Bachelor's and master's studies in Estonian
On this page you can find information about admission to Estonian-taught programmes at the University of Tartu.
In 2023 we offer admission to 102 Estonian-taught programmes: 53 first level programmes and 49 master´s level programmes.
NB! Citizens of the Russian Federation who, under the legislation of the Republic of Estonia, cannot apply for a long-stay visa or residence permit to study or do not have a valid legal basis to stay in the Republic of Estonia until the end of the curriculum’s standard period of study are not eligible to apply to the University of Tartu in the 2023/2024 academic year.
According to the current legislation, citizens of Belarus can apply for Estonian long-term visa or temporary residence permit for studies and are therefore eligible to apply to the University of Tartu.
General requirements
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To be eligible, applicants must have obtained the qualification of the previous study level or be about to graduate in the application year´s spring/summer. For bachelor's programmes the previous required study level is higher secondary education or equivalent and for master's programmes it´s bachelor´s degree or equivalent. For further information please see our country-specific document requirements.
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At least B2 level proficiency in Estonian language
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Each programme also has its additional programme-specific admission requirements. For these please consult the admission webpage of the programme of your interest (available only in Estonian).
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In order to have the application processed, international applicants are required to pay a non-refundable application fee of EUR 100.
Estonian language requirement
In order to start studies in Estonian, students are required to be sufficiently fluent in Estonian. Proficiency in Estonian must correspond to at least level B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
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. The language courses at Narva College are offered on the basis of Russian. Students who would start to learn Estonian on the basis of Russian have to meet the Russian Language Requirements upon applying.
The following tests with scores outlined are accepted (NB! Submit the score report by the application deadline):
- Test of Russian as a Foreign Language (TORFL) - minimum required result is B2 level;
- The European Language Certificate (TELC) in Russian - B2 level;
- Estonian state exam in Russian (exams taken in 1997-2013) - 66 points or higher;
- 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.
Entrance exams
Admission to some bachelor programmes and many master programmes instructed in Estonian is based on an entrance examination which takes place in the Estonian language, generally in Tartu or online in the beginning of July. Obtaining a visa for taking entrance exams in Estonia is the responsibility of the (non-EU) applicant. The University does not issue an invitation letter for a visa for taking part of entrance exams. For further information on entrance examinations, please carefully read through the chosen programme's admissions website (in Estonian). Only applicants who meet the general requirements and submit their complete application timely, will be invited to take the entrance examination.
Submitting an application
Applications can be submitted
- 1 May - 1 June for bachelor's programmes
- 1 February - 1 June for master's programmes
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 (if applicable)
- 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).
Announcement of admission results
The University's Admissions Committee will announce admission results by 11 July. Admission notifications will be sent through the DreamApply system. All admitted students must inform the university of their decision to accept or decline the offer within 2 days.
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.
After admission
Upon arrival to the university (within one week), all international degree-seeking students must present their original qualialification certificates (education documents) to the UT Admissions Office.
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.
