Admissions

MA programme admission information

Click here to begin the application process via DreamApply (for international students). Estonian applicants and applicants who have Estonian ID-card can begin their application process via SAIS

The admission deadline for international applicants is March 6, 2023.

Admission assignment will take place on March 16–26, 2023 via e-mail.

Admission interview will be held on March 16–26, 2023 via Zoom.

WHO CAN APPLY?

The interaction design program is open to anyone who is passionate about design. No previous professional experience or degree in design is necessary — we value diversity and our students come from very different places and backgrounds.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Application (submitted through Dream Apply/SAIS between 01.02–06.03.2023)
60€ application fee (paid via bank transfer)
Copy of your Bachelor’s degree certificate or equivalent and its translation into Estonian or English (both, copies and translations have to be attested by notary).
Copy of your Transcript of Records (and translation into Estonian or English; both copy and translation must be attested by notary).
Certificate of foreign language skills, see the requirements HERE
Copy of the data page of your passport or ID-card
Tuition fee: 2900 Euros per year (for citizens of EU, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein; Turkey, Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova and Switzerland), 3900 Euros per year (for citizens of non-EU countries)

CV
Motivational letter as a short essay (max 4600 letters including spaces) elaborating on the following themes:
- How did you find your way to design?
- How do you see the present and the future of interaction design, and how do you see your role in this.
- What do you hope to learn during the Master’s Program?
- What would you like to do after the completion of your studies?

Display of Previous Experiences (PDF or web portfolio, max 20MB)
- Your display of previous experience should contain a few samples of work, showing your past and present experience, interests and professional capabilities. Design projects, development projects, art and hobby pieces, articles, abstracts of scientific papers, short descriptions of business or volunteering projects, etc. can be included. Basically, we want to see what you’ve been doing in your previous life, how you create, think and solve problems.
- Each sample should be illustrated and shortly described. In case of team efforts, your contribution should be clearly stated.
- The document should be presented in PDF-format (up to 20MB) or as a web portfolio. Feel free to use any file download service (WeTransfer, Dropbox, etc). If you add web links (pointing to web projects, articles, etc.) please make sure the links actually work.
- Please add your display of previous experience to your online application

ASSESSING CRITERIA

The display of previous experience (portfolio) will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

Relevance of applicant’s experience towards the content of the MA course (30%)
The extent and quality of the applicant’s experience (30%)
Presentation skills (40%)

Evaluating the essay the following criteria will be taken into account:

Relevance of applicant’s thoughts and motivations towards the content of the MA course (50%)
Applicant’s knowhow of the design field (30%)
Skills of written analysis and argumentation, written English language (20%)

ADMISSION ASSIGNMENT

Based on the applicant’s motivational letter and the required set of documents the eligible candidates will proceed with the admission assignment. They will be given instructions to start the assignment via e-mail during the previously announced exam dates (2 days). Once candidates start the assignment, they will receive a brief (problem description) and have to complete the task in two hours. Solution to the problem may be presented in the form of a text and/or images. In the case of images, an explanatory text must be added. Applicants who complete the assignment successfully will be invited to the interview.

Evaluating the assignment the following criteria will be taken into account:

Relevance of the solution towards the content of the MA course (40%)
Novelty and innovativeness of the solution (30%)
Presentation skills (30%)

INTERVIEW

The exam board will ask additional questions of the applicant based on the presented documents, the motivation letter and the admission assignment. The questions may also refer to the candidate’s work experience, etc. Applicant’s motivation and knowledge of the general matters of interaction design will be tested. The interview will be conducted in real time via Internet (Zoom). The exact interview time for each applicant will be announced to him/her via e-mail.

Evaluating the interview the following criteria will be taken into account:

Relevance of applicant’s thoughts towards the content of the MA course (50%)
Knowledge of the Interaction Design field (25%)
Oral presentation and communication skills (25%)

Do I need to be a designer to apply?

No, it’s quite the opposite! We at IxD.ma value interdisciplinary diversity and specifically admit people with various backgrounds to assemble an unique team each year. Project managers, computer scientists, product and fashion designers, marketers, teachers, researchers — these are just a few examples of people we have had the honour of working with so far. Peer to peer teaching is an important part of the studies in IxD.ma, each member complements the team with their unique background, skills, and a point of view. The one common denominator we do look for, is passion for design.

What is a “Display of previous experiences?”

While your CV tells us where and who you have been, the collection of works should show us what you have been doing there. It can be a portfolio, a short list of projects, essays, software… Basically, we want to see what you’ve been up to so far in your professional life, what kind of problems you’ve been tackling, and how you have gone about to solve them.

Are there any scholarships available?

Yes, but there are only a few options available:

For Estonian citizens and residents, EKA provides numerous smaller stipends based on performance, needs and other criteria.
Many of our students are financing their studies with scholarships given by institutions in their home countries.

Can I see the students' work somewhere?

Yes, you can! Check out and follow our page on Medium.

Will I get a job after graduation?

You’ll probably get one before graduation. A well-paying one that allows you to pursue your passion. In addition to the mastery and experience gained during studies, we’ll put great emphasis on building up your strong, globally competitive portfolio. Fun fact: most of our team members have changed their jobs and taken higher positions during their studies.

Should I apply?

Absolutely! Do it now, there’s only so much time left!