Master in Disinformation and Societal Resilience
Tartu, Estonia
Master degree
DURATION
1 year
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
15 Mar 2026
EARLIEST START DATE
01 Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
EUR 14,000 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for non-EU: 14000 EUR per year| for EU residents: 7000 EUR per year
Key Summary
In response to the growing threat of misinformation and hostile information operations, the University of Tartu Institute of Social Studies presents a one-year master's programme dedicated to training specialists with interdisciplinary expertise in combating disinformation. This programme is tailored for students from countries often targeted by information manipulation and malicious misinformation.
Estonia, situated on the eastern border of the European Union, has experienced repeated challenges to its societal resilience due to information manipulations and hostile narratives. In response, the country has developed smart digital solutions, high levels of media and information literacy, and transparent decision-making processes. Our master's programme provides a unique opportunity to learn from these efforts, bringing together academic knowledge and practical experiences from within and outside the country.
The programme leverages cutting-edge research in communication, law, psychology, sociology, data science, and regional studies to enhance societal resilience across Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia. Students will delve into the impacts of disinformation, explore different dimensions of societal resilience, and identify sources of vulnerability. Students contribute to a holistic understanding of the problem and its regional solutions through country-based practical projects. Moreover, this journey will connect students with an international professional network actively engaged in combating disinformation daily.
The development and launch of the programme are co-funded by the US State Department’s Development Cooperation Partnership and the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Estonia.
The program is designed for specialists for whom the issue of building and maintaining societal resilience in the face of disruptive processes within our information sphere is a matter of professional necessity – an issue burning enough to take time off work and join us on-site. All applicants must have at least five years of relevant professional work experience.
Compulsory subjects (36 ECTS):
- Cyber Risks and Information Security 9 ECTS
- Geopolitical Context and Policy Analysis 9 ECTS
- Introduction to Disinformation and Influence Activities 9 ECTS
- Resilience Analysis and Practice 9 ECTS
Internship (9ECTS)
Master's Exam (15 ECTS)
The University of Tartu belongs to the top 1% of the world's universities.
The University of Tartu is known for its high-quality studies and research. The university is featured in many local and international top university rankings lists. As of 2024, the University of Tartu belongs to the top 1% of the world's universities:
- QS World University Rankings: 358
- QS Emerging Europe & Central Asia Rankings: 4
- THE World University Rankings: 301-350
- U.S. News Global Best Universities Rankings: 255
- ARWU: 701-800
- NTU Rankings: 377
- Webometrics Ranking of World Universities: 450
- CWTS Leiden Ranking: 770
QS World University Rankings
The QS World University Rankings portfolio, inaugurated in 2004, has become the world’s most popular source of comparative data about university performance.
The QS World University Rankings 2024 implemented the largest-ever methodological enhancement, introducing three new metrics: Sustainability, Employment Outcomes, and International Research Network
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 347 | 314 | 321 | 301 | 285 | 300 | 296 | 358 |
QS World University Rankings by Subject
The QS World University Rankings by Subject are compiled annually to help prospective students identify the leading universities in a particular subject. The QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021 cover 51 disciplines grouped into five broad subject areas.
| 201 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARTS & HUMANITIES | 299 | 288 | 287 | 310 | 289 |
| English Language & Literature | 251-300 | 201-250 | 201-250 | 201-250 | 251-300 |
| Linguistics | 151-200 | 201-250 | 201-250 | 201-250 | 151-200 |
| Modern Languages | 251-300 | 251-300 | 251-300 | 301-330 | 301-340 |
| Philosophy | 151-200 | 151-200 | 151-200 | ||
| ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY | 501-520 | 451-500 | 451-500 | ||
| Computer Science & Information Systems | 351-400 | 351-400 | 351-400 | 301-350 | 301-350 |
| LIFE SCIENCES & MEDICINE | 373 | 352 | 304 | 293 | 321 |
| Biological Sciences | 251-300 | 251-300 | 201-250 | 151-200 | 201-250 |
| Medicine | 351-400 | 351-400 | 301-350 | 251-300 | 251-300 |
| Agriculture and Forestry | 151-200 | 151-200 | 201-250 | 201-250 | 201-250 |
| Pharmacy and Pharmacology | 301-350 | ||||
| NATURAL SCIENCES | 451-500 | 451-500 | 451-500 | 401-450 | 378 |
| Chemistry | 451-500 | 501-550 | 451-500 | 451-500 | 401-450 |
| Geography | 151-200 | 151-200 | 151-200 | 151-200 | 151-200 |
| Physics and Astronomy | 551-600 | 451-500 | 401-450 | 451-500 | 401-450 |
| SOCIAL SCIENCES & MANAGEMENT | 336 | 357 | 357 | 383 | 401-450 |
| Business & Management Studies | 401-450 | 501-550 | |||
| Communication & Media Studies | 151-200 | 151-200 | 201-250 | 201-250 | |
| Economics & Econometrics | 451-500 | 501-520 | |||
| Education & Training | 251-300 | 201-250 | 151-200 | 201-250 | 251-300 |
| Politics | 101-150 | 151-200 | 151-200 | 201-220 | 201-230 |
| Sociology | 201-250 | 201-250 | 201-250 | 201-250 | |
| Law | 301-340 | 251-300 |
QS Emerging Europe & Central Asia (EECA) Rankings
QS World University Rankings by Region focuses on the fastest-growing regions in the world, ranking separately universities in Latin America, Asia, the Arab Region, BRICS and Emerging Europe & Central Asia (EECA). The University of Tartu and Estonia belong to the latter one.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
QS Sustainability University Rankings 2022
Featuring 700 universities this first edition of the rankings uses a methodology comprised of indicators designed to measure an institution's ability to tackle the world &greatest Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) challenges.
2023:501-550
Times Higher Education World University Rankings
The(Times Higher Education) has been providing trusted performance data on universities for students and their families, academics, university leaders, governments, and industry since 2004.
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021> | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 301-350 | 301-350 | 301-350 | 251-300 | 251-300 | 201-250 |
TheGlobal Subject Rankings
| Subject | 2018 | 2019 | >2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arts & humanities | 251-300 | 251-300 | 301-400 | 251-300 | 251-300 | 251-300 |
| Business & economics | 251-300 | 201-250 | 201-250 | 251-300 | 251-300 | 201-250 |
| Clinical & health | 301-400 | 301-400 | 251-300 | 251-300 | 251-300 | 176-200 |
| Computer science | 251-300 | 201-250 | 176-200 | 201-250 | 201-250 | 176-200 |
| Education | 301-400 | 301-400 | 301-400 | 401-500 | 401-500 | 251-300 |
| Life sciences | 126-150 | 176-200 | 151-175 | 151-175 | 151-175 | 151-175 |
| Physical sciences | 401-500 | 301-400 | 301-400 | 301-400 | 301-400 | 251-300 |
| Psychology | 301-400 | 201-250 | 201-250 | 201-250 | 201-250 | 251-300 |
| Social sciences | 251-300 | 301-400 | 301-400 | 301-400 | 301-400 | 301-400 |
Shanghai Ranking's Academic Ranking of World Universities
The Academic Ranking of World Universities, also known as the Shanghai Ranking, is one of the annual publications of world university rankings. It was first published in 2003 by the Center for World-Class Universities at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China. Since 2009 the ARWU has been published annually and copyrighted by ShanghaiRanking Consultancy.
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 401-500 | 301-400 | 301-400 | 301-400 | 401-500 | 401-500 | 501-600 |
Global Rankings of Academic Subjects
U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings
U.S. News ranks institutions from the U.S. and more than 90 other countries based on 13 indicators measuring their academic research performance and global and regional reputations.
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 491 | 384 | 331 | 322 | 289 | 256 |
There are also rankings by subject available. Further data on UT is available.
NTU Rankings
The "Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers for World Universities" is released by National Taiwan University, and is also known as NTU Rankings. NTU Rankings provides World University Rankings, rankings by 6 fields, and rankings by 27 selected subjects.
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 456 | 423 | 459 | 446 | 387 | 404 | 377 |
Further data on UT is available.
Webometrics Ranking of World Universities
The "Webometrics Ranking of World Universities" is an initiative of the Cybermetrics Lab, a research group belonging to the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), the largest public research body in Spain. The Ranking Web is not a ranking of universities' websites but a ranking of universities. It uses webometric (all missions) and bibliometric (research mission) indicators.
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | >2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 447 | 445 | 428 | 440 | 426 | 433 | 461 |
CWTS Leiden Ranking
The CWTS Leiden Ranking offers important insights into the scientific performance of over 1200 major universities worldwide. The Leiden Ranking offers more advanced bibliometric indicators than other university rankings.
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 602 | 622 | 595 | 614 | 719 | 658 | 745 |
As a student who has completed this program, you will gain the ability to compare and analyze the factors that impact societal vulnerabilities and resilience across different contexts and societies.
You will develop the skills to evaluate the geopolitical context and its influence on vulnerabilities and disinformation. Additionally, you will learn to analyze the role of policy planning in enhancing societal resilience.
Understanding the main instruments and strategies used for the dissemination of disinformation will be a key aspect of your knowledge. This will enable you to plan appropriate and purposeful preventive and reactive interventions to effectively diminish the risks associated with disinformation.
In terms of communication ethics, you will become familiar with core principles and learn to weigh the effectiveness of different interventions. This understanding will help you make informed decisions regarding ethical communication practices.
Furthermore, you will delve into cyber security's juridical and technological aspects. You will assess and consider the role of cyber security in enhancing societal and organizational resilience, taking into account the legal and technological context in which it operates.
Upon completion, graduates will be awarded a Master of Arts in Social Sciences (Disinformation and Societal Resilience) and will find career opportunities in the public and third sectors. This includes positions in public institutions, agencies, and NGOs, specializing in strategic communication, policy analysis, impact assessment, cyber security, media, and information literacy through formal or non-formal education. As the field of strengthening democracies against disinformation continues to evolve, new and unforeseen career paths emerge each year.
To enhance practical skills, the program offers a four-week internship with our partner organizations actively combating information disorders. Through these internships, students gain firsthand knowledge of working processes and expand their professional network, providing invaluable connections for future work in the field.