School: Aalto University
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Undergraduate program: None
Graduate program: Master of Art
Number of students: Over 100
Number of faculty: 37 (plus part-time instructors)
Notable alumni: Eero Aarnio, Kaj Franck, Harri Koskinen, Stefan Lindfors, Timo Saarnio
Website: aalto.fi/en/studies/education/programme/collaborative_industrial_design_master/
Strengths: An immersion in Finland’s singular and vigorous industrial design heritage and access to prominent industry opportunities
The overview: Inspired perhaps by its influential and prodigious namesake, Aalto University’s School of Arts, Design and Architecture (the university was previously known as University of Art and Design Helsinki) encourages its Collaborative and Industrial Design students to experiment with new ideas and techniques. Beyond a grounding in concept design, co-design, service design, strategic design and design research, the school provides the student body – which is both international and multicultural – with access to top-of-the-line facilities for testing, modelling and prototyping. At the start of his or her studies, each student works with faculty to develop a personal study plan that will guide a path through the degree.