Studying in Aalto BIZ

Studying in a university is quite different from your past studies: no strict curriculum exists, unless you’ve created one for yourself. Now you have the freedom to choose which courses to attend and how to build your individual timetable! This freedom comes with great responsibility – you have to make sure that you complete all the courses needed for your degree. The time it takes to finish your degree doesn’t depend only on your studying methods and planning, but also on your situation in life. The normative target time for finishing both your Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees is five years altogether, but changing life situations may swing it either way. Working, taking off on an international exchange or starting a family, for instance, may slow down your studies – on the other hand, clear scheduling and goal-oriented attitude could speed up your graduation.

Studying in the School of Business

You study in Aalto BIZ (Aalto University School of Business), which is a part of Aalto University. Aalto University was formed in 2010 when three self-governing universities – Helsinki School of Economics, Helsinki University of Technology and the University of Art and Design Helsinki – merged into one. Today, the university consists of six relatively autonomous schools. You’re free to attend courses, or even complete your minor studies, in any of the schools of the university. To make it easier, there are several multidisciplinary programmes available. In addition, Aalto University is continuously striving to improve collaboration between the schools. It is also possible to include an internship in both the Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, for 6 ECTS each. This is a great way to get to know working life! Studying methods used and required during your studies vary between courses and teachers. The most important thing to keep in mind is that the teachers won’t give you readymade answers, but rather the tools to solve problems. University studies aim at teaching you how to think and how to use the skills you’ve attained – not always at giving exact facts. In addition to lectures, most courses include assignments, teaching in small groups or exercise sessions. Teamwork and case presentations are both very common ways to learn and work, and they will accustom you to working methods needed also later on in your career. Most courses end in an exam, but in many courses the exam isn’t the only point of evaluation – cases and assignments may have a huge weight on your final grade as well.

Questions? Answers!

At the beginning of your studies, your tutor will explain everything you need to know about your future studies and student life. Remember that you can also always ask your professor if you have any questions in mind. The professors can be contacted via email or face-to-face during their weekly reception hours – just remember to check the times beforehand! More often than not, the professors are quick to answer your questions. Alongside the official study guide and course-specific webpages, empirical information and your fellow students’ takes on courses can be found on the student-operated Fringe Study Guide. The guide is available at ky.fi/voo, and it can be updated by anyone – the guide will become more useful with each given review. Once you have completed a course, please fill in your own review to expand the database! The Fringe Study Guide is located in the Studies section of ky.fi, where you can find other important information as well. Check ky.fi/studies for more!

Go to

into.aalto.fi when in need of basic information about your studies. Here you will find also the electronic study guide.

oodi.aalto.fi when searching course-specific information. This is also used for enrolling on courses and exams.

mycourses.aalto.fi to find all the course material.

Learning Services office if you want to talk more profoundly about your studies. You can also contact Learning Services by email, studies-biz@aalto.fi.

ky.fi/voo when searching reviews on courses by your fellow students.

Bachelor’s degree

Your university-level business studies will begin with the Bachelor’s degree. At Aalto BIZ, this lower university degree consists of common core and methodological studies, specialization and minor studies, language studies and elective studies. The Bachelor’s degree consists of 180 ECTS, which is equivalent to three years of studying, by recommendation. At the end of your first year of studies, you will be asked to pick a specialization area chosen from seven options: Accounting, Information & Service Management (ISM), Economics, Finance, Management, Marketing and Business Law. This area of specialization will make up approximately one third of your Bachelor’s degree studies and define the area on which you will write your Bachelor’s thesis – your first step into the world of research and academic writing.

Master’s degree

The Bachelor’s degree might be a stepping stone into corporate life. However, you should bear in mind that most employers, especially in Finland, prefer or even require their employees to have a Master’s degree to be able to acquire higher positions within the company. For this reason, it is not surprising that most business students opt to continue their studies until having finished both their Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Many choose to deepen their knowledge in their Bachelor’s specialization area, but it is not uncommon to switch to something entirely different, either. In addition to Aalto BIZ’s Master’s programmes, there are also interdisciplinary Aalto programmes to choose from. The two-year Master’s degree is worth 120 ECTS and it comprises advanced specialization studies, minor and elective studies and the pro gradu thesis. Pro gradu follows the same principles of academic writing as the Bachelor’s thesis, but it is notably broader. Some students choose to get more familiar with working life while wrapping up their studies – it is possible to conduct your pro gradu research as a commission project for an interesting company. That’s basically getting paid to complete your studies!

Bachelor of Science in Economics and Business Administration, B.Sc. Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration, M.Sc.

Common Core Studies 60 ECTS Advanced Studies 48 ECTS

Specialization Studies 42 ECTS

Minor Studies 24-30 ECTS

Elective Studies 18-30 ECTS Methodological Studies 12 ECTS

Language Studies 18 ECTS Pro Gradu Thesis and Seminar 36 CTS

Minor Studies 24 ECTS Elective Studies 12 ECTS