Applied Measurement Science
2 January
15 March
30 April
2 September
- The University of Tartu belongs to the top 1% of the world's universities (Rankings and Surveys).
- Participate in world-leading research groups in nanoscience, metrology in chemistry, materials science for high-efficiency energetics, biochemical measurements, etc.
- A unique interdisciplinary programme combines physical measurements, chemical analysis, metrology, quality systems, and economic and legal aspects of measurements.
- Excellent career and internship opportunities in quality assurance laboratories in various industries, inspection, certification and accreditation agencies, etc.
- Teaching and research are carried out in the Physicum and Chemicum buildings in Tartu – among Northern Europe's top research and education facilities.
The programme provides thorough knowledge and skills in laboratory and technological measurements, testing and chemical analysis methods, quality systems, metrology and related economic and legal aspects.
Measurements must be considered in the broadest sense and have many applications:
- toxic metals in drinking water;
- cholesterol level in blood;
- strength of construction materials;
- protein content in wheat;
- the octane number of gasoline, etc.
The importance of measurements is enormous for the economy, society, medical sciences and much more:
- 40% of the EU directives involve measurements.
- Critical economic, social, medical decisions are based on results of measurements.
- Estimated direct annual spending on measurements alone is 80 billion EUR or 1% of the GDP in Europe.
Wrong measurements can have major consequences: direct (loss of profit, death of a patient, failure of equipment, etc.) and indirect (incorrect environment protection measures, inefficient business plans, etc.).
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UT Testing Centre provides calibration and measurement services to industry enterprises and has regular contacts with laboratories around Europe. I believe I get first-class hands-on education here and have excellent career prospects and job opportunities.
Why choose the University of Tartu for your master’s studies?
- The University of Tartu Testing Centre accredited according to ISO 17025
- Leading European Research Centre of Metrology in Chemistry
- The University of Tartu participates in the work of EURAMET-MetChem, EMRP, TrainMiC, CITAC and other International Metrology organisations and initiatives
AMS is an excellent programme for practitioners working in a laboratory desiring to further their educational background. In addition to acquiring specific skills, one will also gain knowledge in general fields such as economy, law, quality systems, etc. It is designed to meet the needs and expectations of today’s modern laboratory. This programme will help improve the methods applied in our labs and introduce new ideas, making our work more reliable.
How will this degree develop your potential?
- Thorough knowledge and skills in laboratory and technological measurements, methods of testing and analysis, quality systems
- High competence work demanded in quality assurance laboratories in various industries, inspection, certification and accreditation agencies
- Practical experience gained during the study period through an internship placement with companies
Learning outcomes
- The graduate has systematic knowledge of the physical, chemical, and metrological basis of the more widespread measurement and analysis methods, factors affecting the results, methods of calculating measurement results, assessing their quality, and documenting measurement results. The graduate has systematic knowledge of quality systems.
- The graduate has the skills necessary to work with the more widespread measurement and analysis methods, tune them according to a given measurement or analysis procedure, and optimise measurement procedures. The graduate is qualified to determine the characteristics of measurement and analysis procedures and to assess their suitability for a specific measurement or analysis task. The graduate can evaluate the adequacy of the measurement or analysis results obtained.
Further information
- Watch the programme representative talk about the master's programme in Applied Measurement Science and the discussion round of master's students in natural sciences during the Online Open Doors Week 2022.
- Watch Alumni Talks: A laboratory manager in the automotive industry by Antonio Manuell (MSc in Applied Measurement Science)
- Get to know the Faculty of Science and Technology.
Mobility window
All or part of the electives can be taken abroad at one of our partner universities. Principles of module selection: The overall volume of elective courses has to be 30 ECTS. Elective courses can be taken at UT or in the framework of the mobility module abroad. If the number of ECTS credits taken in the framework of the mobility module is less than 30, then the missing ECTS credits have to be compensated by taking courses at UT. The amount of credits to be earned abroad is at least 15 ECTS per semester. If you have earned at least 15 ECTS abroad, you have the right to an extension semester, should you need it.
Summer school
The best students can participate in the summer school offered by the Euromaster-labeled consortium of universities called “Measurement science in chemistry”.
Internship
During the programme, students will be placed in companies and laboratories like Metrosert AS, Estiko AS, Mayeri Industries AS, Laboratories of the Estonian Health Protection Inspectorate, Estonian Veterinary and Food Laboratories, State Agency of Medicines, and Estonian Accreditation Centre. Internships last 4-6 weeks and are intended for participants to gain practical experience.
Structure of the Applied Measurement Science programme
The following structure of the programme applies to the current academic year. To view the most updated version, please visit the University of Tartu Study Information System and choose the next academic year (if available).
University of Tartu Institute of Chemistry
The University of Tartu Institute of Chemistry is Estonia's leading chemistry and materials science research and higher education unit. The institute comprises ten chairs and the Testing Centre. The latter is an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited unit providing contract services in measurement, testing and chemical analysis.
At the beginning of 2023, Programme Director Ivo Leito received the University of Tartu teaching staff of the year 2022 award in the Faculty of Science and Technology. According to his students, Professor Ivo Leito is an incredibly charismatic and lively lecturer who is a role model for all. His every sentence radiates an enthusiasm that makes even the dullest topics interesting. In each lecture, he gives real-life examples of how analytical chemistry can be applied to study the environment around us.
Using the flipped learning method, he constantly engages students in discussions and creates a very safe environment for asking questions in lectures. It is worth noting that Professor Leito does not proceed with the lecture until he is absolutely convinced that every last person in the room has understood what he has just said.
In addition to his dedication to educating students in the classroom, he is always available for every learner outside of working hours. He will be happy to answer all your analytics-related questions at the earliest opportunity. It is not an exaggeration to say that he is available 24/7, even when he is abroad. He takes a genuine interest in the progress and development of every student. Ivo Leito also holds regular meetings with all his students planning to graduate in the spring to see if their thesis is going well and to give advice on how to advance with the task. Sometimes he will drop into the lab to ask how it is going and whether the students still like their project. He is genuinely happy every time he gets a positive answer to this question.
The University of Tartu Institute of Chemistry (IC) operates in the Chemicum building (opened in 2009), which has strongly benefited from the recent Estonian governmental research infrastructure projects being very well equipped with research infrastructure. Some examples of key instruments/setups: ultra-high resolution 7 Tesla FT-ICR MS system with ESI, APCI and MALDI ion sources, FIB-TOF-SIMS, 700 MHz FT-NMR spectrometer, ATR-FT-IR, GC-MS, LC-ESI-MS, in situ FTIR, combined Raman/AFM, STM/ATM and high-temperature XRD for electrochemical interfaces. Part of the IC local IT infrastructure are two group-level computing and data storage facilities. In addition, via the HiTechDevices and ECAC networks, the personnel of the institute has access to the majority of chemistry and materials science research infrastructure available in Estonia.
Physicum was opened in 2014 and is mainly home to the Institute of Physics. Physicum is situated in the university’s Maarjamõisa science campus. The building of approximately 13,000 square metres provides contemporary facilities for research in physics, materials science and nanotechnology.
Chemicum and Physicum tours
During recent years, significant changes have been occurring in the measurement, testing, and chemical analysis community. Measurements are vital from a legal and economic point of view. More and more legal acts are issued that concern measurements and tests. A fully functional quality system, accredited according to international standards (most often ISO/IEC 17025:2015 or GLP in the case of laboratories) is now a must in many activity areas (food, environmental, etc.) where the laboratories are active. The changes have been rapid, and up to now, the education system has not been able to respond adequately to the needs of the measurement and testing community. There is a severe shortage of competent people in measurements, testing or chemical analysis.
The Applied Measurement Science programme helps fill this gap by providing contemporary, practically oriented education in physical and chemical measurement science. It has been estimated that up to 50% of chemistry graduates (depending on the country) work at different analysis or testing laboratories. These factors enable us to rate the employability of our graduates as very good. The long list well supports this estimate (see below) of positions that our graduates from recent years are (or were) holding.
Our graduates are welcome at:
- R&D departments of major companies
- Chemical industry labs
- Pharmaceutical industry labs
- Health and environmental protection agencies
- Food processing and manufacturing quality assurance labs
- Certification, standardization and accreditation authorities
- National Centers and Institutes of Metrology
- Academic career and PhD studies
To get some idea, what positions our graduates from the recent years are (or were) holding, here is an incomplete list:
- Head of laboratory at Eurofins Estonia (analytical services)
- Head of the chemistry section at semiconductor company Clifton
- Regulatory affairs manager at pharmaceutical company Olainfarm
- Drug master file expert at pharmaceutical company Olainfarm
- Chief specialist in drugs detection and identification at a Forensic Science Institute in Tallinn
- Vice Technical Director at Applus Norcontrol
- Assistant Director – Measurement Units, Standard and Service Department
- Head of Mechatronics department at Vitrina University
- CTO at LiftZee OÜ
- Quality assurance specialist at pharmaceutical company Kevelt
- Project manager at Hilti AG
- QA Engineer at company SoftServe
- Engineer at energy-efficient buildings design company PassiveHouse
- Head of the Reference materials and calibrations section at Agricultural Research Centre in Saku
- Engineer at Tartu observatory
- Industrial analytical chemist in San Francisco
- Chief specialist in the quality infrastructure service at Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications
A number of our graduates are doctoral students in different areas of physics, chemistry and materials science
Admission requirements for Applied Measurement Science
Who should apply to the programme:
- graduates with bachelor’ s degrees in physics, chemistry, pharmacy, materials science, natural sciences, engineering, technology or medicine
- practitioners in analysis and measurement laboratories who are facing the fast development of analytical methods and new regulations (Quality systems, ISO 17025 accreditation, etc)
- personnel of laboratories, metrology institutes, accreditation, certification and inspection agencies
- quality managers in various industries
Entry requirements
- bachelor’ s degree or equivalent qualification in the field of exact or natural sciences, technology, engineering or medicine (must be obtained by the end of July) – please see our country-specific document requirements
- prerequisite courses: at least 18 ECTS completed in the previous level of studies in physics or chemistry
- NB! Only applicants whose average study result is at least 60% of the maximum are eligible to apply
- English language proficiency – please see our acceptable tests and exempt categories
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 2024/2025 academic year.
According to the current legislation, citizens of Belarus can apply for Estonian long-term visa and temporary residence permit for studies and are therefore eligible to apply to the University of Tartu.
Applications are evaluated based on
- the average grade of the previous study level - only applicants whose average study result is at least 60% of the maximum are eligible to apply (yields 50% of the final score)
- the score of the motivation letter (yields 50% of the final score)
Please write a brief motivation letter (in English, maximum of 4600 characters with spaces) based on the following points:
- Give a short overview of the physical and chemical basis of measurements and chemical analysis.
- In which role do you see yourself in your job after completion of the programme and what is your personal motivation to study applied measurement science?
- What is the role of measurements in the world’s economy and society?
The motivation letter ranking is composed of the following:
1) fit between the student’s goals and the programme (40% of the final score);
2) analytical and argumentation skills (40% of the final score);
3) fluency of written English (20% of the final score).
The motivation letter is part of the application form, and cannot be sent separately.
The maximum overall score is 100 points. The application will be considered for admission if an overall score of 66 points or higher is achieved and the score for the motivation letter does not fall below 51 points.
For further information on assessing candidates´ academic performance and calculating admissions´ score see here.
How to apply
The following information applies to international students and Estonian students who graduated abroad:
Application system opens on 2 January and closes on 15 March. The following electronic documents must be submitted via DreamApply by 15 March:
- online application
- motivation letter
- official copy of the bachelor's diploma or its equivalent and Diploma Supplement (transcript) in the original language (must include description of the grading scale).
NB! Applicants graduating in the upcoming spring/summer and having their diploma and final transcript issued later than the application deadline should electronically submit their most recent official transcript by the application deadline. The transcript should be supplemented by an official statement from the issuing institution indicating current enrollment and expected graduation date. Admitted candidates are required to post certified copies of their graduation documents as soon as these have been issued (must reach us no later than by the end of July). - official translation of the bachelor’s diploma and Diploma Supplement (transcript) into English, translation certified
- proof of English language proficiency
- copy of the passport page stating the applicant’s personal particulars
- confirmation/receipt of application fee payment (if applicable). All international applicants are required to pay the application fee EUR 100, unless they have completed the previous study level in Estonia. An application will only be processed after the fee has been received by the UT.
Submitted applications can not be edited. It is only possible to upload new documents (e.g. graduation certificates). Applicants will receive feedback and notifications through the DreamApply system to their e-mail. Incomplete applications or those submitted by e-mail will not be considered for admission.
The evaluation of applications will be made based on the electronic copies added to DreamApply. A general ranking list will be formed based on the electronically submitted applications and admission results (including offers) will be announced to all applicants personally via DreamApply by May 15 at the latest. Admitted candidates are expected to accept or decline the offer in DreamApply in 7 days. If the decision is not communicated to UT via DreamApply by the stipulated deadline, UT reserves the right to withdraw the admission offer.
NB! It is not possible to postpone the beginning of studies to the next academic year.
Terms and conditions of the admission offer
Admission offers are conditional. This means that there are conditions in the offer which the applicant needs to fulfil in order to be admitted (e.g. sending application documents by post; obtaining the required level of education). If the conditions are not met, UT has the right to withdraw the offer. Also, UT 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, UT will not be liable for any material or immaterial loss which the student may suffer as a result.
Once the admission results have been announced, all admitted students are required to send the application documents by post to: Student Admissions, University of Tartu, Ülikooli 18-132, Tartu 50090, ESTONIA.
The documents are expected to be mailed only by those receiving the admission offer (unless instructed otherwise by the admissions staff). The documents must reach the university within 3 weeks from the announcement of the offer. If the application documents do not reach the us by the deadline, the university has the right to withdraw the admission offer. Applicants will be informed when their documents have arrived.
Requirements for educational documents
All copies of educational documents (diplomas and Diploma Supplements/transcripts) must be officially certified. By certified we mean that the copies should bear an original signature and seal of the authority certifying that these are true copies of the original document(s). The copies can be certified either 1) by an authorised official of the issuing institution, or 2) by a notary, or 3) with an Apostille attached. NB! Country-specific requirements may also specify the way documents from certain countries must be certified.
Please note that UT does not accept simple copies made on the basis of already certified copies (primary copies are needed).
All admitted students are required to present their original qualification certificates upon arrival (unless these were sent directly from the issuing institution).
Paying the tuition fee
- EU/EEA/Swiss citizens are required to pay the fee for the first semester once they arrive in Tartu (by 20 September at the latest after signing the fee contract, please read more here).
- Admitted students from other countries are required to pre-pay half of the first semester's tuition fee. The invoice along with the pre-payment deadline and payment details will be sent to applicants via DreamApply after they have accepted the admissions offer and the University has received the hard copies of the application documents. Second part of the fee is due on 20 September. NB! The official admission letter (necessary for visa application) will only be issued once the University of Tartu has received the pre-payment.
- NB! Once you have been offered a fee-based study place, be aware that it will not be changed into a fee waiver study place. By transferring the pre-payment to the university, you confirm that you have informed yourself about the process of the visa and temporary residence permit application and you are able to arrive in Estonia by the start of the academic year. If you have any questions please contact studentvisasupport@ut.ee.
The official admission letter will be sent to admitted students electronically via DreamApply only after the admissions office has received and reviewed hard copies of the application documents, and received the tuition fee pre-payment (if a pre-payment was required, please see step 3 for more details).
NB! The electronic admission letter is sufficient for non-EU students applying for visa/residence permit at an Estonian embassy.
Once the admission letter is issued, accepted students may proceed further with arranging their arrival. All non-EU students should first consult information on the process of visa and temporary residence permit application to be sure, as where and when the relevant documents need to be applied. Note that housing at the UT dormitories can be applied during a limited period of time, unless specified otherwise on the website. For housing alternatives please find further information on Tartu Welcome Centre website.
NB! Admitted students who are not citizens of an EU or EEA country or Switzerland need to make sure they obtain the Estonian long-term visa on time in order to be able to participate in the orientation programme for international students held in the last week of August. They are also required to visit the Admissions Office in person to complete their arrival registration by September 2, 2024, at the latest. Failure to do so will result in the revocation of their admission decision and visa.
Travel information can be found here.
Based upon common queries, the most important information has been summarised into a pre-arrival information website UT Getting Started.
Estonian applicants should apply via National Admission Information Systems (SAIS). Further information in Estonian is available here.
