Summer School alum story: Pursuing digital business excellence in a diverse learning environment
Summer school’s Digital Business course concludes, enriching participants with digital business skills and cultural experiences.
Digital Business Master Class (nominated exchange students)
Join a challenge-based course with a focus on digital technologies as tools for building businesses. During the intensive course, students work in international teams to plan digital solutions for real business cases from partnering companies.
This cohort is only for nominated exchange students from Aalto University School of Business.
The course introduces students to different aspects of digital business with a strong focus on digital transformation. Throughout the course, the students will gain a deep understanding of key concepts related to platform business models, data-intensive business and digital marketing.
Students will learn how to design new products with a user-centric approach, incorporating ethical responsibilities into practice. The course also equips students with critical leadership skills necessary for thriving in the digital age.
In addition to classroom learning, students gain hands-on experience by working on a project in collaboration with one of the partner companies.
The course is conducted in a dynamic international environment, featuring on-site interactions at Aalto University, as well as individual work in virtual environments. To support the collaborative atmosphere, students are introduced to working in multicultural teams and essential project management techniques.
The course includes three phases: self-paced pre-work and post-work and two intensive weeks of lectures and project work in teams.
2–22 June 2025: Pre-work (online)
- Self-paced course orientation
- Introduction video
- Individual research for the team project
30 June – 11 July 2025: Intensive weeks (on-site at Aalto)
- Daily lectures (Monday-Friday, 9:00-12:00 Helsinki Time)
- Company meetings, project pitching
- Teamwork on a company project and final presentations
Commitment to full-time studies during the intensive weeks is required!
12–18 July 2025: Finishing project work and course reflection (online)
- Finishing touches on the project work
- Individual reflection assignments on key takeaways, teamwork and course experience
Pre-work
- Introduction video (5%, individual)
- Company and industry research – slide deck as a deliverable (15%, individual)
Intensive weeks
- In-class activity (10%, individual)
- Project pitch (10%, group)
- Final presentation (20%, group)
Post-course
- Project report – slide deck as a deliverable (30%, group)
- Reflection video (10%, individual)
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Analyze how digital technologies transform markets and industries through innovation and disruption
- Solve business challenges using user-centered design methods and collaborative approaches
- Assess the ethical, social, and organizational implications of emerging technologies.
- Justify data-driven approaches and tools to support business and strategic decisions.
- Demonstrate the skills necessary for effective collaboration and leadership in technology-driven organizations
- Work effectively across diverse cultural and professional backgrounds to deliver innovative solutions.
The total course workload of 160h (6 ECTS) is divided as follows:
- 10h Pre-work exercise
- 40h Contact hours
- 40h Class preparation
- 60h Project work
- 10h Post-work
The course is graded on a scale of 0-5, where
0 = fail, 1 = poor, 2 = satisfactory, 3 = good, 4 = very good, 5 = excellent
This cohort is only for nominated exchange students from Aalto University School of Business.
If you are a student at Aalto University School of Business partner institution, contact your home university's international office for application information.
- The minimum requirement for applying to the Digital Business Master Class is a finished bachelor's degree or the equivalent of 180 ECTS completed in the undergraduate degree.
- The Digital Business Master Class is a master's level business course, and students should have at least a basic understanding of business to keep up with the pace of the course.
Tuition fee
For nominated exchange students from a partner institution of Aalto University School of Business, tuition fees do not apply.
Programme fee
The programme fee for all participants is 250€ (including VAT 25.5%).
The programme fee includes:
- Excursions
- Welcome event
- Farewell dinner
The programme fee does not include:
- Living costs such as accommodation or lunch and other daily meals
- Transportation to or within Finland
- Travel insurance
Business projects in international teams
Working on a real-life business project with a multinational team offers an unbeatable learning experience. Students are invited to apply their knowledge to challenges provided by Finnish companies and organisations. Working together with a company partner provides meaningful connections with the industry and takes new topics from the classroom to the boardroom.
In addition to working on their digital business skills, participants get valuable experience of multidisciplinary teamwork and build their international communication skills. Whether taking the course online or on-campus, students meet people from different academic and cultural backgrounds, preparing them for international careers. The project work is facilitated by DBMC staff, with tips ranging from presentation skills to successful online teamwork.
Summer at Digital Business Master Class
Participating in the Digital Business Master Class in the summer gives students an excellent opportunity to enjoy Finland at its best. Visitors can enjoy the surrounding nature in full bloom, take advantage of the countless hours of daylight and experience the vibrant Helsinki city life. Digital Business Master Class organises cultural excursions as a part of the program, and participants are encouraged to take full advantage of the Aalto University Summer School social program as well.
DBMC alumnus from 2019, Tyler Spring, shares his tips for making the most of your time at the Master Class: "Make sure you take the time to explore all of the great things that Helsinki has to offer – especially the restaurants and nightlife. The program provides ample time on the weekend to explore outside of Helsinki, and I’d highly recommend taking the short ferry to Tallinn."
Digital Business Master Class alumnus Kevin Campbell: ‘The perfect bridge between my MBA and my career’
One of the graduates of Digital Business Master Class Spring 2021 is Kevin Campbell