Master’s Degree in Service Innovation and Design

Programme info

• Degree programme: Service Innovation and Design
• Degree title: Master of Business Administration
• Duration of studies: 90 ECTS, 1,5-2,5 years

How can service innovation be stimulated, implemented, and sustained? In this Service Innovation and Design (SID) programme, you will acquire multidisciplinary knowledge of service innovation and design through advanced studies of different service theories and their implications for service innovation and design practice. The SID programme combines service business and service design competencies and brings you to the forefront of recent developments in the field.

Programme content

Service business requires distinctive approaches to strategy, innovation, and design. The compulsory core competence studies focus on service logic-driven innovation and design competencies. The elective complementary competence studies enable you to pursue your specific interests in extending business and leadership competencies, advancing service design competencies, or developing other competencies that are relevant to your learning goals. The aim of the master’s thesis is to develop your ability to carry out a demanding research and development project independently and report it according to academic standards.

The scope of this programme is 90 ECTS. It consists of compulsory core competence, complementary competence and a master’s thesis.

Core competence 30 ECTS

You will learn to critically evaluate and purposefully, creatively, and profitably develop the strategies, revenue models and concepts for a service business. You will learn to understand service value, create a vision, develop it, and put it into action. You will learn how to align the sometimes superficially different interests of service providers, customers and other stakeholders to create the best value for all parties. The aim of the core competence studies is to gain proficiency in critical evaluation and to apply the systematic and innovative development of service businesses.

Studies consist of six study units:

1. Design Thinking 5 ECTS You will learn the principles of design thinking, apply design thinking approach, and basic tools in innovation processes. You will also develop the skills required in creative thinking.
2. Service Logic-Based Strategic Management 5 ECTS You will learn to explain the strategic shift to service-based business logic and its impact on corporate level, analyze a company’s strategy and strategic choices, and master the key concepts, principles and methods of strategic management.
3. Deep Customer Insights Through Ethnographic Research 5 ECTS You will learn to use the ethnographic approach in service development, apply qualitative research methods, and discover unarticulated customer/user needs. You will also learn to analyze customer/user experiences across all the touchpoints of an organization.
4. Service Design Process and Methods 5 ECTS You will be able to understand the principles of service design and the use of service design processes and methods.
5. Futures Thinking and Foresight Methodologies 5 ECTS You will learn to understand the principles of futures thinking, and use foresight methods and practices in service innovation.
6. Business design 5 ECTS You will learn to develop service logic into a business model, and develop and model innovative service systems, concepts and processes.

Com­ple­men­tary competence, 30 ECTS

You can choose complementary competence study units according to your own needs and interests. If you have not previously acquired business competence, you may choose study units such as Management Accounting and Control in Services or Service Marketing and Selling. You can deepen your service design competence by choosing study units such as Tools for Visual Communication or Virtual Facilitation Skills for Service development. In addition to Laurea’s study offering, you can take master-level courses from other universities. You can also make so-called project studies in research and development projects or related to your work.

Master’s thesis 30 ECTS

The aim of the master’s thesis is to develop your ability to carry out a demanding research and development project independently. You will deepen your ability to apply selected theories and concepts in practice, as well as your analytical skills, your project management and R&D competence, and your social skills. A master’s thesis will be done for a real client, for your employer for instance. A master’s thesis report will be a public document that can be a part of your service design portfolio. 

Studying in the Service Innovation and Design Programme

Service Innovation and Design programme is an interdisciplinary master’s programme that is implemented as a blended learning studies. The language of teaching is English. The degree takes for part-time students on average 1.5-2.5 years to complete.

Studies in this programme can include daytime teaching, evening teaching and weekend teaching. In core competence studies, teaching is mainly carried out as contact teaching, but parts of the studies may also be implemented online. Face-to-face instruction days at the Laurea Leppävaara campus are arranged on a weekly or monthly basis. The face-to-face instruction days are mandatory and include brief introductions to various themes, work in small groups and group discussions. Visiting experts in the field may attend these sessions. The complementary study units are mainly carried out as distance learning (online).

This programme is suitable for students with a genuine interest in service innovation and design profession, and who are ready to share their knowledge and experience with their peers. The varying, multidisciplinary backgrounds of students form heterogeneous cohorts that are a fruitful ground for innovation and creative thinking, which is a significant strength of the programme.

Learning is linked to workplace development and students’ personal goals. Master’s degree modules include flexible possibilities for you to build up your competence, professional growth and professional degree.

Employment opportunities

A master’s degree will deepen and expand your competence and give you eligibility for roles where a postgraduate degree is required. You may become a consultant, work as a service/business developer, or start a business of your own. The Service Innovation and Design programme provides you with skills and competence for different jobs that require expertise in service design.

For more information, please contact by e-mail at education.export@laurea.fi.