No admission 2025!
Goal
The programme can be completed as a full-time (1,5 years) or part-time student (2 years).
Studies
There are, on average, two to four contact days per month, usually on Fridays and Saturdays, otherwise students work mainly online. In addition to the individual assignments, group work based learning plays an important role in the studies.
The studies consist of following advanced studies:
- Service Design, 30 ECTS
- Research and Development, 10 ECTS
- Leadership and Financial studies, 10 ECTS
- Master’s Thesis, 30 ECTS
- Elective Studies, 10 ECTS
The studies are strongly oriented towards working life. Students are guided to apply in practice the theories discussed, and this way understand their relevance. The focus is on ideations and development of services for different organisations. The projects are connected to the existing work tasks of the students, which give them an excellent opportunity to develop their existing work and this way benefit their present employer as well. Students also get an insight in starting or developing their own business.
Study Objectives
The Master’s Degree Programme in Service Design answers the constantly growing competence requirements and needs in service design, businesses and working life. The profile of the programme is on the combination of design thinking, business and society and the focus is on the area of service design. To learn to design, develop and implement the tasks by sharing information and communication in collaboration with the customers and stakeholders belong to the main objectives of this programme. The different professional and cultural backgrounds of the students will enable a dynamic and interactive learning environment. It gives the students a great chance to create new networks with other experts beyond fields, both in Finland and globally.
The degree programme in Service Design delivers generic competences and programme specific competences. The competence includes knowledge, skills and attitudes. With the programme specific competences, the student will be able to:
- Implement Design Thinking principles
- Create ideas and solutions with the help of Service Design approach
- Analyse and develop services through critical thinking
- Develop teamwork skills and manage different projects in national and international context
- Understand the aspects of cultural, social, economic and sustainable activities in Service Design
- Implement ethical and working community competences
General eligibility for Master’s degree programmes at universities of applied sciences according to the recommendation for admission criteria. Eligibility for a UAS Master’s degree programme is conferred by an appropriate UAS Bachelor’s degree or another appropriate higher education degree and at least two years of subsequent work experience in a relevant field.
Scholarships and Tuition Fees
The studies are free for EU citizens.
Tuition fee-paying (non EU/EEA) students can apply for a scholarship. Read more about tuition fees and scholarships on the Admissions Services pages.
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Thesis
The Master's thesis is a working life-based development project and an important part of the Master’s degree. The Master’s thesis is a demanding development project or research work combining theory, praxis and creation of new knowledge. Students are given the freedom of choice to concentrate on those topics, which are of special interest to them as well as to their present and future career plans.
Usually, the thesis subjects and aims are based on requirements and needs of working life. The thesis is an applied study research, and it emphasizes development of the work, the organisation or the working community. Conducting the Master’s thesis project requires independent and demanding expertise. The student gives proof of mastering the methods of retrieving information, research and development as well as the skills of adapting research information in an analytical and critical manner.
In the Master’s thesis the student is able to:
- combine theoretical framework and pragmatic work with the contextual needs in a development or research project
- network and communicate professionally with relevant organisations and communities
- evaluate critically sources and methods, select the suitable ones and use them systematically and ethically
- document, report and give a presentation of the project or research status and the final results
Some recently published Master’s theses (click on the name of the theses to read it)
- Raitanen, Noora. 2020.
Service Designing Co-working Possibilities. Internal Communication in Virtual Expert Teams. - Salmivalli, Riina. 2020.
Aiming for Behaviorally Aware Digital Design : Creating a Training Concept in Digital Nudging - Hafeez, Kirsi & Menard, Päivi. 2019.
Co-developing the Immigrant Integration Services of the Järvenpää’s Immigration Office Verso - Pietinen, Kalle. 2019.
Project Management Office: The process of creating a PMO concept - Totaj, Armela. 2018.
Designing a New Service Concept for Reducing Culture Shock : Case expatriates in Albania
Career Opportunities
The programme in Service Design leads to a higher professional qualification, and it is strongly oriented towards working life. After graduation the students will be prepared to work with leadership and service design tasks within different organisations which want to develop their services.
Novia UAS quality management is certified according to the ISO 9001 quality standard. This means that every year our entire business is audited by DNV. This is to ensure the best quality and constant development of Novia UAS.