Innovation through Business, Engineering and Design - Specialisation Business, Master Programme

The statement of purpose is one of the most important parts of your application – it is your opportunity to "sell yourself". We will consider carefully the answers to the following questions. Please write your answer below each question. The completed document must not exceed three pages in total. There is no word limit.

Please provide your full name and application number for identification

(if application number is unknown, please provide date of birth instead):

Name:
Application number:
Name of University at which you have studied for your BSc/BA degree:
In which country have you studied for your undergraduate degree:

Question 1.

Why are you applying for the Master in Innovation? Why do you believe you would benefit from it? What do you expect you could contribute to the programme?

Question 2.

What are your career ambitions immediately after graduating from the programme? Describe how you plan to achieve these goals. How do you see your career developing over the next five years?

Question 3.

Please list the courses you have taken and that you consider to be particularly relevant preparation for the programme (max four courses), including your grade point average across those courses.

Question 4.

Any other matters you wish to draw to our attention, for example, work experience or extracurricular activities of particular relevance for the programme?

Please attach a one page CV/resume to your statement of purpose (not counted for the page-limit of the statement of purpose).

Please attach the statement of purpose + CV/resume to your application at universityadmissions.se.

It was during her maternity leave that she found out about the master’s programme Innovation through Business, Engineering and Design, and decided to go for it.

“I chose to study the programme because I found it refreshing in comparison to what was offered in other places. I have always liked to collaborate and work with people from different disciplines. I was also compelled by the focus on sustainability and the opportunity to explore and learn about design from a Scandinavian perspective”, Juliana says.

As a PhD student, Juliana works in the intersections between Design, Sustainability and Life at Home. Her research is practice-oriented and conducted in collaboration with householders, mostly women living in Sweden and Colombia. The aim is to create space for continuous dialogue, a space to think about possibilities and actions relating to the climate crisis.

“I am interested in exploring alternative ways to understand the concept of home and sustainable living through relational cosmologies and practices. For example, I am exploring the cosmology of Buen Vivir (Living Well) from the Andean territory in Abya Yala, South America, based on relationality and reciprocity as principles to live in harmony with our planet”, Juliana explains. 

Juliana also takes PhD courses and participates in several research seminars and activities. Furthermore, she works as a design lecturer on the programme Design + Change, at Linnaeus University. 

“I enjoy teaching and facilitating meetings and interactions between people, and between people and nature”, Juliana continues.

During her studies she was introduced to the concept of meta-design as a framework that inspires and supports design for change and collaboration. Something she wants to continue using in the future.

“When I finish my PhD in 2024, I hope I can continue working at the department of design, both with research and as a design lecturer. I would like to combine this with leading research projects in collaboration with communities and organisations”, Juliana concludes.

In my class, there were students from Italy, Colombia, China and Iran – and from Sweden, of course. To have fellow students with different cultural and professional backgrounds was a great experience. In particular, I liked the group projects where we worked together with the students from the design and business specialisations of the programme. As a matter of fact, the interdisciplinary approach on the innovation master was one of the main reasons why I chose to study that programme.

The programme involved hands-on projects and enabled us to complete the theoretical part of our studies by applying the theory on real working-life situations. Through contacts with partners and contributors from the private sector, we had the opportunity to build our own networks during our studies. Also, when working in projects with companies we really felt more like colleagues than students.

Now, I am working at IKEA of Sweden as a laws & standards specialist. When I'm working with product requirement, safety, and compliance, I can really make use of the technical competencies that I gained through my studies at Linnaeus University. At IKEA of Sweden, we have a diverse working environment where all diversities melt and merge in a common IKEA culture of shared values.
Sweden truly is a great country to study in, both what goes for the education itself and the social aspect. The master programme was the perfect preparation for my working life.

/Tayfun, former student on the master programme innovation through business, engineering and design – specialisation engineerin

In simple words, the aim is to tie together a number of disciplines to create a better life at home for the many people. It deals partly with what fundamental needs we have and what furniture we need, but also with how production can be made as cheap and environmentally friendly as possible.

As a result of The Bridge, Linnaeus University has been able to establish an IKEA professorship, unique to the world. The research environment revolving around the subject area Life at Home is developed in collaboration with doctoral students. It is this research environment that makes it possible for Linnaeus University to establish the interdisciplinary master programme.

The master programme has an interdisciplinary perspective, combining engineering, business, and design. The programme enables students to learn from each other's knowledge and improves their ability to work with different projects and product development. The master programme is offered in close collaboration with a number of companies, IKEA being one of them.

Read more about The Bridge