What’s it like to study a Masters in Tartu?
Tartu is the oldest city in the Baltic states and was first mentioned in historical records as far back as 1030. Since then it has been under the control of various countries, including Germany, Poland, Sweden and Russia. In the 19th century, Tartu played an important role in the beginnings of the Estonian independence movement: along with University of Tartu, Estonia’s first national theatre and song festival made Tartu the centre of the ‘Estonian national awakening’.
Nowadays, Tartu continues to justify its reputation as Estonia’s cultural and intellectual capital, punching above its weight for a city of 96,000 people. Completed in 2016, the striking Estonian National Museum is two kilometres outside Tartu, occupying part of a former Soviet airfield and the site of Estonia’s first national museum, which was gutted by fire during the Second World War.
In the city itself, Masters students can visit the University of Tartu Museum and see how university life has changed from the 17th century to the present day. The university maintains several other historical institutions across Tartu, including the UNESCO-listed Old Observatory, the Natural History Museum and the Botanical Gardens.
As Estonia’s de facto street art capital, postgraduates wandering Tartu’s neighbourhoods will encounter plenty of whimsical and accomplished graffiti, often created by artists in co-operation with the city authorities. Traditional wooden houses are another unique feature of the Tartu urban landscape – predominantly found in the Supilinn (‘Soup-Town’) district, they give visitors an idea of what Tartu was like before the Second World War (many of the buildings pre-date the war).
Universities in Tartu
There are two public universities in Tartu. The largest is the University of Tartu, which has 14,000 students (1,300 of which are international). The University of Tartu offers plenty of Masters programmes in English, in subjects across the Humanities, Social Sciences, Science and Technology.
The Estonian University of Life Sciences is also based in Tartu, with English-taught programmes available in Veterinary Medicine and Landscape Architecture.
Careers in Tartu
Estonia has an excellent reputation for its advanced digital infrastructure and the city of Tartu is no different, providing a strong base for IT and web firms. The glass industry and biotechnology are other strengths.
Tartu’s status as Estonia’s most prestigious university town also means that the city plays host to the majority of the country’s research activity in areas like life sciences and medicine, as well as several dedicated research institutes.
Entrepreneurs and start-ups are welcome in Tartu, which encourages innovative businesses to invest in the city.
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