Admission to PhD Studies
Application deadline for PhD programmes
Please note that not all PhD study programmes have an intake in every admission period. The list of available study programmes will be published on the website.
Academic Requirements
Doctoral Level (PhD) applicants must have a Master's degree or corresponding qualifications. At least 60% of maximum possible results is expected in both Bachelor's and Master's in order to qualify for PhD studies at Tallinn University. A doctoral programme requires considerably more original work than a research Master's programme. The thesis should provide evidence that the candidate has not only made a substantial original contribution to his/her field, but also that he/she has in-depth knowledge of the specific area in which he/she has worked. The duration of Doctoral programmes is 4–8 years according to the Individual Study and Research Plan.
Tallinn University Requirements and Procedure for the Admission to Degree Studies
Required Documents:
MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH THE APPLICATION ON THE ONLINE APPLICATION SYSTEM BY THE APPLICATION DEADLINE*:
- Copy of a Bachelor’s degree certificate or certificate of a corresponding qualification + Transcript of Records/Academic Transcript (official translations are requested if the documents are not in English);
- Copy of a Master’s degree certificate or certificate of a corresponding qualification + Transcript of Records (official translations are requested if the documents are not in English);
- Copy of the identification page of passport;
- Proof of English language Proficiency;
- Curriculum Vitae;
- Thesis proposal signed by the prospective supervisor;
- Copy of a Sworn Affidavit to Confirmation of Name if the applicant's name stated in his/her passport differs from the name on any of the other required documents;
Please also read the country-specific requirements. There may be specific requirements of which documents need to be uploaded.
* Applicants will be given feedback in the online application system after the required documents have been submitted online and the application fee has been received. It is advised to submit the application and pay the application fee as soon as possible so as to have the chance to upload missing documents based on feedback by the Admission Specialists before the admission deadline.
SENDING DOCUMENTS BY POST:
Applicants who have successfully passed their admission exam, may be asked to send their educational documents to Tallinn University by post or by email. Specific instructions will be given by the admission specialists to each applicant individually via the online application system.
Whether any documents are required by post can also be determined by examining Tallinn University's country-specific requirements which may state, for example, that the applicant's Transcript of Records must be sent to Tallinn University by the awarding institution or that a document needs to be certified in a particular way.
Admission exams
A description of the admission exam can be found on the web site of the programme you are interested in.
Minimum programme enrolment threshold: 75 points out of 100.
Please note that the admission exam may include several parts. Academic units may establish a minimum positive result for the assessment of admission exams or their individual parts. The descriptions of its content, assessment criteria, and the proportions forming the total result of the admission exam are published on the programme’s website.
The academic unit has the right to deny a student candidate access to the next part of the exam if the candidate has not completed the previous part or has received a negative result for it.
The university has the right to ask the applicant to show identification with the purpose of identity verification and record entrance exams that take place via video call.
For further assistance, please contact the admissions office at admissions@tlu.ee.