The University of Lapland’s Faculty of Art and Design received 963 applications for its Service Design Strategies and Innovations (SDSI) master’s program in the application period that ended at the end of February. Applicants came from all over the world, reflecting the program’s growing reputation and appeal as an international study destination.

“What a huge number of applicants! In previous years, there have been 600–700 applicants for the program, but the number of applicants has increased by more than 200 since last year. There are a maximum of 35 study places available, says Satu Miettinen, Dean of the Faculty of Art and Design and Professor in charge of the SDSI program.

SDSI is a two-year international master’s program funded by the European Union’s Erasmus Mundus program, in which students delve into the themes of service design and creative leadership. The studies combine academic learning with practical service design carried out in collaboration with companies. Students acquire the knowledge and skills needed to identify needs and problems and find solutions to them.

The Faculty of Art and Design runs the SDSI master’s program in collaboration with the Art Academy of Latvia and the Estonian Academy of Arts. During the program, the students study at each partner institution and learn in multicultural and practical environments.