Getting started for international students
Academic year 2024/2025 at the University of Tartu (UT)
A very warm welcome to the University of Tartu! This Getting Started website hopefully helps new international students to find some relevant and useful information.
The academic year at UT begins on September 2, 2024. Orientation course for new international degree and exchange students will take place on August 28-30. Further information on the orientation course will be provided here.
Recommended arrival time to Estonia: August 26-27.
A festive opening ceremony for all UT students will be held on September 2, at 10.00. Further information regarding the festive opening ceremony and other opening events taking place in institutes will be added to the website over the summer. Be sure to participate in the opening events! You will receive important information about studying at UT and meet your professors and fellow students.
REMINDER: degree-seeking students of I and II study level programmes taught in English, 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 to be able to participate in the orientation course for international students held on August 28-30. They are also required to complete their arrival registration by September 2, at the latest. Failure to do so will result in the revocation of their admission decision and visa (this requirement does not apply to the students enrolled in online study programmes).
To register their arrival, students are requested to visit the Admissions Office (located in the UT main building, Ülikooli 18, rooms 132 and 133, Tartu) during the last week of August, from Monday to Friday between 13.00 and 16.00.
They also need to update arrival information on DreamApply once tickets to Estonia are bought and inform their admissions coordinator by email of their arrival time to Tartu.
The full academic calendar 2024/2025 can be found here.
Before your arrival to Tartu
Practical information for incoming exchange and degree seeking students prior the arrival in Estonia. To help you getting started smoothly you will find answers to all kind of practical questions such as travelling to Tartu, housing etc. from Tartu Welcome Centre website. And don't miss the opportunity to explore the University of Tartu through our virtual tour!
If your studies are taking place in the University of Tartu Narva College, School of Law in Tallinn, Pärnu College or Viljandi Culture Academy, you can find practical information from the respective websites or by contacting directly your study programme coordinators.
Student essentials
UT username and course registration
Your UT username and password (login credentials needed for course registration) will be sent to you by the UT IT department before the beginning of the semester. The newly admitted degree-seeking students of I and II study level programmes taught in English, who are not citizens of an EU or EEA country or Switzerland, will receive their login credentials and can sign up for the courses in the Study Information System (SIS) only once they have registered their arrival at UT. Course registration for first-semester students is open until 16.09.2024.
You can find information regarding your curriculum and timetables in SIS. It is possible to see courses, timetables, and curricula information also without logging in to the SIS.
UT email address
All first-year degree-seeking and exchange students will receive the UT email address in the format firstname.lastname@ut.ee and this address is used for communication with the University of Tartu.
More detailed information on various courses for learning Estonian can be found in the UT language learning hub.
Important dates in the 1st semester 2024/2025 (degree-seeking students only).
Throughout the academic year the Office of Academic Affairs informs degree-seeking students about important study-related information and other related topics. Topics like academic affairs, training courses, seminars, possibilities of studying abroad, scholarships and allowances, internship and job possibilities are updated weekly in the student newsletter.
Find your hidden skills during your study abroad with SkillMill!
In studies abroad, internships and working life, we constantly face new situations that require us to understand, improvise, communicate and adapt.
SkillMill is here to help! SkillMill is a mobile app that bridges international studies and employability by helping users translate relevant international experiences into soft skills learning experiences. It provide users with a safe and personal step-by-step reflection process, which helps them connect personal experiences with labour market skills and employer perspectives.