Bachelor's and master's studies in Estonian

The required level of Estonian language proficiency is proved by:

• a certificate of Estonian language proficiency at level B2 or C1;
• the result of the state exam in Estonian as a second language at least at level B2;
• basic education, secondary education, vocational education or higher education completed in Estonian;
• the final exam results in the Estonian language of an International Baccalaureate diploma curriculum (IB) or the European Baccalaureate curriculum of the European School (EB).

Applicants who have completed an intensive language course in Estonian at the university in the 2022/2023 academic year must, for an Estonian-taught curriculum, certify their Estonian language proficiency at least at level B1. The required level of Estonian language proficiency is proved by a certificate of Estonian language proficiency at level B1 or the university’s test of Estonian as the language of instruction.

If you speak Estonian as your mother tongue, it is not necessary to prove your proficiency in Estonian with a certificate (except when applying for the programmes of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy or Special Education and Speech Therapy). In the absence of a certificate, the University will invite accepted candidates to the Estonian language test at the end of August.

You can find learning study materials for learning Estonian Education and Youth Board webpage.

NB! Due to the changes in the language requirements of the University of Tartu's admission conditions, we will not open the Estonian Preparation Year Program starting from the academic year 2023/24.

Level of B2 in Estonian language is not required from international applicants when applying for the following programmes at Narva College:

• Information Technology Systems Development
• Languages and Multilingualism in School
• Youth Work

International applicants who do not have at least B2 level Estonian language skills at the time of applying need to complete Intensive Estonian Language Courses (60 ECTS) if admitted to the above-mentioned degree programme. 

In this case, Russian Language proficiency at the level of B2 must be proved upon applying.

The following tests with scores outlined are accepted (NB! Submit the score report by the application deadline):

1. Test of Russian as a Foreign Language (TORFL) - minimum required result is B2 level;
2. The European Language Certificate (TELC) in Russian - B2 level;
3. Estonian state exam in Russian (exams taken in 1997-2013) - 66 points or higher;
4. Russian language test taken at the Narva College of the University of Tartu - B2 level.

Russian language requirement may be waived if an applicant:

• has completed secondary or higher education (degree programme) in Russian.

We will examine the transcript of records of an applicant who belongs to any of the specified exempt categories.

In order to apply you have to

1) submit an online application via DreamApply (and upload there scans of all the required documents)

and

2) post hard copies of the required documents to 

Student Admissions
University of Tartu
Ülikooli 18-133
Tartu 50090
ESTONIA

The deadline for the online application is 1 June. The hard copies must be posted on 1 June latest.

NB! The university will not process incomplete applications, so applicants should make sure all of the required documents reach the University via DreamApply and via regular mail on time.

List of documents to be submitted

• online application (printed and signed, when mailing by post);
• copy of the passport page stating your personal particulars;
• official certified copy of the secondary school certificate and grade list (or equivalent international qualification certificate) in the original language;
• official certified translations of the secondary school certificate and grade list (or equivalent international qualification certificate) into English;
• proof of Estonian language proficiency at minimum B2 level;
• proof of Russian language proficiency at minimum B2 level, in case you do not have Estonian skills at B2 level and you are applying for the programme Information Technology Systems Development, Languages and Multilingualism in School or Youth Work
• confirmation/receipt of application fee payment (if applicable)

Guide to submitting electonic application on DreamApply.

Applicants graduating in the upcoming summer and having their diplomas issued later than the application deadline (in July, for example) must send their most recent grade list (transcript) by the application deadline along with the rest of the required documents. Admitted candidates are required to post certified copies of their graduation documents as soon as these have been issued (no later than by the end of July).

In order to apply you have to

1) submit an online application via DreamApply (and upload there scans of all the required documents)

and

2) post hard copies of the required documents to 

Student Admissions
University of Tartu
Ülikooli 18-133
Tartu 50090
ESTONIA

The deadline for the online application is 1 June. The hard copies must be posted on 1 June latest.

NB! The university will not process incomplete applications, so applicants should make sure all of the required documents reach the University via DreamApply and via regular mail on time.

List of documents to be submitted

• online application (printed and signed, when mailing by post);
• copy of the passport page stating your personal particulars;
• official certified copy of the bachelor's diploma or its equivalent and diploma supplement (transcript) in the original language (must include description of the grading scale);
• official certified translation of the bachelor's diploma and diploma supplement (transcript) into English, translation certified;
• proof of Estonian language proficiency at minimum B2 level
• confirmation/receipt of application fee payment (if applicable)

Guide to submitting electonic application on DreamApply.

Applicants graduating in the upcoming summer and having their diplomas issued later than the application deadline (in July, for example) must submit their most recent official transcript of records by the application deadline along with the rest of the required documents. Admitted candidates are required to post certified copies of their graduation documents as soon as these have been issued (no later than by the end of July).

Students accepted to the university cannot postpone the beginning of their studies to the next academic year. Please also keep in mind that students who have already been matriculated at the University of Tartu (and later request for exmatriculation from the university), but would like to be readmitted to the same programme within the following two years, cannot study free of charge.

All students without EU/EEA or Swiss citizenship and not holding visa of another EU member state, need a visa or temporary residence permit (TRP) in order to study in Estonia. For entering Estonia, students need to apply for a long term visa (D type visa) in an Estonian embassy abroad in person and once they are in Estonia, TRP application process can be started, if applicable. Please see further information regarding visa and temporary residence permit. 

The university reserves the right to withdraw or amend any offer or revoke the matriculation of a student, if it becomes evident that the application contains fraudulent information, the qualification does not provide access to the chosen study programme or the student is found to have omitted key information from the application. Should such circumstances occur, the university will not be liable for any material or immaterial loss which the student may suffer as a result.