Topic outline

  • Welcome to the Department of Design!


    INTRO is a compulsory course for all first year Master students at the Department of Design. The course explains the study offering, pedagogies and mindset of the master studies in design and prepares you for the shift in the study objectives from bachelor to master studies. Personal study plans will be discussed during the INTRO week. As a startup to ongoing studies, the course aims to create peer networks across majors and programmes at the Department.

    The course is taught 27.- 30. August 2024 as an intensive teaching module at the Otaniemi campus during the Orientation Week before the Period I starts. Full attendance in contact teaching is required. INTRO is scheduled so that the students are able to participate in the ARTS and Department of Design Orientation week activities parallelly.

    Please register in SISU, however if you can't manage that, you can join the course anyway. 

    If you are an Aalto Bachelor's student, please note that your previous studies should be almost finalised before starting your master's studies.


    Schedule:

    • 27 August 9:15-12:00  + Afternoon with your Programme/Major                 
    • 28 August 9:15 -17:00  
    • 30 August 9:15-17:00  


    Learning outcomes:

    On successful completion of the course, students

    • recognize characteristics of master-level education at the Department of Design, including pedagogical approaches and main study contents
    • understand the wider and future societal context of design, including contemporary issues and emerging challenges
    • have met their peer students and faculty across the Department's programmes/majors


    Workload: 1 ECTS is equal to an 27-hour workload
    Evaluation: pass / fail

    Passing the course requires attending 100% of contact teaching sessions and completion of all individual and group assignments.

    Maximum 1/2 day absence may be made up by completing an extra assignment agreed upon with the responsible teacher in advance. Students unable to meet the required level of attendance (acceptable reasons are those exceptional circumstances such as health or residence issues), should contact the teacher in advance (pirjo.kaariainen@aalto.fi) to explain and to discuss completion method.

    Teaching team 2024

    • Professor Pirjo Kääriäinen pirjo.kaariainen@aalto.fi
    • Professor Andrea Botero
    • Professor of Practice Marco Steinberg