Creative Sustainability as a Minor
In a nutshell
| Who can apply? | Any Master’s degree student at Aalto University can. |
| How long do I study? | You’re expected to get the required credits within 1 year. |
| How many credits does it entail? | CS offers and recommends a course selection from which students can choose relevant courses to make an individual study plan (18-24 ECTS or 24 ECTS) following the requirements of a student’s own degree programme. CS minor students can choose courses from this list. Application instruction is found also in the same page. |
| Language | The instruction language is English. |
Content and structure of the minor
The Creative Sustainability minor studies offer a possibility to study sustainability courses in international and multidisciplinary teams. Studies combine insights and courses from systems thinking, sustainable urban and building design, responsible business, sustainable product and service design, environmental impact assessment of landscape planning, and global development issues.
- Coordinating school: Aalto ARTS/ Department of Design
- Contributing schools: Aalto ARTS, Aalto BIZ, Aalto CHEM/ Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, and Aalto ENG/ Department of Built Environment
Multidisciplinary approach to sustainability
CS brings together students from different fields to study in multidisciplinary teams that increases understanding of different disciplines and enables adapting a holistic approach. This activates students to create new sustainable solutions for human, urban, industrial and business environments. The pedagogical approach is based on integrating teaching and research, problem-based learning, blended learning and strong connections to practical outcomes.
Studying and solving sustainability challenges
The most significant development challenges of sustainability are associated with the climate crisis, biodiversity loss and other ecological issues as well as global poverty, social and economic inequality, population growth and demographic changes. Global and local challenges and the complexity of future scenarios require strengthening the multidisciplinary approach and the inter-linkage of environmental, economic, and socio-cultural aspects in education. This raises the role of higher education and research as an essential element of sustainable development in society.
Learning outcomes
The Creative Sustainability minor study is offered to Master's students of all disciplines at Aalto University in order to help broaden and deepen sustainability knowledge and get acquainted with multidisciplinary approach during one’s own Master's studies.
The minor supports acquiring particularly skills that are needed in the planning and designing of sustainable solutions in the built environment, in the management of both design and business innovations as well as in those social conflicts that are inherent in the sustainability agenda. Minor in CS provides opportunities to develop and make use of one's knowledge in other areas of study. On the other hand, the minor contributes to sustainability expertise. The interdisciplinarity of the programme will enhance understanding of the work practices of sustainability experts from different fields as well skills to communicate about sustainability.
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