation: IDBM

Description of the programme

The International Design Business Management (IDBM) is a joint master’s programme between Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, School of Business, and School of Science. IDBM educates students with arts, business and engineering backgrounds as T-shaped professionals providing them with a strategic view into management of international design-intensive 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 multi-disciplinary design business framework.

The IDBM programme has an overarching objective of enabling students to act as future world-class professionals in global business development environment when designing products, services and technologies. This is achievable through developing systemic and integrative cross-disciplinary skills and competences within the two-year programme. The objective for learners coming from technical backgrounds is to gain competences in multiple dimensions of design, business and technology and on both strategic and operative levels. Therefore, the objective is for learners to gain a multi- and interdisciplinary understanding of design needs in the globalized context, being able to acknowledge the value and tools, practices and mental models of other professions in joint undertakings and apply them creatively in design of concepts and innovative products and services. This kind of competences are needed in complex design projects and turbulent operational environments of new ventures and other emerging forms of organizations. Achieving systemic competences requires a deep understanding of multidisciplinarity in the knowledge-intensive context, together with well-developed abilities in strategic foresight and agile working methods. The global and international approach of the programme is based on the interaction of individuals beyond national and cultural groups.

International Design Business Management Major

Professor in charge: Matti Vartiainen
Code: SCI3062

Students are expected to prepare personal study plan (HOPS) at the beginning of their studies. Master programme studies consists of 120 cr and are planned to be completed in two academic years. Students are required to complete minimum of 55 cr during the first academic year of their studies.

Students should take the majority of Common IDBM Core studies (35 cr) during the first academic year. In addition to the common core studies, students are expected to choose identity, skills and/or elective studies minimum of 20 cr to fulfil the required 55 cr during the first academic year. The following table outlines and lists the compulsory components of the IDBM major.

Table 1. Content of the major (65 cr)

Common IDBM Core studies (40 cr)

All other common IDBM Core studies are taken in the 1st year of studies except the IDBM Capstone -course, which is taken in the 2nd year.

Compulsory Identity studies 15 cr

The role of the identity courses is to improve a student’s expertise in the state-of-art technology linked with design. Identity courses (15 cr) as part of the major studies consist of compulsory course TU-E3090 Research Assignment in Leadership and Knowledge Management 5 cr and 10 cr of courses to be chosen primarily from the list. In special occasion student may negotiate with the professor about some other suitable courses. In principle, these courses should be from a field of engineering and technology. In some of the courses, there may be restrictions about how many students are accepted. In addition, students need to make sure that they fulfil the all the pre-requirements set for the courses.

Identity courses of the major are confirmed in the Personal Study Plan. The compulsory identity studies are taken either in the 1st or 2nd year of studies.

Compulsory SKILLS studies 10 cr

The skills courses aim to widen student’s perspective and t-profile by providing basic understanding, knowledge and skills to business, and arts and design. Skills courses (10 cr) as part of the major studies have to be chosen primarily from the list, and student should choose courses from both Aalto BIZ and Aalto ARTS. In some of the courses, there might be restrictions about how many students are accepted. In addition, students need to make sure that they fulfil the all the pre-requirements set for the courses.

The skills studies are taken either in the 1st or 2nd year or studies.

Skills courses offered at the School of Business (BIZ) to be chosen from the list below as a part of major studies:

Skills courses offered at the School of Arts, Design and Architecture (ARTS) to chosen from the list below as a part of major studies:

Master's degree includes 12 ECTS credits of Electives. This can consist of for example

• additional studies in the degree programme,
• additional studies in the minor study module,
• courses from other programmes,
• language and communication studies,
• studies at another Aalto University School,
• studies at another university through the flexible study right agreement (JOO studies), or
• internship (6 cr or 3cr).

More information is provided under the titles Language and communication studies and Internship.

Elective studies can include basic, intermediate or advanced level courses.

Master’s thesis and thesis seminar

The programme study module includes a 30-credit thesis with a 6-credit seminar. The thesis must demonstrate readiness for scientific thinking, command of research methods, conversance with the topic of the thesis, and ability for scientific communication.

The student takes also part in a thesis seminar, which is designed to help the students to prepare their thesis work. The seminar consists of meetings, completing thesis, presenting the research topic to the seminar group and acting as an opponent for a fellow student’s thesis. Seminar lasts usually the whole semester, and it is organised during both autumn and spring semesters.

Registration for the seminar varies depending on the degree programme: please see the instructions for each programme in Sisu or MyCourses. For instructions on writing and handing in the thesis please see Planning your studies.

Maturity test

After completing the Master's Thesis the student has to write a maturity test in order to demonstrate their familiarity with the subject of the thesis and proficiency in Finnish or Swedish language. If a student has demonstrated their Finnish or Swedish proficiency in the Bachelor’s degree, it is not required again for the Master’s degree. In this case the maturity test will be evaluated only based on the content. However, the maturity test is still always written in Finnish or Swedish, unless the student has been exempted to write the test in some other language (see instructions below).

The maturity test is a written examination based on the Master’s thesis. The School of Business students write an executive summary which is classified as the maturity test. For further instructions regarding the maturity test, please see Planning your studies - Maturity test.

If a student has had their (high school) education in a language other than Finnish or Swedish or abroad, it is possible to apply for an exemption in order to make the test in English or some other language. The application will be addressed to the Vice Dean of the School of Business. In this case the maturity test will be evaluated only based on the content.

The  study module of the Master’s degree is 24 credits and can be one of the following:

1. a module confirmed in the curriculum (a minor study entity offered at the School of Business) ,
2. a module completed in an official exchange programme partner of the School of Business or in another programme meeting the requirements set in the official exchange programme policy of the School of Business, or
3. a module earned at another Aalto University school or at another Finnish university under the agreement on flexible study rights (JOO agreement).

For a list of all the minors at Aalto University, see