Tallinn University offers three statuses of PhD places:

 

  • A Junior Research Fellow is a student and an employee of the university at the same time. The exact workload and nominal study time depends on Individual Study and Research Plan and can be from 4 to 6 years. Starting from September 1, 2025, the minimum salary by the workload 1,0 is 1900 euros per month.
  • A Doctoral Student has a status of a student. The nominal study time depends from Individual Study and Research Plan and can be from 4 to 8 years. A Doctoral Student is not entitled to receive a Doctoral Allowance nor the TLU Doctoral scholarship.  
  • A Knowledge Transfer Doctoral Fellow works in an external institution or in an enterprise where he/she performs duties related to the doctoral studies under an employment contract with a load of at least 0.5. The  knowledge transfer doctoral fellow has at least two supervisors, one of whom is from the company or institution where the research is carried out.  In addition to research work at the knowledge transfer partner, the knowledge transfer doctoral fellow must also participate in university teaching activities.

Available study places are shown on the programme's webpage. If the programme has places to a junior research fellow and a doctoral student statuses and the applicant wishes to apply to both places, an application must be submitted to both competitions on Dream Apply.

Application deadlines

Programmes (Autumn intake)

Programme Description Exam information Contact person
Information Society Technologies

Professional Learning and AI Literacy Readiness: A Cross-National Managerial Perspective on Teacher Capacity Building

29.10.2025, the time of the interview will be announced to each participant via e-mail 

Information about the entrance exam and the assessment is available on the programme's web page.

Kristel Viileberg

History Open topic

19.11.2025, the time of the interview will be announced to each participant via e-mail.

Information about the entrance exam and the assessment is available on the programme's web page.

Maris Peters
Studies of Cultures The Role of Urban and Rural Contexts and Time Dimensions Related to Non-growth and Sustainability Transitions

19.11.2025, the time of the interview will be announced to each participant via e-mail.

Information about the entrance exam and the assessment is available on the programme's web page.

Substantive questions: Tarmo Pikner

General questions:Maris Peters

Programmes (Winter intake)

Programme Topic Exam information Contact person
Sociology

Power, Disruption, and Dialogue: Comparative Analysis of Social Dialogue During the Twin Transition in Finland and Estonia

07.01.2026 via Zoom

The exact time and Zoom link will be sent by email to candidates invited to the interview after the application deadline.

Information about the entrance exam and the assessment is available on the programme's web page.

Triin Vendik

Studies of Cultures Soundscapes of Silence and Noise: Cultural Constructions of Auditory Experience in the Estonian Landscape

The exact time and place of the admission exam will be announced soon.

Information about the entrance exam and the assessment is available on the programme's web page.

Maris Peters
Studies of Cultures Indirect Speech in Estonian Prose until 1917

The exact time and place of the admission exam will be announced soon.

Information about the entrance exam and the assessment is available on the programme's web page.

Maris Peters

Minimum programme enrolment threshold: 75 points out of 100.

Changes may occur in the schedule.
Additional information

Phone (in English): 640 9234

E-mail: admissions@tlu.ee