Guide for foreign students

The following information is here to help you explore Pärnu and get to know the college.

How to get around in Pärnu: www.visitparnu.com

The University of Tartu Pärnu College is one of the regional colleges of the University of Tartu located in Ringi Street 35 in Pärnu. The building has three sections: A and B sections accommodate offices for staff members but also a working space of Pärnu County Developing Centre, a partner institution of Pärnu College, and the library. In the C section you find the main auditoria where the lectures take place.

The standard opening hours are from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm (MonFri); please note that there may be exceptions.

Read more

You can check the timetable and find the location and timing of your courses here: tunniplaan.pcut.ee (currently only in Estonian).

First, choose the study programme Wellspa/Heaolu- ja spaateenuste disain ja juhtimine. Second, choose full-time study and your study year (1st or 2nd: Päevaõpe 1. kursus or Päevaõpe 2. kursus).

When you click on the orange button and a timetable appears, you can see the courses week by week. To see the timetable by month, you need to click on the red button.

The college café is in the hallway together with the sitting area.

In the hallway you can also find vending machines with coffee, other hot and cold beverages, and snacks. Students can have lunch, make tea or coffee or warm up their food in a separate room C135 for students, which is also used by the student union.

You may also want to discover other local places for dining in the vicinity. Do not forget to mention that you are a student of the University of Tartu Pärnu College to get a possible discount.

Read more about restaurants in Pärnu

When entering the building, you will find the timetable and auditorium number on the information screen in the hallway or in our online room plan at ruumid.pcut.ee after logging in with your UT username and password. If you need any help with finding an auditorium, please contact our administrator at the front desk or academic affairs specialist.

The Academic Affairs Specialist for full-time regular studies is Ms Helen Viik (+372 445 0537), helen.viik@ut.ee, room C117.

The university uses two official channels for sending relevant information to students – the Study Information System (SIS) and the email address established for students upon matriculation. In communication concerning studies, both lecturers and students should refrain from sharing their personal email addresses.

Students receive the username and password for logging into SIS and the learning environment Moodle by email.

If you forget your username and/or password, please contact the University of Tartu Helpdesk at arvutiabi@ut.ee.

In order to start your studies at the university, you can register for the courses in SIS. The registration deadline for the courses must not be missed. Please register for all the courses that you have to take during the semester on time using the link: ois2.ut.ee/#/dashboard

The SIS manual for course registration can be found at wiki.ut.ee/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=77401360

Moodle is a study platform the university is using to provide e-learning. Read more: https://eoppija.ut.ee/book/elearner and https://sisu.ut.ee/juhendid/moodle-instructions-students.

In general, all the courses of the study programme have an e-course in Moodle (with the same course code) that stores important information about the course, such as the syllabus, timetable, assignments, study material, literature and homework but also grades and feedback.

You can access Moodle using your UT username and password. Access here

If you have any problems using Moodle, please contact Audiovisual Learning Specialist Tomáš Pavelka (+372 5697 2933, tomas.pavelka@ut.ee) or Information Technology Specialist Ragnar Kolga (+372 445 0549, ragnar.kolga@ut.ee).

If you wish to participate in group work, organise a meeting with your fellow students or just need to reserve a room for studying, use the University of Tartu Pärnu College room plan. Enter your UT username and password at ruumid.pcut.ee

and send an email to Pärnu College Information Technology Specialist Ragnar Kolga at ragnar.kolga@ut.ee, who will give you appropriate rights. After that, you will be able to make reservations for all rooms available in the room plan.

However, the employees of Pärnu College have priority rights in making room reservations and if necessary, they may cancel your reservation. In this case, a message regarding cancellation of your reservation will be sent to your email address.

The students of Pärnu College are not allowed to book rooms for profit-making purposes or organising training courses. This is considered room rental service which can be agreed upon with our building manager.

For additional information on room reservations please contact

Ragnar Kolga, ragnar.kolga@ut.ee or Helen Viik, helen.viik@ut.ee

Our auditoria are equipped with projectors, stationary computers, active speakers, web cameras and speakerphones (Jabra 510). Students use personal laptops for their studies.

You are welcome to follow online lectures in the building using free WiFi.

In case of any internet problems, please contact Information Technology Specialist Ragnar Kolga (+372 445 0549, ragnar.kolga@ut.ee).

In Pärnu College you can print your documents by using the Print in City service. Print In City is a public print, scan and copy service. You can print from your computer or mobile device and securely retrieve your jobs from a public Print in City device. Printers are located at different points around the city, just pick one and print your documents easily. Read more

Pärnu Central Library also offers printing service (black and white or coloured photocopies; printing; scanning; lamination). It is not far from Pärnu College, the address is Akadeemia 3, 80010 Pärnu. Read more

The library stores scientific and study literature related to the specialities taught at the college. Anyone who requires specialised literature available at the library can become a user. All registered users have the right to borrow publications.

There is also a collection of master’s theses on the website available to get you an idea about the topics our students have researched. Ask for help from the librarians:

raamatukogu@pc.ut.ee
+372 445 0525
+372 514 2156

Register as a new user

You need to bring your original study documents with you to Estonia, which will be checked by a study specialist. You may find help and support during your studies at ut.ee/en/counselling-centre.

Contact person for ERASMUS exchange students at the University of Tartu Pärnu College is Mrs Ly Lumiste, Erasmus+ Mobility Coordinator (ly.lumiste@ut.ee, +372 5566 3904, room B304). 

During the first month of your studies, a trip to Tartu will be organised by the college to meet with the Study Abroad team of the university. You will be informed about the trip in advance, during the orientation week that usually takes place in the first week of the semester.

You can use a washing machine and a drier to do your laundry. This is a special service provided for the foreign students studying at Pärnu College. Please ask for a key to the laundry room from the administrator at the front desk. You need to have your own laundry detergent. You can use the machine as often as you need but please be aware the service is not available on the days when the college is officially closed.

Please kindly monitor your laundry cycle to not cause any inconveniences for other students who use the amenities.

The foreign students are welcome to go to Pärnu Hospital to get medical help in case of emergency or any health problems. You can go to the hospital emergency department that is open every day for 24 hours, and ask for consultancy, test or/and examination in case of any need or problem (please mention that you are a student at the University of Tartu Pärnu College).

Read more about Pärnu Hospital

Read more about COVID testing and vaccination in Pärnu

To stay in Estonia as an exchange student for longer than 3 months, you need an Estonian ID code/ID card. People in Estonia use the ID card not only for identification but also to sign documents digitally. You will be asked to sign your master’s thesis and other university documents with your ID card.

On this page you can find general visa and residence information: https://ut.ee/en/visainfo.

Temporary residence permit can be applied at the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board in Pärnu (A. H. Tammsaare pst 61, 80010 Pärnu). Read more

For staying in Estonia, you also need a local phone number. Check out local service providers and get a SIM card: Tele2 or Telia

Buses as well as local taxis are a convenient and comfortable means of public transportation in Pärnu. The city centre is rather small, therefore it is convenient to move around also by walking or cycling.

Bolt and Tuul Scooters are available for rent from spring till the end of autumn. The scooters can be easily used with applications in Google Play and App Store. Be aware of the traffic rules in Estonia before driving them. Also there is a taxi application such as Bolt or car renting application without a driver (Bolt, Uber, Beast, Elmo, CityBee).

You can always rent a car for longer periods by local car companies. Bus cards at discounted student rates can be bought in the bus station. You can apply for a certificate of studies from the Academic Affairs office at the college, room C117.

Most of our foreign students usually stay at Hotel Vesiroos and Sadama Villa. These are located very close to Pärnu College, so it is convenient for the students to move between the accommodation facility and the college. But some students have found and rented an apartment on their own via kv.eecity24.ee and kinnisvara24.ee

Read more

Key phrases in Estonian

Ask more

Helen Viik

Helen Viik
Academic Affairs Specialist
+372 445 0537
+372 514 8796 (8796)
Ringi 35–C117
helen.viik@ut.ee

Tomáš Pavelka

Tomáš Pavelka
Programme Director of Wellness and Spa Service Design and Management
+372 5697 2933 (3236)
tomas.pavelka@ut.ee

Ly Lumiste

Ly Lumiste
Erasmus+ Mobility Coordinator
+372 5566 3904
ly.lumiste@ut.ee

Did you find the necessary information? *
Thank you for the feedback!