Joint Master in Service Design Strategies and Innovations
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Request earliest startdate
TUITION FEES
EUR 8,000 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for students from the rest of the world | EUR 4000 per year for students from the EU, EEA, or Switzerland
Introduction
The Art Academy of Latvia (AAL), in collaboration with esteemed partners, announces a groundbreaking initiative poised to reshape the landscape of higher education in service design. Through the "Joint Master's Degree Programme in Service Design Strategies and Innovations" (SDSI), the consortium aims to equip the next generation of leaders with the tools to navigate complex challenges within our evolving world.
In a pivotal milestone reached in September 2022, AAL, on behalf of the SDSI consortium, signed a grant agreement with the European Education and Culture Executive Agency for Project No. 101082388, cementing the path forward for SDSI. Commencing with the academic year 2023/2024, SDSI has officially gained recognition as an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's programme.
In a rapidly transforming Europe, where socio-economic paradigms are undergoing profound shifts, SDSI emerges as a beacon of change. This innovative joint-degree programme brings together the Art Academy of Latvia as the coordinator partner, the University of Lapland and the Estonian Academy of Arts as full partners, and the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga as an esteemed associate academic partner.
The programme imparts a holistic education to create versatile service innovators capable of driving transformation across public and private entities through strategic design, management, and creative leadership. SDSI's interdisciplinary curriculum fosters cross-specialization in design, business, technology, and social sciences, facilitating the emergence of graduates poised to facilitate change and contribute to socially responsible global service organizations.
Running from October 1, 2022, to November 30, 2028, project No. 101082388 envisages four student intakes, commencing with the 2023/2024 academic year. Each intake will admit around 30 international students, with a minimum of 121 students experiencing the programme's enriching journey. Notably, the project allocates scholarships of 1400 EUR per month for the Erasmus Mundus, NDICI (Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument), or IPA (Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance) recipients among the top 81 students.
SDSI promises an immersive international experience, with students embarking on at least two study periods of 30 ECTS in countries distinct from their residence - Latvia, Finland, and Estonia. The project boasts a grant amount of 4,899,600.00 EUR, of which 2,721,600.00 EUR are dedicated to student scholarships, exemplifying the consortium's commitment to fostering academic excellence. To augment the academic experience, the SDSI consortium proudly welcomes two associate partners - the Kuldīga District Municipality and the NGO “Kuldīga Artists’ Residence'' - who will enrich students' learning journey with invaluable extra-curricular and cultural experiences during their Latvian study tenure.
The European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), in the context of managing the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters, collects and processes the personal data of some of the candidates. In particular, certain data of the scholarship holders and non-scholarship holders is shared with the Agency and treated according to this privacy statement.
Student's Benefits
Each year, the top 20 students will receive the prestigious Erasmus Mundus scholarship, providing them with a monthly stipend of 1400 EUR throughout the entirety of their SDSI study programme. It is important to highlight that the allocation of these scholarships is contingent upon student geography.
Under the Grant agreement with the European Education and Culture Executive Agency for Project No. 101082388, spanning the project's 2022-2028 timeline, the SDSI programme is authorized to grant scholarships as follows: 60 scholarships for students hailing from Erasmus+ Programme Countries, 3 scholarships for students originating from Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) region countries, and 18 scholarships for students from countries falling under the Neighbourhood, Development, and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) region.
Per the guidelines set forth by the Erasmus+ Programme Guide, this scholarship serves as a financial support mechanism, addressing students' travel, visa, installation, and subsistence expenses. Moreover, all-encompassing health insurance coverage will be extended to all students, regardless of scholarship status.
Important: candidates who have already benefited from an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master (EMJM) scholarship are not eligible to apply for an additional scholarship.
Regrettably, as stipulated by the Grant agreement with the European Education and Culture Executive Agency for Project No. 101082388, the SDSI programme lacks dedicated funding for students with special needs. Nonetheless, the SDSI university partners remain steadfast in their commitment to offer comprehensive assistance to individuals requiring additional support, to the best of their capabilities.
Ideal Students
We welcome candidates and future leaders who are passionate about service design and aim to become leaders in service design. We value diversity and welcome students from a range of geographical locations, nationalities, and backgrounds.
Our ideal students don’t need to be service design experts. We value candidates who are open-minded and creative, thrive on diverse perspectives, possess problem-solving skills, aim to make a positive societal impact with their knowledge, and exhibit a strategic, critical-thinking mindset.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
SDSI annually welcomes approximately 30 outstanding students from around the world. 20 of these students are awarded prestigious Erasmus Mundus scholarships, providing a monthly stipend of 1400 EUR for the entire 24-month program.
Scholarship allocation occurs in two stages:
- The first 15 scholarships are awarded to the top-ranking applicants worldwide.
- An additional 5 scholarships per year are granted to students from specific regions: NDICI countries and IPA III countries.
Study offer:
All applicants' submissions are graded and prioritized. The top 20 applicants are offered scholarship opportunities, while the remaining candidates are considered for self-funded study, based on their priority ranking. There is no separate application for scholarship spots or self-funded slots.
Note: Candidates who have received the study acceptance letter are advised to carefully review the conditions outlined in the letter. This includes a list of all required information, documents, and deadlines, as detailed in the "Sending Documents" section below. It is important to note that, before enrolling a student for studies, their educational documents will undergo assessment by the Academic Information Centre (AIC) of Latvia.
Curriculum
Service Design Strategies and Innovations (SDSI) focuses on interdisciplinary studies and cross-specialisation in design, management, business and social sciences. We will help you become a versatile service innovator who can enable change in public and private organisations through strategic design, management and creative leadership.
Around 30 students will be admitted to the programme annually, enabling individual and personalised approaches to the study process and providing close networking among students and teaching personnel.
Graduates will be awarded master's degrees: Master of Arts (Art and Design) by the University of Lapland, Master of Design by the Art Academy of Latvia, Master of Arts by the Estonian Academy of Arts, as well as a joint diploma supplement. SDSI has strong industry connections, ensuring research, design and testing opportunities with real industry partners on study topics and projects in Latvia, Estonia and Finland.
SDSI graduates are eligible to continue pathways towards pursuing a PhD and entering the job market.
Semester 1
Use novel service design methods, thinking and tools with emphasis on communication and collaboration.
Mobility to Kuldīga, Latvia
- Intro to Service Design 2 ECTS
- Service Design Basics 8 ECTS
- Facilitation & Co-creation 3 ECTS
- Service Design & Technology 6 ECTS
- Communication & Presentation 6 ECTS
- Civil and Environmental Protection, First Aid 3 ECTS
- Design Management 3 ECTS
- Futures' Design 2 ECTS
Semester 2
Gain cross-sector knowledge through research methods, a strategic and entrepreneurial mindset, and tools for organizational and financial management of services.
Mobility to Kuldīga, Latvia
- Innovation Lab – 8 ECTS
- Technology Management – 2 ECTS
- Accounting for Managerial Purposes – 2 ECTS
- Strategy – 2 ECTS
- Managing Innovative Organisations – 2 ECTS
- People Management – 2 ECTS
- Customer Insights – 2 ECTS
- Information Design – 2 ECTS
- Social Research – 6 ECTS
- Leadership II – 2 ECTS
Semester 3
Apply previously acquired knowledge for designing innovative real-life services in collaboration with industry.
Mobility to Rovaniemi, Finland
- Master Project Studio – 5 ECTS
- Service Design Advanced I - Digital Service Design – 10 ECTS
- Service Design Advanced II - Strategic Service Design – 10 ECTS
- Electives – 5 ECTS
Mobility to Tallinn, Estonia
- Master Project Studio – 5 ECTS
- Service Design Advanced - Designing Sustainable Transitions – 10 ECTS
- Electives – 15 ECTS
Semester 4
Engage in a design project or practical research either individually or in teams of two students, hosted either at the University of Lapland or the Estonian Academy of Arts. The choice of mobility destination hinges on the location of students' 3rd-semester studies. Those who undertook their 3rd semester in Estonia will transition to the University of Lapland in Finland for their final semester, while students from the University of Lapland will conclude their studies in Estonia.
- Master Thesis – 30 ECTS
Program Outcome
We will equip you with the knowledge and skills to be prepared for an uncertain future. You will know how to identify and satisfy unmet needs in a wide range of sectors, such as health care, transportation, education, finance and retail. You will execute leadership roles in organisations in the private and public sectors, spearheading change processes, envisioning the future, managing multidisciplinary teams and overcoming innovation roadblocks.
Upon graduation, you will:
- Become a versatile professional with an agile mindset
- Transform existing service design concepts by integrating research-based user needs and organisational strategies
- Apply holistic approaches and user-centred design principles
- Understand social, economic, and technological contexts in which private and public services function
- Be an organisational change facilitator
- Have grown into leadership roles through experience
Multiple degrees: Master of Arts (Art and Design) by the University of Lapland, Master of Design by the Art Academy of Latvia, Master of Arts by the Estonian Academy of Arts, and a joint diploma supplement.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
- Service designer
- Experience designer
- Interaction designer
- User Experience designer
- Design manager/director
- Experience manager/director
- Innovation manager/director
- Customer experience manager
- Design researcher
- Design strategist
Program Leaders
Program Admission Requirements
Show your commitment and readiness for Grad school by taking the GRE - the most broadly accepted exam for graduate programs internationally.