10 Humanities Degree Programs in Estonia

Liberal Arts in Humanities is a 3-year study programme that provides wide knowledge in the humanities and develops intellectual abilities and critical thinking. The student is not limited to only one field, but has a choice of various humanities disciplines, such as anthropology, Asian studies, English studies, Eastern-European studies, literary and cultural studies, environmental humanities and cultural analysis. They are free to combine these disciplines into a tailor-made interdisciplinary curriculum according to their personal goals and interests.

The 2-year master's programme in Estonian and Finno-Ugric Languages (EFUL) is unique in combining in-depth language learning with comprehensive, English-based studies in linguistics. We offer specialisations in either Estonian or Finno-Ugric Languages. Whichever you choose, you will have access to shared modules on theoretical and methodological aspects of synchronic and diachronic linguistics, with an emphasis on active language learning, combining theory and practice. The programme also emphasises the development of digital skills. It offers modules on computational linguistics and programming in collaboration with the University of Tartu's Centre for Digital Humanities and Information Society.

The MA in International Relations and Regional Studies master's programme combines a comprehensive study of international relations as an academic discipline and political practice with an in-depth understanding of particular geographic regions, including the European Union, Russia and Eurasia, and the Baltic Sea region.

The MA programme trains specialists capable of analysing cultural heritage and using it responsibly as a social and economic resource.

Engage in a broadly interdisciplinary study of the relationships between literature, visual culture, and film in contemporary and historical contexts. Students gain cutting-edge theoretical insights into intermedial aesthetics and into the philosophy of literature, art, and film. And are provided with critical tools for the cultural analysis of contemporary audiovisual, image, and text-based media.

The Liberal Arts in Social Sciences programme looks into various social sciences and teaches the student how to find common ground in fields ranging from psychology and education to law, economics, international relations and politics, and sociology. The programme includes courses on methods and writing, as well as interdisciplinary and practical components. For example, there is an internship requirement which will equip you with the needed skills to compete in the labour market.

Study at the Department of Semiotics at the University of Tartu, one of the most important centers of semiotics in the world. Semiotics is a 2-year Master’s program that provides interdisciplinary background and gives a theoretical base for application of semiotic ideas to a wide variety of disciplines and scientific study. Semiotics is the general study of sign processes or semiosis. The program binds together the theory of semiotics and three core modules – cultural semiotics, biosemiotics, and socio-semiotics.

The master's programme provides knowledge and skills in a modern or classical language and culture.

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.

This course is a hands-on introduction to generative artificial intelligence. You will learn to use AI tools (not just ChatGPT!) to generate and manipulate text and images and analyse textual data. These skills will be put to use right away in the form of a small guided course project, completed in teams of 1-3 participants. The project choice is entirely up to the participants; template project ideas will also be provided.