International Business, Bachelor of Science and Master of Science (Economics and Business Administration)

3 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Aalto University

Program Overview

The Bachelor's Programme in International Business at Aalto University is a dynamic three-year (180 ECTS) degree that equips you with in-depth business knowledge, project management skills, leadership, and strong international competencies through agile, intensive courses—both compact three-week blocks and deeper six-week dives—preparing you to thrive in global markets. It's perfect for ambitious students passionate about international careers, offering a single major in International Business with electives to specialize in areas like accounting, economics, finance, management, or marketing, plus an automatic right to continue into a two-year Master's at Aalto School of Business for a seamless five-year path.

Curriculum structure
Year 1 lays a solid foundation in core business essentials, immersing you in the basics through courses like Principles of Accounting, Principles of Marketing, and Principles of Economics, alongside Introduction to Data Analytics and Orientation to University Studies to build your analytical and academic toolkit right away. You'll quickly adapt to the program's fast-paced, multicultural environment at the Mikkeli Campus (transitioning to Otaniemi), fostering teamwork and real-world project skills in a tight-knit community. By year's end, with additions like Nordic Sustainability and Business Ethics, you'll grasp ethical decision-making and sustainability in a global context.

Year 2 dives deeper into strategic and people-focused topics, building on your fundamentals with courses such as Introduction to Strategic Management, People Management, and Fundamentals of Corporate Finance, while exploring Global Business Environment and Geopolitics to understand international dynamics. This phase sharpens your ability to analyze grand challenges like sustainability and ethical issues, with electives introducing specialized tracks like International Marketing or International People Management, all while honing communication and data skills for leadership roles.

Year 3 culminates in advanced application and capstone experiences, featuring standout courses like Introduction to International Strategy, Diversity in International Management, and the hands-on Capstone: International Business Project (10 ECTS), plus your Bachelor’s Thesis and Seminar (10 ECTS) to showcase critical thinking on real international business problems. You'll also integrate founder-focused modules such as Founder Principles and Go to Market for Founders, often during an exchange semester at one of 50+ partner universities, preparing you to formulate strategies, business models, and alliances with cultural flexibility.

Focus areas
The program centers on International Business as the major (56 ECTS), with flexible electives in accounting, economics, finance, information systems, management, marketing, plus unique opportunities in design, entrepreneurship via Aalto Founders' School, and tracks like International Marketing, International People Management, or International Business of Design & Technology.

Learning outcomes
Graduates demonstrate core business and economics knowledge, apply theories to international problems, analyze global challenges like sustainability, and formulate strategies including business models and foreign entry modes; they also excel in ethics, teamwork, communication, data analysis, and intercultural leadership.

Professional alignment (accreditation)
The program holds EFMD accreditation, ensuring high international standards, and aligns with Finland's Government Decree on University Degrees, producing professionals ready for global roles in multinational companies, startups, NGOs, or international organizations.

Reputation (employability rankings)
Aalto University School of Business is a top-ranked hub (over 70 applications from diverse countries annually, 40% international students), renowned for producing employable graduates with vast career options worldwide; it's a startup powerhouse with partnerships like University of South Carolina, and automatic Master's access boosts your edge in competitive fields.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

At Aalto University's Bachelor's and Master's Programme in International Business (Economics and Business Administration), you'll dive straight into hands-on learning that builds real-world skills from day one. The fast-paced curriculum uses compact three-week modules—even in summer—to deliver agile project management training, business simulations, and company projects that sharpen your ability to analyze global challenges, lead multicultural teams, and communicate ideas effectively. You'll collaborate with international classmates and faculty on everything from data visualization for decision-making to ethical strategy development, all while guest lecturers from top firms bring live industry insights right into the classroom.

This practical focus extends to specific tools, projects, and opportunities tailored to the program:
- Group projects and teamwork: Frequent multicultural team projects, presentations, and business simulations to build project management from initiation to execution, plus real company projects in various courses.
- Field trips: Dedicated field trips to local and international companies, giving you direct exposure to global business challenges.
- Internships and trainee programs: Access to trainee programs like Inspired (with summer jobs across Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Estonia in finance, marketing, supply chain, and more), plus part-time work and rotations abroad for immediate working-life impact.
- Data and digital tools: Training to compile, analyze, and visualize data for decision-making, including agile tools for managing quality, risks, time, cost, scope, and benefits in digital transformation projects.
- Intensive, agile learning environment: Three-week modules with hands-on application of business theories to international cases, fostering an entrepreneurial mindset and cultural competences.

Progression & Future Opportunities

In the International Business Bachelor's and Master's programme at Aalto University School of Business, you'll dive straight into hands-on learning that builds real-world skills from day one. Through compact three-week modules and deeper six-week courses using agile methods, you'll tackle business simulations, research projects, and frequent presentations that sharpen your project management, teamwork, and communication—especially in multicultural teams. You'll work closely with companies via guest lecturers, field trips, and live projects, gaining the cultural flexibility and problem-solving edge needed to lead in global business, all while developing an entrepreneurial mindset and data analysis skills on the vibrant Otaniemi campus.

Here are some standout ways you'll gain practical experience tailored to this programme:
- Field trips and company projects: Collaborate on real challenges with local and international firms, applying business strategies in live scenarios.
- Group projects and multicultural teamwork: Build inclusion and leadership through daily group work, business simulations, and presentations in diverse teams from over 70 countries.
- Agile project management training: Learn to handle complex projects in digital transformation, covering quality, risks, time, cost, scope, and benefits.
- Data analysis and visualization tools: Compile, analyze, and visualize data for decision-making, with intensive modules building scientific thinking and problem-solving.
- Internships and career prep: Automatic right to continue to Master's at Otaniemi, plus access to Aalto JobTeaser for part-time roles, student hires, and global opportunities via 40+ partner universities.
- Campus facilities for business learning: Leverage the Otaniemi ecosystem with UniSport for wellness, student-led clubs via KY association, and proximity to start-ups and multinational HQs for immersive exposure.