Recommended Courses
The list of recommended courses within the Aalto University is given below. The underlined courses are strongly recommended.
There may be changes from year to year in the courses offered by each school of Aalto University. The current list of recommended courses is based on the curriculums made for the academic year 2009-2010. More information about the courses can be found in the study guides of the respective schools and on the schools' web pages.
Compulsory course for all students
School of Economics
International Business
Marketing
Entrepreneurship
School of Science and Technology
Industrial Management
Production Systems
Project Management
Work Psychology and Leadership
Mechanical Engineering
School of Art and Design
Industrial Design
Fashion and Design
Art Studies
A Compulsory Course for All Students Participating in the IDBM Program:
26E01300 - IDBM Industry Project 6-12 ECTS cr
The industry project is the core of the IDBM programme. The project topics have dealt with new product concepts (design and user interface issues), the definition of customer needs and the future environment of a product, the analysis of markets and customer feedback, and the examination of corporate identity, communications and design management, among other things. Usually the duration of an industry project is one academic year (from September to May). The project can also be completed within a tighter schedule if necessary. The cost of a project for the company is about €10.000 + VAT depending on the size of the student team (3 to 5 persons) and the amount of work done. In addition to the project, there are also compulsory seminar lectures on topics relevant to the project, such as project management, qualitative methodology and business communication.
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Aalto School of Economics, 12-18 ECTS
The courses offered by the School of Economics give the required knowledge of international operations, international marketing, international management and management of innovations. The students are recommended to take the following courses:
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
26E01000 International Design Business Management 6 ECTS
A KEY COURSE WITHIN IDBM
The objective is to give the students an understanding of the core competitive elements of profitable international design business. The course focuses on the following areas: design and high-tech as a competitive edge, the role of new product development, marketing communication and brands, design and technology management, global logistics and distribution channels, production systems, internationalization process, and managing international design business. The aim is to give the students a theoretical background and practical industry cases for each area of interest. The lecturers represent the best academic or practical knowledge in their field in Finland. The working language is English.
Fall 2009, 2nd period
Mon 9-12 AE-341
Wed 9-12 PC-350
Fri 9-12 AE-341
26C00100 Global Business Environment 6 ECTS
The course addresses the environmental context of a company, as the global and the dynamic features of the environment pose challenges for companies when they select and operate in various countries. The course provides conceptual and practical tools to analyze the relevant elements of the global business environment. The impact of different local or global aspects on company operations is assessed. Special emphasis is on regional opportunities and risk analysis. Moreover, locational attractiveness of regions is addressed. The course provides analytical tools for approaching the spatial dimension of international business in market and investment operations. Student should know in depth the various components of the global business environment and be able to identify critical challenges faced by internationalizing companies.
Fall 2009, 1st period
Fri 10-14 AE-107
26E00300 International Marketing 6 ECTS book exam
The aim of the course is to provide an understanding of planning and implementing international marketing strategies. This requires skills to formulate, analyze and critically evaluate the alternatives and their consequences. Internationalization and the consequent changes in companies' operating environments will be analyzed, as well as the needs for adjustment in the companies' (e.g. an exporter or a firm with local presence) marketing strategies due to these changes. Special focus is on how to plan and manage the marketing efforts as a dynamic process when entering and penetrating into foreign markets. This requires various skills from the management to be able to conduct marketing analyses, to develop international market mix strategies, to perform several procedures and to organize the company for successful implementation.
Fall 2009
MARKETING
23E31000 Marketing and Management of Cultural Organizations 6 ECTS
A broad range of arts disciplines will be studied, including museums, theaters, orchestras, and opera and dance companies. The class addresses such issues as current conditions of the non-profit arts world, the economics of arts organizations, corporate sponsorships, and strategic alliances. Functional areas including management, marketing and audience development, fundraising, budgeting, and control will be explored, as will the roles, responsibilities, and perspectives of various stakeholders such as key managers, the board of directors, artists, funders, volunteers, critics, and audience members.
Spring 2010
23A00210 Introduction to Marketing 6 ECTS
The purpose of this course is to provide students with an overview of marketing and its basic concepts. Having studied this course the student understands the importance of customer-oriented marketing, knows the basic marketing terminology of the course area and is able to apply them in practice.
Fall 2009, 2nd period
Mon 10-12 PB-200 NOKIA Wed 10-12 PB-200 NOKIA
23C510 Markkinointiviestinnän johtaminen 6 ECTS (in Finnish)
Tällä kurssilla opit ymmärtämään markkinointiviestinnän ja kuluttajan käyttäytymisen välistä yhteyttä ja eri markkinointiviestinnän keinojen mahdollisuuksia ja rajoituksia. Kurssi sopii Sinulle, joka haluat tehdä aktiivisesti töitä oman oppimisesi eteen kurssin aikana. Kurssin tavoitteena on tutustuttaa sinut integroidun markkinointiviestinnän suunnitteluun ja toteutukseen; viestinnän tavoitteiden asetantaan, kohderyhmän valintaan, asemointiin, budjetointiin, viestinnän luovaan suunnitteluun ja mediasuunnitteluun. Kurssilla perehdymme myös viestinnän vaikutusten syntymiseen kuluttaja- ja viestintäteorioiden kautta sekä pohdimme eri viestintävälineiden ja -keinojen käyttöä. Lisäksi tavoitteena on antaa yleiskuva markkinointiviestinnästä Suomessa ja innostaa syvempiin opintoihin sekä parantaa yhteistyö- ja vuorovaikutustaitoja, analyyttistä otetta uuteen tietoon ja kriittistä ajattelua.
Spring 2010
23C580 Kuluttajan käyttäytyminen 6 ECTS (in Finnish)
Kuluttajien tarpeiden, tiedon hankkimisen ja ostopäätösprosessin ymmärtäminen ja tämän tiedon käyttö markkinoinnin päätöksenteossa. Kurssin antama tieto ostokäyttäytymisestä luo teoreettista perustaa muille kursseille (kuten mainonta, myyntityö ja tuotejohtaminen). Kuluttajan käyttäytyminen yksilönä ja yhteisön jäsenenä. Kuluttajan ostoprosessi sitä edeltävine vaiheineen ja ostonjälkeiset prosessit. Markkinointiviestinnän vaikutus kuluttajan käyttäytymiseen.
Fall 2009
23C580 Consumer Behavior 6 ECTS, Online course in English:
Consumer Behavior- online (23C580) is a web-based independent learning course on Consumer Behavior. Upon completion of the course you should have a general understanding of the processes involved when consumers, individuals or groups, select, purchase, use, or dispose of products, services, ideas, or experiences to satisfy their needs and desires. Moreover, we encourage you to develop your ability to think analytically, independently and creatively about what motivates, guides and constrains consumer behavior, as well as what is or can be the role of marketing (both as an institution and as the marketing practices of an individual firm or an industry) in influencing these factors?
Fall 2009
23C60000 Markkinointitutkimus 6 ECTS
Sisältö: Markkinatutkimuksen muodot, menetelmät ja aineistot, markkinatutkimuksen merkitys markkinoinnin tietolähteenä. Kurssin oppimistavoitteet: Opiskelija ymmärtää, mikä on tutkimustiedon rooli markkinoinnin suunnittelussa ja päätöksenteossa sekä minkälaista tietoa erilaisilla tutkimusmenetelmillä voidaan tuottaa markkinoinnin tueksi. Opiskelija osaa arvioida kriittisesti markkinatutkimuksen tuloksia ja soveltamismahdollisuuksia.
Fall 2009 1st period
Tue 12-14 AE-341
Thu 12-14 AE-341
23C630 Merkkituotejohtaminen 6 ECTS (in Finnish)
The student knows the basic theories and concepts, research methods and research results of brand management. The student is competent to apply this knowledge to practical brand management problems and can evaluate the financial and imagery value of brands. Contents: Strategic brand management. Building and implementing a brand. Segmentation and positioning of brands. Brand identity, brand extensions multibrand portfolios, brand equity and its measurements. Communicating brands and budget consideration. Global brand management. Tasks and responsibilities of product managers.
Fall 2009, 1st and 2nd period
Tue 14-17 PA-201
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
25E31000 Yrittäjyys ja innovaatioiden johtaminen 6 ECTS
Kurssin tarkoituksena on kehttää opiskelijoiden innovatiivista ajattelua. Kurssi yhdistää vahavan teorian ja käytännön ja on tästä syystä laajasti käyttökelpoinen tutkija- ja yrittäjyysorientoituneille opiskelijoille. Koostuu luennoista, harjoituksista ja kirjallisuudesta.
Fall 2009, 1st period
Tue 10-14 AE-012
25D031 Creation of Innovative SMEs 6 ECTS
The course is about new venture creation. It gives you the tools to evaluate and understand the potential of an idea, as well as the challenges involved in developing it. Furthermore, through numerous cases and examples it familiarizes you with the entrepreneurial mindset - a way of questioning beyond the evident.
Summer 2010
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Aalto School of Science and Technology, 9-15 ECTS
www.tkk.fi
The courses offered by the School of Science and Technology give the needed knowledge of engineering design of products, production systems and project management. The students are recommended to take the following courses:
INDUSTRIAL MANAGEMENT:
TU-22.1101 Tuotantotalouden peruskurssi 4 op (in Finnish)
Opintojakson tavoitteena on antaa opiskelijoille yleiskatsaus yrityksen toimintaan kokonaisuutena. Käsiteltäviä asioita tarkastellaan toimivan yritysjohdon näkökulmasta. Opintojaksolla pyritään käsittelemään kaikkia niitä asioita, jotka tulosvastuullisessa asemassa toimivan henkilön tulisi hallita. Opintojaksolla käsiteltäviin asioihin sisältyvät yrityksen talous, toiminnan mittaaminen hankinnat, tuotanto, toimitusketjun hallinta, toiminnanohjauksen tietojärjestelmät, laatu, markkinointi ja asiakassuhteet, palvelut, yrityssuunnittelu, projektinhallinta, tuotekehitys sekä organisaatiot ja johtaminen. Opintojaksoon sisältyvät luennot, laskuharjoitukset ja tentti. Opintojakson hyväksytty suorittaminen edellyttää tentin hyväksyttyä suorittamista.
TU-91.2005 Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation 5 ECTS
The course consists of a wide array of guest lectures accompanied by lectures from the course staff. These lectures provide the students with good insights into the different aspects of the innovation process. The aim of the course is twofold. First, the course aims to improve the participants' understanding of the areas of technology and innovation management. Second, the participants of the course will learn to use a number tools used in technology and innovation management. The students must pass the exam and successfully hand in a group assignment in order to pass the course.
TU-91.1003 Principles of Strategic Management 3-4 ECTS
The objective of the course is to give the participants an understanding of the fundamental nature of strategic management, covering a number of important themes on the topic. The course aims to combine a broad theoretical background of strategic management with practical implications to the way businesses are run, offering different levels of course content to the different needs of participants. The course is carried out entirely in English. In addition to the theory lectures given by professor Tomi Laamanen, there will also be guest lecturers from Nokia Corporate Planning and international consulting companies who are able to offer a deeper insight into how strategy is planned and carried out in companies today. The course is offered in two different versions. The 3 credit version gives a good general understanding while the 4 credit version gives also a deeper theoretical understanding of strategy.
TU-91.2006 Strategic Marketing 5 ECTS
Strategic Marketing is an advanced level course that covers specific areas under the field of marketing that are of strategic importance in business. Such topics include value creation, customer relationship management, relationship marketing, new product development and commercialization, brand leadership and integrated marketing communications, distribution channel management, as well as sales management. The topics will be approached primarily from the business-to-business market perspective. The course aims to deepen the students' conceptual understanding of the selected topics, as well as to show how the theory can be applied to the practice of strategic management. Combining up-to-date findings from scientific research with a real-world case writing assignment, the course provides a demanding, yet rewarding study package for the highly motivated students. NOTE: The number of participants to this course is limited. There is a pre-examination based on the course book.
TU-91.2004 Advanced Strategic Management 5 ECTS
The course is intended primarily for students majoring in strategy and international business and due to practical reasons the number of participants in the course will be limited to about 30 students. Successful completion of the Principles of Strategic Management or equivalent knowledge is required to participate in the course. The course includes eight theory lectures on specific topics of strategic management, an examination based on these lectures and other course literature, and a broad written assignment on quantitative data-based strategic problem-solving of some existing organization. Passing both the exam and the assignment is required to pass the course.
PRODUCTION SYSTEMS:
TU-22.1115 Design of Production Systems B 4 ECTS
Production systems design continues to be of crucial importance to all organizations together with the development of production and information technologies, shortening product lifetimes, increased share of services and globalization of industries. A diverse variety of issues must be considered when searching for high performing solutions that provide maximum productivity and flexibility. The objective of the course is to give the student basic theory background in the fields of Operations strategy, Process choices and operations layouts, Production planning and control, Global manufacturing environment and Service operations. Requirements: Examination based on the course book and DOPS B written assignment.
TU-22.1160 Business Game 1-2 ECTS
The course starts with an introductory session. The game consists of a practice round and four actual game rounds. Teams, i.e. competing game companies, consist of 4 students. Teams deliver their decisions for each round before a specified deadline and receive the results after few days. The tempo of the game is one round per week. There will be a weekly feedback session but practically all of the required materials and information are delivered through e-mail or internet. You can apply to the course by sending an e-mail to the following address: tu221160@hut.fi. You can apply individually, in pairs or as a group. The e-mail must contain each applicant's name, student number and e-mail address.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT:
The major objective of the course is to develop understanding on project business, particularly project management, its concepts, practices and tools. The emphasis is on project planning and project management, i.e. the knowledge areas, skills and methods that are needed for managing single projects successfully. Additionally, the course will provide insight on the business environment of projects as well as project business as a modern way to conduct business. The course will cover a variety of project management methods throughout the lifecycle of projects. The topics will include: basic concepts of project business; project planning and start-up; time and resource management; cost management; procurement and contract management; and project follow-up and control. Also project organization, forming and leading a project team, and project managers' competences will be covered. Projects and project management will be discussed in a wider context: one topic will be how project business is organized and managed as a part of general business management.
Only students of other than Finnish origin (and who do not speak Finnish) can take the course in English. The lectures are only in Finnish, which means that there are no lectures that would support studying in English. Therefore, the English version of the course is based on self-study of course literature, exercises and an examination. The obligatory requirements for passing the course in English are: passing the examination, and conducting successfully two (2) exercises. The examination will be based on the written course material.
TU-22.1425 Advanced Project Based Management 3 ECTS
The focus of Advanced Project-based Management is on deepening the practical application aspect of project-based management. Topics of the course are the following: application of project management procedures and related methodologies in organizations, business processes in professional project-oriented organizations, project-based business and project portfolio management. The course deepens the understanding of different managerial knowledge areas and processes related to project management and management of project-based organizations.
WORK PSYCHOLOGY AND LEADERSHIP
TU-53.1030 Knowledge and competence management 3 ECTS
Knowledge is the most important source of competitive advantage for the growing number of companies and organizations. Knowledge enables organizations to produce new knowledge and innovations. However, knowledge may be difficult to manage or utilize due to its low visibility, poor transferability, or political power. The course examines the challenges and opportunities to manage and utilize information and knowledge in knowledge intensive organizations.
Course deals with following issues:
- Different types of knowledge
- Knowledge intensive organizations and knowledge work
- Motives for knowledge management
- Organizational knowledge processes
- Knowledge management strategies
After the course, students are expected to understand the complex nature of knowledge in organizations and they should have some skills to analyze and understand knowledge management practices and challenges in organizations.
TU-53.1010 Basics of work psychology and leadership 4 ECTS
The course highlights the importance of the human action in the changing organizational reality. The goal is that students identify central phenomena of the field and their practical and theoretical viewpoints (leadership, organization development and change management, motivation and learning, communication, group action, organization structures and processes). The course includes guest lectures, in which experts and managers from companies explore demands facing engineers in their work.
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING:
Kon-41.4002 Product development Project 10-12 ECTS (in Finnish and in English)
The students work in teams of roughly 10 members. Each team is carrying out a particular product development project, based on industry needs. The teams work out a detailed project plan, including budget and resource plans. The idea is to apply all the adequate skills learned through the studies in practise. The principles of systematical and integrated product design should be followed and applicable methods and tools should be used (e.g. creative teamworking, QFD, Value engineering, DFMA etc.). In every project, a functional prototype, or suchlike should be manufactured.
Kon-41.4169 Industrial design in Product Development 5 ECTS
The student should get acquainted with the importance of Industrial Design (ID) in developing competitive new products. Main principles and techniques of ID. Industrial design as part of product development. Simultaneous engineering and co-operation of marketing, engineering and industrial design. Examples and case stories of designing commercial products. (1 Those who are not able to follow the lectures or the course text package in Finnish, should contact the teacher to get substuting material. Some lectures will be in English, anyway. Based on the given material, and some more detailed instructions, a summary report should be written. The design exercise, however, is to be done normally with other students in teams of 4-6 student mates. The course grade is based on the personal report and the design project. Notice: most lectures are in Finnish, but you can study the course in English!
Kon-41.5167 Patentit 3 ECTS (in Finnish)
Opintojakson tavoitteena on perehdyttää opiskelija ideoiden ja muun henkisen omaisuuden suojaamismahdollisuuksiin ja omistuskysymyksiin sekä kotimaassa että ulkomailla. Käsiteltävät suojaamismuodot ovat patentti, hyödyllisyysmallioikeus, mallioikeus, tavaramerkki ja toiminimioikeus. Lisäksi käsitellään tekijänoikeutta, tietokoneohjelmien suojaamista, sopimatonta menettelyä elinkeinotoiminnassa, työsuhdekeksintöjä ja alan riitakysymyksiä.
Opintojakso soveltuu periaatteessa kaikkien osastojen opiskelijoille ja on erityisen suositeltava tuotekehitykseen ja -suunnitteluun liittyviä aineita opiskeleville.
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Aalto School of Art and Design
Courses offered by the School of Art and Design give students the needed knowledge of product design, communication, society and design working process. The students are recommended to take the following courses:
INDUSTRIAL AND STRATEGIC DESIGN:
Design Strategy and Innovation 10-15 ECTS
A KEY COURSE WITHIN IDBM
Many of the traditional drivers for business success including the ways and means of competing are radically changing. This new climate for innovation promises to have a profound and lasting impact on organizational form and business management processes at a strategic, operational and inter-organizational level, not least, in the area of design and business planning activity. The 'design strategy and Innovation' module commences with contemporary insights into design leadership and design management emphasis and differences (e.g. commitment and compliance) in new product development and business planning processes. It is further organized to develop the competence, capability and creativity of participants by enabling them to...
1) Actively participate in the process of creating and shaping design and business strategy. Dominant emphasis: strategic foresight and design, including insights into range of input, throughput and output methods.
Learning objectives to:
- Creatively challenge conventional practices and assumptions
- Amplify and incite signals of change
- Conceptualize and embody information in innovative and appropriate forms e.g. visually mediated scenarios
2) Optimize differentiation according to strategic objectives. Dominant emphasis: systemic vs. incremental level innovation processes and practices.
Learning objectives:
- To envision complex cultural models of risk and opportunity (e.g. hardware, software,
services and systems) which generate really new technical, social,
environmental and economic infrastructures, resulting in what
can be described as ‘systemic level
innovation vs. incremental innovation’.
3) Assure the form and experiential quality of
products (services) and brands, over time
dominant emphasis: creating and sustaining
product and brand identity in climates of
complexity and continuous change.
User Inspired Design 15 ECTS
The emphasis in design has increasingly shifted towards solving the questions of what should be designed instead of only dealing with challenges defined in a polished design brief. The traditional designerly problem solving and novel approaches to involve users into design decision making are first applied to find and define new emerging practices and then to outline new artifacts enabling those practices. The results of these projects do not immediately aim at implementing the products but are typically used as decision making material for a range of different business purposes.
The module will address the issues related to creating new concepts through a user centered process. It gives an overall understanding and practical skills for concept design and managing concept design activities. The module follows integrated product design approach where disciplines such as user research, marketing, engineering, software design and industrial design are expected to work together. That is why the module is also well suited for students with a variety of educational backgrounds.
Objectives are to:
- understand the versatile business aim of concept design
- learn user centered concept design processes
- learn to gather and use user and context information with approaches such as observations and self-documentation
- learn to interpret qualitative user data for design and to link user information with
designerly problem solving
- learn to generate and present concept designs
- learn to assess concept designs
- practice with cross-disciplinary and
cross-cultural co-operation
Design and Culture 15 ECTS
The planning, design and usability of products is further defined by cultural factors. They concern also the aims that the producer and the designer give preference to the product and facts that affect the choice, receipt and usability that guide the product to the consumer. The control of cultural knowledge has become a part of the know-how of designers. This knowledge raises the quality and service given by the product. This is further high lightened the growing internationalization and the multiculturalism and understanding of cultural differences. Design and Culture module aims to develop the ability of students to see the own work being part of the wider cultural entity and to illustrate the versatile cultural linkages where the design and products act in the object world, consummation and cultural goals. This module is divided into two major parts. In the analytical part design is placed in three environments. The key course of the module illustrates and thinks the connection between the design and culture. The attention is aside the material environment in the thinking pathways and institutions of culture. The other part is researching design as a historical phenomenon. The attention lies especially in the history of Finnish design. The third part opens design as a social phenomenon.
Sustainable Design and Business 15 ECTS
FASHION AND TEXTILE:
Trend Forecasting 15 ECTS
The Trend Research and Forecasting course consists of three phases: Trend Research (2 cr), Trend Forecasting (10 cr) and Trend Forecast in Practice (3 cr). All phases must be completed in order to pass the course. Trend Research (2 cr) course consists of knowledge processing when doing trend forecasts (how knowledge processing can be understood and what is relevant knowledge in particular situation) and resources (public formal and informal resources useful to trend forecasting). Trend Forecasting (10 cr) part concentrates on practical methods of trend forecasting. During the course some fundamental concepts of the fashion and lifestyle industry will be covered. The main emphasis of the course is on establishing the understanding what trend forecasting is and where and how to use it. In addition to this the course focuses to establish the rules of 'cool' - what it consists of and how to find it. Trend Forecast in Practice (3 cr) focuses on creating trends/themes for the following summer and developing a stand to present these trends at Polarstoff (sales exhibition for clothing textiles and accessories). This part consists of group work, tutored by the course teacher.
ART STUDIES
Students with business and technology background are highly recommended to include at least one course of Art Studies in the program if possible. The teaching of history and theory provides knowledge in the critical use of research base information. Unfortunately most of these courses are lectured in Finnish.
Taide jälkeen 1945
Modernin taideteollisuuden historia
Estetiikan ja taiteenfilosofian perusteet
Tiedon ja taidon filosofia
Estetiikka ja taiteenfilosofia
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