Number of University of Tartu doctoral graduates has reached recent years’ highest level

On 1 December, the 106th anniversary of Estonia’s national university, 142 doctoral degrees were conferred. This accounts for nearly half of the total number of new doctoral degree holders that the state has set as its target for this year. To ensure that there are enough people with doctoral degrees to create greater added value both within the university and beyond the academic sector, the University of Tartu sees the need to further increase the number of doctoral graduates.

According to Professor Mari Moora, Vice Rector for Research at the University of Tartu, the current number of new doctoral degree holders is barely sufficient to ensure academic succession at the university but not enough to provide an adequate supply of specialists with the highest academic degree both across the university and beyond. “The university views a person with a doctoral degree as a change agent who can shape both their scientific field and areas beyond it. They are creative and innovative thinkers who can find solutions to complex problems and thus contribute to advancing Estonia’s culture, society, and economy,” said Moora.

The University of Tartu considers it essential to increase the number of doctoral graduates, focusing primarily on fields where rapid changes have a particularly strong impact on society. For example, more support is needed for the transition to a fully Estonian-language general education system and for educational innovation in general education schools; addressing young people’s mental health issues, the health concerns of an ageing population, as well as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. “These are areas where future top specialists, equipped with the knowledge and skills acquired during their doctoral studies, will help find solutions, prevent tomorrow’s problems, and identify untapped opportunities early,” said Moora.

According to Monika Tasa, Head of the Doctoral Studies Unit at the University of Tartu, the university has made significant efforts to better support its doctoral researchers and their supervisors in reaching the stage of doctoral defence. “Each doctoral researcher is valuable to the university, and our goal is to offer them diverse opportunities so they can make well-considered decisions about their careers. Of those who responded to this year’s satisfaction survey, 84% stated that doctoral studies at the University of Tartu meet their expectations.” The dropout rate has fallen from 10% to 7%.

Cooperation with the public and private sectors

In addition to state-funded doctoral positions, the university opened more than 50 additional positions in 2025, supported by research project funding as well as by external partners. “I am delighted to see that the demand for people with doctoral degrees is gradually increasing. Through intersectoral doctoral programmes, the University of Tartu has established strong partnerships with more than 40 organisations ranging from IT companies to healthcare and cultural institutions,” Moora noted.

Thanks to the doctoral reform introduced in 2022, after which doctoral researchers are employed by the university as junior research fellows and receive the national average salary along with social benefits, interest in doctoral studies has grown significantly. Both the total number of applications to doctoral studies and the proportion of applicants from Estonia have increased.