In the field of arts, you can study at bachelor's level in English in the Bachelor's Programme in Design. Learn more about the programme below! Admissions to Aalto University's bachelor's programmes taught in English are organised once a year.

Master's studies in art and media

In the Visual Communication Design major you get to investigate contemporary modes of acting and thinking through visual communication.

A unique mix of artistic and technical aspects in game design and development, grounded in Nordic game dev culture and the latest research.

REPLAY is a two-year European Master Program that unites students from around the world with the goal of creating meaningful game experiences through design, experimentation, and development.

The aim of the Major in Sound in New Media is to explore, discover and comprehend the emerging digital technology and its aural impact in society; to find and exploit the possibilities it opens to acoustic communication, sonic interaction and new interfaces for musical expression and to evaluate, understand and deal with the challenges it poses to art, design, and creative production in the auditory domain.

In a technology-saturated world, it is indispensable to understand and study the impacts that technology has on individuals, organisations and society. The New Media major brings together a multicultural group of students with very versatile skills and backgrounds.

Nordic Master in Visual Studies and Art Education (NM NoVA) is a double degree program between Aalto University (Finland) and Aalborg University (Denmark) in which students achieve a comprehensive understanding of Nordic practices and traditions in art education, visual culture, and cultural work.

Note: Information on this page is being updated

A photograph has an all-piercing force in society and culture, impacting individuals, communities and nations alike. In our image-saturated world, the significance of a powerful photograph hasn’t been lost. If anything, artists and photographers with something to say are needed now, more than ever before.

At VICCA, artists, curators and researchers aim to understand, challenge and shift the paradigms of contemporary art and the world around us.

Master's studies in design

The studies in Collaborative and Industrial Design (CoID) focus on design's role in society. Students develop skills enabling them to work as design experts and leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators in a range of roles within industry, business, communities, education, and public sector.

What alternative materials can best replace plastic? How can traditional crafts be merged with contemporary design? What kind of products do we need in our changing society?

Grounded in research-based knowledge of societal, cultural, and global change, the studies in Fashion, Clothing and Textile Design nurture creative exploration and conceptual thinking on a high artistic and professional level.

The Master’s Programme in Creative Sustainability (CS) provides a multidisciplinary learning platform in the fields of design, business, and materials and chemical engineering.

IDBM is a pioneering study programme that embodies the vision of Aalto University by integrating design and technology with global business development.

Master's studies in architecture

Architecture is technical and artistic, it is a social art and also an artful science.

Interior architecture addresses the close human scale of space and furniture to create meaning and value to people and organisations, and to transform and renew the everyday living environment. Dealing with the design of immediate interior and exterior environments, interior architecture requires understanding on human culture, needs and aspirations, the bodily experience and senses, and the spatial, material and technological means to meet these. A skilled interior architect is capable of integrating diverse elements into functional and experiential design solutions that exceed the users’ and clients’ expectations and are socially, environmentally and economically sustainable.

The programme educates interior architects with a distinct design personality. It comprises studies on spatial design and furniture design. Concrete design assignments form a major part of education. The studies emphasise advanced practical design skills combined with conceptual and strategic design thinking and research-driven design. Students are encouraged to expand the frontiers of the discipline by addressing systems level problems and societal challenges across the scale of built environment.
Students graduated from the programme are eligible to work as professional interior architects.

"A diverse group of students with different backgrounds is inspiring. Every teacher has a different expertise and some different perspective to bring to the discussion, and the topics we learned broadened my knowledge of the city from very different perspectives"

Master's studies in film and television

In Master’s Programme in Film and Television, major in Cinematography, the student deepens his/her vocational competence to achieve a greater mastery of the overall artistic, production and technical entity of his/her professional area in various film, TV and advertising productions.

The Costume Design major of the Master’s Programme in Design for Theatre, Film and Television aims at creating the future professionals for the field of costume design, supporting the development of a dynamic artistic vision and a research-oriented approach for the performing arts and the film and media creative industries.

Master’s programme in Film and Television, major in Film Directing in Elo Film school Finland strengthens the student’s capacity to generate and develop cinematic ideas, storybuilding and narration skills in addition to developing the director’s personal cinematic style and directorial identity.

The goal of the major in Documentary Film is to form innovative, critical, and analytical documentary filmmakers for both the national and international arenas. The students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the history and conventions documentary filmmaking. Moreover, the program will encourage students to engage future perspectives of documentary filmmaking as a storytelling, art and research form.

Students will be able to develop their artistic and research skills through creative enquiry, practice and collaboration. They will be able to combine practical mastery and conceptual thinking, increasing their professional competence and situating them at the forefront of the documentary filmmaking field.

The major in production design involves training artistic designers who are responsible for the visual, operational and production entity of a film production.

The aim of the MA degree is to develop the student into an expert of viewing and seeing, a storyteller and an artist.

In film and television production, sound design plays a vital role in creating an end product that gives the viewer a holistic, artistic experience.

The goal of the Master’s Programme in Film and Television, major in Film and Television Producing, is to deepen the student’s skills in their chosen direction – towards independent audiovisual entrepreneurship, a research or development project in the film producing field, a deeper understanding of artistic leadership or some corresponding advanced competence planned together with the student.

The aim of the Master's Degree Programme in Screenwriting for Film and Television is to strengthen the student's individual expression, skills in writing for film and the abilities required in artistic and production-related process work and group work. Master’s students become familiar with the central theoretical questions in the field and its research.

Animation major explores both the theory and practice of this most imaginative and joyous form of art. The programme is the first of its kind in Finland, and students will become part of a wide network in the Finnish and international animation community.

Re:Anima is oriented towards an international dimension of the industry and the profession. It envisions the creation of an international community of animators who make diverse connections and create a network for future career endeavours. Re:Anima strives for establishing a high-level profile and a network of global connections, namely via the involvement of international professionals in the programme, including experts from international production companies. With the combination of the students’ individual learning trajectory and a broad, multicultural orientation, Re:Anima assumes a unique presence in Europe, and strongly intersects with the needs of the animation film industry.

The main purpose of our doctoral education is to teach how to create new knowledge through scientific and artistic methods and theories. The doctoral programme is perfect for those seeking careers in art, design, film, media or architecture. A special feature of the programme is that the thesis can include art or design productions.

The Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture offers an international doctoral programme for those seeking careers in art, design, film, media or architecture. A special feature of the programme is that the thesis can include art or design productions. The Department of Art and Media, the Department of Architecture, the Department of Design and the Department of Film, Television and Scenography offer doctoral studies for a Doctor of Arts (Art and Design) and a Doctor of Science (Architecture) degrees.

Find out what is required of applicants and what can our doctoral studies offer!

According to the QS World University 2024, the School of Arts, Design and Architecture is ranked the #8 worldwide (the fields of art and design).

As the world becomes more unpredictable, creative skills and solutions are needed more than ever. We educate our students to become world citizens who create imaginative, cooperative and unconventional approaches to answer complex societal challenges.

School of Arts, Design and Architecture Master's graduates are successful in finding jobs relating to their education. On this page you can find information on job titles, job sectors and career development of our graduates.

As one of the leading international universities in our fields, Aalto's teaching, research and impact are well respected and we are often ranked among the best in the world.

Known for its safe and welcoming environment, Finland offers unique cultural experiences and student life filled with quirky traditions that foster creativity and innovation.

Discover genuine stories about student life at Aalto and life after graduation.