Philosophy in Practice

You often need a defensible answer to a philosophical question before finding a defensible solution to a practical problem facing today's world. What is a just response to climate change? Should science deniers have a significant voice in democratic decision-making? How should resources be divided between the old and the young as the world ages? The Philosophy in Practice master's programme is designed to equip graduates with the skills to address the philosophical questions that lie at the root of the challenges of our age. It trains students in the argumentation, analytic, and communication skills required to tackle these questions. It prepares students to apply these skills at the PhD level and in the organisations currently confronting these challenges.

The curriculum works to this effect by first preparing incoming students, then training them in philosophy in application to challenges facing the world today, and then requiring them to apply their training in both an internship and their research project. 

PREPARATION We seek candidates from diverse disciplinary backgrounds - this significantly broadens the range of viewpoints each student in the programme is exposed to and the skillset they can draw upon in class. However, this diversity makes it especially important to build a common base-set of knowledge, skills and values in each group of students. The Start Module ensures that everyone who enters the master's programme finishes their first semester having received significant feedback on their writing, oral argumentation and communication skills, and having acquired a solid overview of three broad areas of philosophy: ethics and epistemology, mind and language, and selected topics in the history of philosophy. These courses start basic but quickly advance to material that will be new even to students who have graduated from a bachelor's programme in philosophy. 

TRAINING Once you've finished the first semester, you'll be well-prepared to begin courses from the Philosophy in Application Module and the Diversification Module.  

The Philosophy in Application Module contains courses that have been specifically designed to teach philosophy in application to challenges facing the world today: they have been designed to make it easier for students to see why and how philosophy needs to be done in order to address those challenges, and thus easier for students to identify potential internship placements and research project opportunities. Examples of the challenges addressed in these courses include:  

• how national sovereignty is to be understood when countries like China and Russia push to create a multipolar world;  
• exploration of our obligations to older and younger generations as the world ages and populations shrink;  
• the limitations of old concepts in a world saturated with artificial intelligence and automation.

Further info is available in the "Courses" section of this website.

The Diversification Module allows you to diversify your studies by:  

• by taking additional philosophy courses and/or
• taking complementary non-philosophy courses that teach skills and knowledge that complement the content of the programme's philosophy courses and/or
• studying abroad at one of our many international partners.  

In this module, you choose the balance of philosophy and non-philosophy courses that best serves your plans after graduation.

APPLICATION In the final stages of the curriculum, you will apply what you've learnt from your philosophy and other courses in both:  

• the Practice Placement Module, where you'll be supported in finding and undertaking an internship;
• the Research Project Module, where you'll complete your own original research under supervision from one of our lecturers.  

You can choose whether to conduct the lion's share of your research project in your third or fourth semester: this allows those students who want to apply to graduate school to use their research project in their graduate school applications (which are usually due at the end of the third semester). 

Why study Philosophy at the University of Tartu?  

• The opportunity to study philosophy at a high level whilst keeping multiple career paths open. We’ve designed the Philosophy in Practice master’s programme with an emphasis on application because we wish to provide a qualification that allows philosophy enthusiasts to follow through on that enthusiasm without forcing them to choose between training for a purely theoretical academic career and avoiding philosophical training altogether. We want to remove that fork in the road so that you don’t have to choose. You can train in philosophy in a way that prepares you for non-academic as well as academic career paths.
• Interdisciplinarity. The programme offers students the chance to supplement their philosophical studies with courses from across the university. Students can thereby increase the interdisciplinarity of their work by taking courses from another discipline and strengthen their transferable skills (e.g. in data analysis, project management, communication, etc.).
• Our openness to diverse educational backgrounds. The programme welcomes candidates from non-philosophy backgrounds. We value the contributions of students from diverse fields who bring unique perspectives that enrich our department and the learning environment. Our curriculum includes a Start Module designed to help students from non-philosophical backgrounds engage confidently with more experienced peers by the end of their first semester. The module also offers advanced material for experienced students, covering topics not typically included in undergraduate studies.
• Internships, applications and business. We coach our students in identifying ways to integrate their philosophical interests with non-academic sectors, an essential skill whether they pursue careers inside or outside academia. Estonia is home to a strong startup scene (read more here), and the University of Tartu pursues initiatives to link its research efforts with this innovative environment. As a student in our department, you will have the opportunity to benefit from these initiatives.
• An international environment. The Department of Philosophy is truly international, featuring researchers from the United States, the United Kingdom and Italy. Many Estonian researchers in the department have also earned their qualifications from prestigious institutions abroad. The department frequently organises events with visiting philosophers from around the world, such as the Frege Lectures (read more here), both as standalone events and through its involvement in various international research networks. These networks include the Natural Law 1625-1850 Network (read more here), the Nietzsche International Lab (read more here), the Responsible Open Science in Europe project (read more here), and the Nordic-Baltic Philosophy of Medicine and Healthcare Network (read more here). Our students also have hosted NordPhil student conferences (read more here), bringing together students from Nordic universities to share and discuss their research.
• Study abroad. The Department of Philosophy has Erasmus agreements with a diverse range of esteemed European partners (see more here), enabling our students to spend a semester or a year abroad, living and studying in another European city or town. Additionally, the department is part of the Nordic Network in Philosophy, which funds mobility among all the main Nordic universities. Furthermore, the University of Tartu participates in various networks beyond Europe, supporting exchange opportunities around the globe. 

Programme highlights in media

• Listen here to a Hum Laude podcast episode about studying philosophy in Tartu.
• Follow the Department of Philosophy on Facebook here and check our YouTube channel here.
• Watch here the discussion round of students in the humanities field during the Online Open Doors Week 2022.
• Watch here a short vlog by a Philosophy student.

Course descriptions will be available soon.

Department of Philosophy

Our staff are deeply committed to the success of students in the Department of Philosophy and work hard to help them broaden their knowledge and develop their skills throughout the programme. You can find information about our current faculty members here.

The department embraces a pluralist approach, spanning analytical philosophy (including empirical research within the philosophy of science), applied ethics, continental philosophy, the history of ideas, and the history of philosophy. Our lecturers publish regularly in leading philosophy journals and with esteemed academic publishers. We aim to inspire the same high standard in our students, equipping them with the skills needed to meet these expectations.

Several of our lecturers have ongoing applied philosophy research projects. These include the Estonian Research Council-funded Metacontexts project (read more here) and the EU-funded projects Beyond Bad Apples (read more here) and Trust in Science? Inspiring and Anchoring Trust in Science, Research and Innovation (read more here).

The Department of Philosophy is part of the Institute of Philosophy and Semiotics. Within the institute, you will also find:

• The Centre for Ethics is a consortium within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Faculty of Social Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Science and Technology. The Centre conducts interdisciplinary research on ethical issues pertaining to society and research. Read more about the centre here.
• The Centre for Semiotic Applications conducts semiotics-based analysis of complex cultural, social and environmental problems. Get to know the centre here.

Our department is truly international. In recent years, we have welcomed philosophers from Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the UK, and the USA to teach our students. Our permanent staff are regularly joined by visiting scholars, who spend a semester working closely with our team.

The master’s programme in Philosophy in Practice equips students with strong analytical, argumentative, and communication skills, as well as a thorough understanding of contemporary philosophical ideas and debates on a wide range of topics. Each of these topics is relevant to issues of practical significance, and the programme delivers this training to an exceptionally high standard. On average, 50% of our graduates secure funded doctoral positions at institutions worldwide.

The programme is structured to support two primary career pathways:

1. Academic Career Pathway: Graduates can use their training as a foundation for further academic study, such as pursuing a doctoral degree in philosophy or a related field.
2. Non-Academic Career Pathway: Many of our graduates successfully transition into careers beyond academia, applying the skills gained in the programme to fields such as policy, consulting, journalism, and more.

Admission requirements will be announced by the end of December.