Philosophy

Philosophy is a unique 2-year Master’s programme that aims to provide students with skills and knowledge of the research methods of contemporary philosophy. Students can choose from four specialisations: history of philosophy, practical philosophy, philosophy of science and theoretical philosophy. The programme is focused on research: all students will work closely together with a supervisor who will help student design the programme based on the student’s interests; students can join many international research groups and conferences and students’ MA thesis has to be on article level.

What will students get from the programme?

Unique programme: gives a general overview of philosophy with four specialisations;

Internationally connected faculty and international staff, many world famous guest lecturers;

Study-related workshops and conferences;

Integration into up-to-date philosophy literature;

Great research opportunities: students can contribute to ongoing research and participate in conferences. UT organizes yearly 3-5 international conferences in the area of philosophy;

Wide range of literature: the Department of Philosophy and the Centre of Ethics have a common library which gathers systematically both classic and up-to-date literature;

International career prospective: graduates can continue their studies or work in any field from public sector to business and journalism.

After completing the curriculum, the student:

has acquired a systematic overview of the field of philosophy, is familiar with the theoretical developments, concepts, terms and methods of philosophical research, has in-depth knowledge in a chosen narrow field of research;

is able to identify and independently formulate problems and research questions requiring expertise in philosophy;

has presentation and argumentation skills required for participating in academic and non-academic discussions in oral and written English;

has tolerant attitude towards diversity of values and opinions;

understands the ethical aspects, possibilities, limits, and social functions of the philosopher's role; is able to suggest solutions based on specialized expertise.

The student who has chosen the teacher specialisation is fully qualified to teach philosophy at the secondary school level.

The curriculum consists of the following modules:

1. General Subjects (15 ECTS)

2. Special Subjects (84 or 69 ECTS)

2.1 Teacher Training (84 ECTS)

2.1.1 Philosophy Base Module (24 ECTS)

2.1.2 Teacher Training Base Module (24 ECTS)

2.1.3 Teacher Training Didactics Module (12 ECTS)

2.1.4 Teacher Training Practice Module (24 ECTS)

2.2 Specialisation in History of Philosophy (69 ECTS)

2.3 Specialisation in Practical Philosophy (69 ECTS)

2.4 Specialisation in Philosophy of Science (69 ECTS)

2.5 Specialisation in Theoretical Philosophy (69 ECTS)

3. Optional Subjects (6 ECTS)

4. MA Thesis or MA Exam (15 or 30 ECTS)

4.1 MA Thesis or MA Exam (15 ECTS, for teachers)

4.2 MA Thesis (30 ECTS)

Elective courses module (6 ECTS)

Master's thesis (30 ECTS)

General admission requirement:

· Bachelor's degree (or equivalent).

In order to apply you need to:

1. Fill in the online application form. Remember to print it out at the end and sign it, because you also need to send it to us. You also need to upload copies of your other documents so we can start checking them. When you register to fill in the application form, you will receive an applicant code, which gives you access to your account to track your application status.

2. Mail the printed and signed application with all the required documents by the deadline (April 16) to: International Student Service, University of Tartu, Ülikooli 18, Tartu 50090, Estonia

What kind of documents do you need to apply?

· online application;

· motivation letter - guidelines and evaluation criteria;

· a writing sample;· official copy of the Bachelor's diploma or its equivalent and Diploma Supplement (transcript/mark sheet) in the original language*;

· official translation of the Bachelor's diploma and Diploma Supplement (transcript/mark sheet) into English, translation certified;

· proof of the English language proficiency(TOEFL 75, IELTS 5.5, Cambridge English FCE grade B, CAE, CPE, PTE Academic 59 points, exceptions listed on web);copy of the passport page stating the applicant’s personal particulars.

· Watch students talk about the programme (University of Tartu Television)

*Please note that all copies of educational documents (diploma and diploma supplement/academic transcript) must be officially certified: bear an original seal and a signature of an authorized official of the issuing school/university. Copies of education documents can also be certified with an Apostille. Some country specific requirements also specify the way documents must be certified.

All admitted students will receive a tuition-waiver scholarship. Students receiving this scholarship do not have to pay the tuition fee if they complete full-time study load (30 ECTS per semester). If it turns out that they do not complete full-time study load per semester, they have to pay tuition fee per missing credit point below the required 30 ECTS.

Accreditation

The University of Tartu (register code 74001073) is public university and operates pursuant to the Universities Act (passed with the law from January 12, 1995 (State Gazette I 1995, 12, 119) that entered into force February 18, 1995), University of Tartu Act (passed with law from February 16, 1995 (State Gazette I 1995, 23, 333) that entered into force March 21, 1995), Statues of the University of Tartu and other legislative acts.

According to the subsection 22 (7) of the Universities Act, the basis for conducting studies at universities lies in study programmes that are confirmed by the councils of the respective universities and correspond to the Standard of Higher Education in Estonia. The study programmes are entered into the Estonian Education Information System, which was founded on the basis of subsection 366 (4) of Republic of Estonia Education Act. State recognition of diplomas is based until 31.12.2011 on a positive accreditation decision of a study programme. Starting from 2009, educational institutions may provide higher education programmes, award academic degrees and issue diplomas, if, as a result of the assessment of the respective study programme group, the Government of the Replublic has granted them such a right (in Estonian higher education system this right replaces education license). In years 2009-2011 both regulations are valid for issuing state recognised diplomas. All higher education programmes in the University of Tartu belong to the assessed study programme groups and our dilomas are nationally recognised. Before 2017 universities have no obligation for institutional accreditation.