The Master's Degree Programme in Service Design conforms to the constantly growing competence requirements and needs in design, businesses and working life. The profile of the programme is a combination of design thinking, business and society and the focus is on the area of service design.

The MBA degree programme is a practically oriented programme for holders of a Bachelor's degree who want to expand their knowledge about service design. Entry requirement to the Master's degree programme is a minimum of two years’ relevant work experience gained after a suitable higher education degree. (See the detailed eligibility criteria in Studyinfo.fi.)

The Master's Degree Programme in Service Design is part of Turku University of Applied Sciences (Turku UAS) Master School and its School of Leadership Excellence. Turku UAS Master School brings together all Turku UAS' Masters' degree programmes in the fields of Business, Culture, Healthcare and Social Services, and Technology. It gives the students a great chance to create new networks with other experts beyond fields, both in Finland and globally.

Turku UAS Master School - flexible study opportunities in a multi-professional environment

At Turku UAS Master School you'll study a Master's degree in a flexible way. The studies can be completed while working full-time and from anywhere in Finland or even abroad. There are, on average, two contact days per month, otherwise students work mainly online. In addition to the individual assignments, group work based learning plays an important role in the studies.

Turku UAS Master School brings together all Master's students in the fields of Business, Culture, Healthcare and Social Services, and Technology. During the studies you can create new networks with other experts beyond fields of study. As a Turku UAS Master School student you'll also have access to Turku UAS' broad international network of higher education institutions that enables internationalisation during the studies as well.

In the degree programme of Service Design different professional and cultural backgrounds of the students create a dynamic and interactive learning environment. The studies are planned and organized in a multi-professional way in collaboration with Turku UAS and Novia UAS which gives the students even more possibilites to create networks with experts of their own and other fields.

Skills in Service Design and Leadership

The planned duration of the Master's degree programme in Service Design (90 ECTS credits) is 2 years. The studies composes of compulsory core competence studies (40 cr), elective complementary competence studies (20 cr) and Master's thesis (30 cr).

Part of the mandatory core competence studies are common for all Turku UAS' MBA programmes and part are specific for the Service Design programme. You may further deepen or expand your competences by choosing elective courses from the other programmes.

The aim of the Service Design studies is to develop and deepen your service design skills and competences. You will gain practical and holistic understanding of service design to be able to successfully apply service design in practice. The service design approach always means teamwork, therefore collective working methods are emphasized in different working life oriented projects. To learn to design, develop and implement the tasks by sharing information and communication in collaboration with the customers and stakeholders is one of the main objectives of this programme.

A central part of the Master’s studies is the Master's thesis. The thesis work starts already at the beginning of the studies, and it is carried out as a working life-oriented development project. The thesis will not only develop your knowledge and skills in a certain study field and specific topic, but also gives you the possibility to enhance your own skills in leading teams and work groups.

You create the future: Master School graduates are reformers of the working life

After graduating you've created new knowledge and reformed the working life with your Master's thesis. Your networks have expanded both in Finland and globally. You've also developed your expertise and got the tools to advance in your career. 

As a graduate from the degree programme in Service Design you'll have the expertise to work with demanding service design tasks and managerial duties. The degree programme also gives you an insight in starting or developing your own business.

Joint application means that you can apply to up to six study programmes with one application form. These six options may include degree programmes from one or several different higher education institutions in Finland. The next joint application period for this degree programme is

• joint application in spring 3 - 17 January 2024 at 15.00 (studies start in autumn 2024)
• supplementary application in spring 11 - 28 March at 15.00 (studies start in autumn 2024)

Applications are submitted through the national online application portal studyinfo.fi (in Finnish Opintopolku).  

The students are selected based on

• Certificate-based selection (UAS Bachelor Degree completed in Finland) – 50% of study places
• GMAT/GRE test selection – 50% of study places

Selection methods are explained in more detail on the Admission Criteria page.

In path studies, you complete the first-year studies of a Master’s degree in a group of degree students in an academic year. The extent of UAS path studies is about 30 ECTS credits. Open Studies are subject to a charge. 

A degree cannot be completed in path studies. After the path studies, based on the success in studies and the number of completed credits, you can apply as a degree student in the Open Studies path application and continue your studies seamlessly until graduation. 

Next application period for path studies is

• application period in summer 2024 (studies start in autumn 2024)