Innovation through Business, Engineering and Design - specialisation Engineering, Master Programme
120 creditsAre you an engineer or technician who is keen to develop tomorrow's products or create innovations for sustainable development? Do you want to learn how to apply your knowledge in a broader context?
On this master's programme, you will enhance your ability to lead and create innovations. This is achieved in a unique study environment where you meet students and teachers from the fields of engineering, business, and design. The interaction between these subjects lays the foundation for modern innovation work and simultaneously creates a dynamic and enjoyable learning experience.
As an engineer or technician, you will develop your technical skills in various projects where your unique expertise can make a difference. You will collaborate with students from the different specialisations on the programme, and together you will be challenged with both advanced product development and broader systemic issues.
The programme boasts a vast network of local and global companies and organisations that challenge us annually with their specific issues. We are particularly proud of our collaboration with IKEA and Södra through the strategic partnership "The Bridge". The cooperation is based on the UN's global goals with focus on sustainability, innovation, and the optimal management of local natural resources and human resources.
Career
The programme prepares you for project and innovation management, process and product development, business development and entrepreneurship. You will gain in-depth knowledge in engineering while also interacting with the disciplines of design and business management. After completing your studies, you will be able to create sustainable solutions that consider functionality, form, and resource efficiency. Examples of roles that our alumni work in include innovation managers, product developers, and engineers.
Degree
Master of Science (120 credits) with specialisation in Innovation through Business, Engineering and Design
Main field of study: Mechanical Engineering or Forest and Wood Technology
Programme Coordinator
Contacts
Programme of three disciplines
The programme is offered in three different diciplines - business, engineering and design. Information on the business discipline. Information on the design discipline.
International opportunities
The language of tuition is English. In this way, you will become prepared not only for a career in Sweden, but also for a career in international contexts. The programme admits students from all over the world, which means that you will get international and multicultural experience throughout the programme. Further opportunity for internationalisation is provided through the opportunity to study a semester abroad at one of our partner universities around the world.
Application
Statement of purpose
The statement of purpose is one of the most important parts of your application – it is your opportunity to "sell yourself ". We will carefully consider the answers of the following questions. Please write your answer's in a document, then upload the document at the admission webpage. (universityadmission.se or antagning.se)
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 Programme Innovation through Business, Engineering and Design – specialization engineering? Why do you believe you would benefit from joining the programme? What do you expect you could contribute with?
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 coming years?
Question 3.
Describe your experiences concerning interdisciplinary development work/process.
How do you think you could contribute to this program with regards to this aspect?
Please attach a one page CV/resume to your statement of purpose. The completed document must not exceed three pages in total. There is no word limit.
Please attach the statement of purpose to your application at universityadmission.se
The IKEA and Södra Scholarship
Through The Bridge, IKEA, Södra and Linnaeus University offers a student scholarship that covers all of the tuition fees and living costs. Read more about scholarships here.
Collaboration is necessary to solve society's challenges
The sustainability focus on the programme was appealing to Juliana
For Juliana, the road to Linnaeus University went from Colombia via London, where she met a Swedish guy. Then love took her to Växjö. Today, she is a PhD student and is passionate about teaching and having time to work with her research on design and sustainability and how we can live in harmony with our planet.
Read the full interview
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.
"A master programme where engineering students study together with business and design students is quite revolutionising"
Read the full interview
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
More information about the programme
IKEA's and Linnaeus University's collaboration programme The Bridge is a multidisciplinary education and research collaboration dealing with life at home and conditions of production
Read more about The Bridge
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.
Collaboration partners
Frequently asked questions
What are the latest innovation trends in the technology field?
Trends, of course, change over time, but some current innovation trends are digitalisation and the use of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. Another trend in this field is sustainability innovations to reduce environmental impact and promote a circular economy.
Which industries or sectors offer career opportunities for those with a degree in innovation?
Innovation is an interdisciplinary field applicable across various industries and sectors. Some industries where innovation is particularly in demand are:
- Technology and IT
- Healthcare and Medicine
- Energy and Environment
- Finance and Insurance
- Manufacturing and Industry
How is innovation an integral part of product development?
Innovation is a fundamental part of the product development process for several reasons. It creates added value as innovation allows for the enhancement of an idea, adding more value to users. This could mean new features, improved performance, or an enhanced user experience. Innovation also increases competitiveness, profitability, and promotes growth.
Växjö – the student city with a living campus
Just south of Växjö’s city centre you will find Linnaeus University’s campus. In Växjö, many students choose to live on campus.
Here you will have five minutes’ walking distance to friends, restaurants, lecture rooms, gym, grocery store, the University Library, nature trails, and student pubs. If you live in another part of Växjö, you can quickly get to the university by bus or bicycle.
With its 90 000 inhabitants, Växjö is one of the fastest growing cities in Sweden. Here you will find the famous Småland entrepreneurship spirit and a lot of companies, for instance within the IT industry – perfect for when you are looking for an internship position or a job. Växjö is also a picturesque city where you are always close to forests and water.