MAPhilosophy
| Study location | Estonia, Tartu |
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| Type | Postgraduate, full-time |
| Nominal duration | 2 years |
| Study language | English |
| Awards | MA |
| Tuition fee | €4,000 per year There are 8 tuition waivers available for top-ranked applicants in 2025, including 4 tuition waivers for EU/EEA/Swiss applicants, 4 tuition waivers for other applicants (regardless of citizenship). More information on tuition fees is available at www.ut.ee/tuition. NB! Applicants who are not citizens of EU/EEA/Switzerland must pre-pay half of the first semester’s tuition-fee after receiving an admission offer. |
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| Application fee | €100 one-time Application fee is non-refundable. |
| Entry qualification | Undergraduate diploma (or higher) Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification (must be obtained by the end of July) – for country-specific document requirements please see www.ut.ee/country-specific. Please be sure to check further information and our step-by-step application guide at www.ut.ee/philosophy. The entry qualification documents are accepted in the following languages: English / Estonian. |
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| Language requirements | English All applicants must comply with our English language requirements. The only acceptable English tests and exempt categories are specified at www.ut.ee/requirements. |
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| Other requirements | A motivation letter must be added to your application. Please upload the final version of the motivation letter before submitting the application. It can not be edited after the application is submitted. The motivation letter must be written in English and be 400-650 words long. We advise you to familiarise yourself with the master’s programme of Philosophy before writing the letter. The motivation letter is used to evaluate the applicant’s motivation to study in the Philosophy master’s programme. With this in mind, please address the following questions in the letter: How do your interests, previous education and/or working experience (if applicable) make you suitable for the master’s programme in Philosophy? How are your future plans and goals related to your intention to join the master’s programme in Philosophy? Which research topics are you most interested in? Please indicate at least one research topic which might be suitable for your master’s thesis topic and indicate why it would be suitable for that purpose. The motivation letter will be evaluated according to the following criteria: Compatibility of interests (including research topics), previous education and/or work experience with the goals of the programme (50%); The extent to which the candidate makes clear and convincing a) that the candidate has a broader plan of which the master’s programme is a carefully selected part, and b) how the master’s programme is instrumentally useful to pursuit of this plan (30%); Lucidity and self-expression (20%). A writing sample must be added to your application In addition to the motivation letter, you are also required to submit a writing sample. The writing sample should be a self-contained text which showcases the properties against which it will be evaluated (see below). This means it should, ideally, be an argumentative text, which provides a compelling defence of a claim. It need not be a paper from a philosophy course—though such papers fall into the genre we expect of the writing sample. It may be drawn from another area of study or work. But, again, if you want to receive a good score for your writing sample, it should exhibit the properties against which it will be evaluated. The limit for the word count is 2000-3000 words. The first page of the essay must include the following information: your name, date of completion of the writing sample, and a word count. NB! The admissions committee will not read any essay that turns out to be longer than 3000 words. The evaluation criteria for the writing sample are: Clarity of structure and readability (45%); Problem setting and quality of argumentation (45%); Use and reference of appropriate literature and terminology (10%). Interview An interview is conducted with applicants who have passed the evaluation of the motivation letter and writing sample. The duration of the interview is 20 min and it is conducted in English via the Internet. The interviews will take place on April 7-17, 2025. The interview is designed to determine the applicant’s readiness for continuous learning, professional development, and aptitude to study in the master’s programme. The applicant will be evaluated according to the following criteria: Understanding of what Philosophy is: of the areas of research it includes, of the methods that are employed, of the criteria philosophers judge each other’s work by, of recent developments in the area of philosophy of most interest to the applicant; Readiness for continuous learning and professional development; Skills in analysis, argumentation, and self-expression. General information regarding the online admission interview The University of Tartu uses different video communication programmes to conduct an online interview (Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Skype). The admissions committee will notify you, which software programme will be used and when does the interview take place. The applicant needs the following for the online interview: At the online interview: For further information on the motivation letter, writing sample and interview please see www.ut.ee/philosophy. |
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| More information |
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Overview
In 2024, we introduced significant reform to the master’s programme in Philosophy, effective from the 2025/2026 academic year, including a planned name change to Philosophy in Practice. The programme’s official name will change in 2026, aligning with the graduation of students who enrolled in 2024. While you will apply under the current name, Philosophy, the programme will be renamed Philosophy in Practice during your studies. Graduates will receive a Master of Arts in Humanities degree titled Philosophy in Practice. Although the name remains unchanged for now, the updated programme content is already in place. Read more about the reform here .
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.
Why study Philosophy in Practice at the University of Tartu?
- The University of Tartu is ranked among the top 300 universities in the world for Arts and Humanities.
- Join a diverse transdisciplinary community that welcomes candidates from a wide range of academic backgrounds.
- Hone your argumentation, analytical, and critical communication skills by applying them to the practical challenges facing the world today.
- Put your newly acquired skills and knowledge immediately to work through the curriculum’s built-in internship.
- Broaden your skills and knowledge beyond philosophy with transdisciplinary courses that develop complementary skills and knowledge in areas such as data analysis (both quantitative and qualitative), new media, green politics, social memory, artificial intelligence, and more.
Programme structure
Please see the programme structure here .
Career opportunities
The master’s programme in Philosophy in Practice equips students with strong analytical, argumentative, and communication skills, as well as a thorough understanding of contemporary philosophical ideas and debates on a wide range of topics. Each of these topics is relevant to issues of practical significance, and the programme delivers this training to an exceptionally high standard. On average, 50% of our graduates secure funded doctoral positions at institutions worldwide.
The programme is structured to support two primary career pathways:
– Academic Career Pathway: Graduates can use their training as a foundation for further academic study, such as pursuing a doctoral degree in philosophy or a related field.
– Non-Academic Career Pathway: Many of our graduates successfully transition into careers beyond academia, applying the skills gained in the programme to fields such as policy, consulting, journalism, and more.
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