Study location	Estonia, Tartu
Type	Postgraduate, full-time
Nominal duration	2 years
Study language	English
Awards	MA

Tuition fee	€4,000 per year There are 7 tuition-waivers available for top ranked applicants in 2020/21, including 1 tuition-waiver for EU/EEA/Swiss applicants, 6 tuition-waivers for other applicants. More information on tuition fees is available at www.ut.ee/tuition-fees.
Application fee	€50 one-time Application fee is non-refundable. Further information: www.ut.ee/application-fee

Entry qualification	Undergraduate diploma (or higher) Bachelor’s degree or equivalent – for country-specific document requirements please see www.ut.ee/country-specific. Please be sure to check further information on required documents and our step-by-step application guide at www.flfi.ut.ee/admission-semiotics. The entry qualification documents are accepted in the following languages: English / Estonian.

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.

Other requirements

A motivation letter must be added to your application. Please write a brief motivation letter (in English, maximum of 4600 characters with spaces) based on the following points: • describe what skills and knowledge you have acquired through previous education and working experience; • analyze how the master’s programme in Semiotics can contribute to your personal development; • describe your current ideas about a research topic you would like to focus on during your master’s studies Evaluation criteria: • motivation and general aptitude for studies in Semiotics • analytical and argumentation skills Applicants with a positive result, 51% of the maximum score for the motivation letter are invited to the second stage, the interview. Interview Each applicant who is invited to the second stage will be contacted personally for further details about the interview. 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 interviewee will be evaluated based on the following conversation topics: -Motivation and fields of interests pointed out in the motivation letter; -Acquaintance with the field of Semiotics; -Readiness for continuous learning and professional development; -Skills in analysis, argumentation, and self-expression in English. The duration of the interview is 20 min and it is conducted in English either in person or online. The interviews will be scheduled in cooperation with qualifying candidates after March 15 when the motivation letters have been evaluated.

More information	ut.ee/semiotics

Overview

The 2-year MA programme in Semiotics provides interdisciplinary background and gives a theoretical base for application of semiotic ideas to a wide variety of disciplines and scientific study. The programme binds together the general theory of semiotics and three research fields – cultural semiotics, biosemiotics and sociosemiotics.

The tradition of excellence in semiotic theory in Tartu was established already in 1960’s by Juri Lotman, the most prominent member of the Tartu-Moscow School. He established also the oldest still published journal of semiotics, Sign Systems Studies. Institute of Philosophy and Semiotics is also proud of the memorial library of Thomas A. Sebeok, one of the world leaders of 20th century semiotics, which provides an excellent research basis.

Independent of the object of inquiry, whether in the humanities or the hard sciences, semiotics provides the tools for rendering explicit the observer-dependent status of inquiry. Thus, the graduate studies in semiotics in Tartu are a good continuation of education and research practice for students form various backgrounds.

Career opportunities

Excellent international career prospects:

• Graduates can apply their expertise in the professions that require a complex knowledge of cultural analysis, i.e. semiotic consulting companies, marketing or media.
• Practical applications of semiotics include translation and science writing, design and architecture, advertising, and communication strategies.
• Employees of international organizations, e.g. embassies, where tolerance and conflict management skills are vital, can improve their professional education.
• Programme graduates can continue on to doctoral studies and research. Semiotics is particularly relevant to advanced study in the life sciences, where biosemiotic understanding and semiotical interpretation is proving to be of remarkable value