International Design Business Management (IDBM) is a pioneering study programme that embodies the vision of Aalto University by integrating design and technology with global business development. Through interdisciplinary teamwork and real-life business challenges provided by our prominent industry partners, the programme prepares students as the next generation of design professionals. IDBM is uniquely positioned as the only programme offered in all six schools of Aalto, providing an interdisciplinary learning platform in the fields of business, design, and technology. 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).
We do not work in silos, so why should we study in one? IDBM students tackle complex, real-life challenges in multidisciplinary teams and develop holistic perspectives of tomorrow’s challenges. The programme embraces design as a craft, a mindset, and a strategic approach applied across diverse contexts.
International Design Business Management graduates are prepared to work in interdisciplinary teams, applying the value of design in the contexts of business and technology. The programme equips students with a holistic perspective on design and offers a strong foundation for building a professional career. Graduates are well-positioned to grow into transformative leadership roles and help shape organizational cultures for a complex, evolving world.
Please see the intended learning outcomes of the study option at the Programme page.
The language of instruction in International Design Business Management programme is English.
The tuition fee for this programme is 17 000 euros per academic year. Citizens of European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland do not pay tuition fees. Citizens of other countries must pay tuition fees.
Aalto University offers a small number of scholarships in the form of tuition fee waivers to fee-paying students. Scholarships can be awarded to the highest-achieving applicants based on the programme's evaluation criteria. Applicants are ranked according to the criteria outlined on the programme's webpage.
More information on tuition fees and scholarships at Aalto University is available at the Scholarships and Tuition Fees webpage.
As an International Design Business Management (IDBM) student, you study alongside an international, close-knit, and diverse community of students. The compulsory core studies are built around an extensive industry project and team collaboration, helping students apply different knowledge, tools, and methods in practice. The industry project enhances students' understanding of real-life practices through the collaboration with global businesses, including non-profit and for-profit partners. It also develops skills in interdisciplinarity, project management and business planning.
Students from all the tracks will study the same compulsory IDBM major studies during the first academic year.
The two-year master’s degree studies in International Design Business Management in the field of design consist of the following modules:
During your first year as an IDBM ARTS student, you'll participate in compulsory courses with business and tech peers from IDBM, including a six-month industry project, and undertake foundational studies with ARTS peers from other master programmes. In the second year, you'll focus on developing the design specialization through courses from the Department of Design, including your master's thesis. You can complement your studies with electives, minor courses from any Aalto school, or an exchange semester at another university, depending on your interests.
For further information about the course content on the and in the Student Guide.
Admission to the International Design Business Management programme is granted through six tracks in three different fields depending on the applicant's background and the targeted degree.
You will study with an ambitious and diverse group of students from around the world. You can complete an intense industry project for a global organisation in multidisciplinary teams and participate in trips to destinations related to the challenges presented in the project. You can also complete a part of your studies abroad in an international partner university as an exchange student.
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 also through 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 the Nordic culture and feel at home in Finland.
International Design Business Management graduates are eligible to apply for doctoral studies.
International Design Business Management (IDBM) empowers students from creative backgrounds to broaden their impact—shaping not just products and services, but also organizations and decision-making. Here, design is both a leadership and practice model adept at navigating today’s complexity.
Career opportunities are growing for those who can bridge design, business, and technology to tackle global challenges—whether in the public sector, private industry, or their own ventures. As design is expanding across contexts and disciplines, IDBM will prepare students with creative backgrounds with the skill and knowledge to pursue their work more strategically and provide a foundation for building their career towards using design as a leadership. IDBM alumni have consistently proven valuable in driving positive change, holding roles ranging from design experts and innovation leads to strategic advisors and organizational leaders.
Our research focuses on industrial and societal developments that evolve design practice. We strive to devise actionable strategies for management and strategic planning of design in companies and in the public sector. Our research interests revolve around organisational adoption of design, the leadership and strategic management of design and designers, and the implementation of design-driven development practices. We also aim to provide a deeper understanding of the processes behind design’s role in creating change.
International Design Business Management (IDBM) is a truly interdisciplinary programme that embodies the vision of Aalto: a community of bold thinkers, where science and art meet technology and business. You have the entirely unique opportunity to study and work together with ambitious students from the schools of ARTS, Business, Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Science.
Aalto University is well-known for bridging disciplines of business, arts, technology, and science. The lively campus and freedom of choosing elective courses across the University bring students from different fields under one roof. This spontaneous interdisciplinary environment sparks new ideas, gathers enthusiasts around them and gives birth to friendships, networks, and every so often, startups.
This is a practice-based programme. The IDBM Industry Project course provides a learning platform by working in collaboration with diverse organizations—public, commercial, for-profit, and non-profit—with global reach, to work on their real-life challenges for six months. Additionally, the active IDBM alumni and on-campus community provide opportunities for developing professional networks during studies.
We will organise an IDBM webinar on Wednesday 4 December 2024 at 16.00 (GMT+2 Helsinki, Finland time) via Zoom: . You are welcome to ask questions at the webinar!
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
| Artistic and/or design practice | |
| What is evaluated | Demonstrations of artistic and/or design work |
| What we look for in an applicant/Admission requirements |
A portfolio consisting of the applicant’s own work is mandatory. We recommend a total of 5 projects, 14 pages maximum. Please upload a single PDF-file to the application system before submitting the application. The file size must not exceed 30MB. In the portfolio, applicants display project work that illustrate their design skills/artistic expression in different settings. The portfolio must contain samples of the applicant’s work from professional and academic life; self-initiated projects can also be included. 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 role in, and contribution to, the project. Each project should contain a title, year, the context in which it was developed (company, school or self-initiated). Each project should be accompanied by a brief reflection about the role of design supporting strategic change in that particular project. For example, an organisation’s way of working; an internal/external user behaviour, a sector-specific practice; a local economy; society at large, etc. |
| Method of demonstrating competence | Portfolio |
| Relevance of previous studies | |
| What is evaluated | Content and quantity in relation to the applied study-option-specific requirements |
| What we look for in an applicant/Admission requirements |
Applicants must have a suitable Bachelor’s degree related to one of the disciplines included in the programme, including design, arts, architecture and other creative fields. Applicants with a bachelor’s degree in humanities and social sciences must provide relevant experience in design in their portfolio and CV. Applicants with a degree in science and business must apply to the other IDBM respective tracks. |
| Method of demonstrating competence |
Transcript(s) of records, degree certificate(s) |
| Suitability | |
| What is evaluated | Applicant’s further suitability to the study option, motivation, and commitment for studies |
| What we look for in an applicant/Admission requirements |
The applicant must convey their 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? |
| Method of demonstrating competence |
Motivation letter |
| Other areas of competence | |
| What is evaluated | Work experience and other acquired knowledge/achievements e.g. publications, non-formal education, competitions |
|
What we look for in an applicant/Admission requirements |
The professional experience of the applicants 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. |
| Method of demonstrating competence | Curriculum vitae |
Phase II
| Suitability | |
| What is evaluated | Applicant’s further suitability to the study option, motivation, and commitment for studies/communication skills |
| What we look for in an applicant/Admission requirements |
The applicants are asked a series of questions regarding their motivation, aptitudes and interests to assess the ability to reflect and articulate the role of design in their past experiences. The interviews are conducted online. The applicant’s practical ability to communicate in English will be evaluated. |
| Method of demonstrating competence |
Interview |
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 applicants are evaluated based on the following criteria
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
Part of the applicants are invited to the second phase. The invitation to the second phase is sent to the applicants at latest seven days in advance.
The second phase consist of an interview, which will 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.
The documents required from all applicants are listed on the Aalto University website: /en/study-at-aalto/applying-to-masters-programmes. In addition, applicants to this study-option are required to provide the following study-option-specific documents:
Portfolio
A portfolio consisting of the applicant’s own work is mandatory. We recommend a total of 5 projects, 14 pages maximum.
In the portfolio, applicants display project work that illustrate their design skills/artistic expression in different settings. The portfolio must contain samples of the applicant’s work from professional and academic life; self-initiated projects can also be included.
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 role in, and contribution to, the project.
Each project should contain a title, year, the context in which it was developed (company, school or self-initiated). Each project should be accompanied by a brief reflection about the role of design supporting strategic change in that particular project. For example, an organisation’s way of working; an internal/external user behaviour, a sector-specific practice; a local economy; society at large, etc.
The portfolio should be uploaded as a single PDF-file. Maximum size for the portfolio is 30 MB and it can include maximum of 14 pages, larger ones will not be evaluated, even if the system allows uploading larger ones. Name the file as: Portfolio-surname-firstname.pdf. 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. The portfolios will be examined on a laptop display of ca. 14”. It is highly advisable to use e.g., 16:9 or 16:10 aspect ratio.
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:
The maximum length of motivation letter is one page, maximum 2000 characters including spaces.
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, preferably including Finnish/Swedish degree certificates.
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.
Note: The criteria mentioned here is 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).
Curious about life at Aalto University? Our student ambassadors are here to share their firsthand experiences and insights on student life, academics, and campus culture. Join us for interactive sessions, casual chats over coffee, and engaging discussions with current students and alumni.
Michael shares his experience in studying a Master's degree in Creative Sustainability and International Design Business Management.
Michael shares his experience in studying a Master's degree in Creative Sustainability and International Design Business Management.
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.
arts-admissions@aalto.fi
Admissions Services
For enquiries regarding the application process, obligatory application documents or English language proficiency, please contact Admissions Services.
admissions@aalto.fi
