MScUrban Studies
| Study location | Estonia, Tallinn |
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| Type | Postgraduate, full-time |
| Nominal duration | 2 years (120 ECTS) |
| Study language | English |
| Awards | MSc (Master of Science in Engineering) |
| Course code | 3356 |
| Tuition fee | €2,100 per year |
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| Application fee | €80 one-time Application fee is non-refundable. |
| Entry qualification | Undergraduate diploma (or higher) Suitable MSc candidate has a bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification in architecture, landscape architecture, geography, construction, art history, sociology, urban planning, political science, or other arts & humanities fields. NB! Students graduating in the summer of 2025 who are unable to submit their educational documents (diploma and transcript of records) before the deadline are required to submit their latest transcript of records containing their current grades, and a written confirmation (email, certificate etc) from their educational institution stating that educational documents will be issued to graduates no lather than at the end of June 2025. The entry qualification documents are accepted in the following languages: English / Estonian. NB! All the required documents, including the English language proficiency certificate, have to be submitted with the application by March 3rd 2025. Upload the educational documents digitally to the application. – Bachelor’s degree certificate or equivalent, and its translation into Estonian or English (both the copy and translation have to be attested). NB! Translations are only requested if documents are not in English or Estonian. Both the copies of documents in their original language and translations have to be attested. – Transcript of records, and its translation into Estonian or English (both the copy and translation have to be attested). NB! Translations are only requested if documents are not in English or Estonian. Both the copies of documents in their original language and translations have to be attested. Detailed information about suitable qualifications and required documents can be found on the following links: Please note that only accepted applicants will be required to send physical copies of their educational documents by post to EKA (by post or courier services, like DHL, FedEx etc). More specific instructions will be provided to each applicant individually, so please do not send any documents by post unless you have been asked to do so. NB! We do not accept original documents, self-attested copies, photocopies or printouts! |
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| Language requirements | English NB! All the required documents, including the English language proficiency certificate, have to be submitted with the application by March 3rd 2025. EKA accepts the following international language tests as proof of English language proficiency. Here are the minimum requirements set by EKA: – TOEFL ITP: min 543 State exams in English taken in Estonia, Finland or Latvia: Upload the certificate digitally to the application. NB! We accept language certificates for up to two years after they are issued. WAIVING ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS English proficiency test may only be waived if the applicant meets one of the following requirements: – The applicant has completed their secondary education, bachelor’s or master’s degree taught fully in English in one of the following countries: EU/EEA member states, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or United Kingdom. The applicant must have resided in the mentioned country while doing their studies. Please also note that the transcript of records must include that studies were conducted fully in English. – The applicant has studied for at least one academic year as a full-time student (obtaining a minimum of 45 ECTS with positive results) in English in an institution of higher education in one of the following countries: EU/EEA member states, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or United Kingdom. NB! We will only accept certificates issued by educational institutions if the waiver criteria is met. |
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| Other requirements | A motivation letter must be added to your application. Motivational letter (500 words max) should explain how you understand the terms “city,” “urbanism,” and “urbanization”. How does your education/experience prepare you for the programme? How would you benefit from, and contribute to, the program? Discuss. A relevant portfolio is required. Sample of your previous work can be one of the following: REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: NB! All the required documents, including the English language proficiency certificate, have to be submitted with the application by March 3rd 2025. • copy of your bachelor’s degree certificate or equivalent • copy of your transcript of records • English language proficiency certificate • copy of the data page of your passport or ID-card • CV (max 3 pages) • Motivation letter • Sample of your previous work The selection process has two rounds. First, the candidates are evaluated on the basis of their CV, previous study performance, motivation letter, and architectural/urban design portfolio or/and writing sample. The application should demonstrate intellectual curiosity and an imaginative grasp of the urban question. We require that the candidates have a strong academic record, and a clear idea of how their education and experience have prepared them for the urban studies program. They will display that they can think independently and work collaboratively, and pursue studies across urban theory and design. It is necessary to have a good command of the English language. Shortlisted candidates are then invited for an interview on March 20, 2025. NB! The exact interview time for each candidate will be announced to him/her via DreamApply a few days ahead. More information www.artun.ee/en/curricula/urban-studies/admissions/ |
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Overview
As events and transformations of the recent decades have forcefully shown, the urban question permeates all major social, economic and political developments of today. The two-year Master’s programme in Urban Studies critically engages with the wide-ranging manifestation of contemporary urbanity. What shapes have the processes of urbanisation assumed today? How are urban spaces produced?
The programme is situated at the trans-disciplinary crossroad of urban studies, urbanism and urban planning, architecture theory, sociology, urban ethnography and geography.
The education prepares students to engage with urban issues at the intersection between design practice, political practice and theoretical knowledge (urban design, urban and spatial planning, state and municipal policy making, public expertise, community advocacy, social activism, academic and practice-based research). Our graduates work in public administrations, urbanism-focused NGOs, architecture design offices, private consultancies and advocacy organisations. The programme also prepares graduates for further study at the PhD level.
Additional information: www.artun.ee/en/admissions/masters/admissions/
“Growing up in Lasnamäe, I have always been attentive to its inhabitants and dynamics. During my studies in the Urban Studies Master’s programme at EKA, this initial interest crystallised into a more coherent set of ideas and steps. I started the Lasnaidee project, organising community events and struggling to change the negative image associated with the neighbourhood. The studies helped me understand that beneath this image one finds valuable public spaces and rich everyday life. With the Urban Lab, I organised guided walks where experts and visitors can see this for themselves. I am continuously engaged with the issues of cooperation and community organisation, and I have recently become more involved with the planning process itself. While perhaps less colorful, planning is key for the just and equitable development of a city.”
Maria Derlõš
MA Urban Studies ‘15
Founder of Lasnaidee
Programme structure
Knowledge and skills
The broad themes of the first three semesters are: 1) key concepts in urban studies, urban history; 2) urban scenarios and urban agenda setting; and 3) urban regeneration, the logic of urban interventions. The fourth semester is reserved for the Master’s Thesis project and Master Studio.
Structure of the Curriculum
Pedagogically, the curriculum consists of:
- lectures courses, in which key debates in contemporary urban and architectural theory is presented,
- reading seminars, where students are engaged in critical discussion of these debates,
- projects (the core element of the programme), in which students learn how to deal with real situations, engage in them, analyse and propose solutions; a wide range of methods is introduced, including interventions, research, creative planning, urban design, urban management, and scenario planning;
- invited guest lecturers, in which bring the projects are complemented with the up-to-date knowledge from the field of urban design practice;
- annually changing intensive modules on topical themes; these modules are shared between first and second year MA students, helping the two groups integrate,
- excursions to cities in the Baltic Sea Region and Europe, where studied theoretical and design problems can be grasped in situ and in transnational perspective.
In many courses, Urban Studies students work in collaboration with students of architecture and urban landscapes. The student groups are small, and there are more contact hours per credit than in most comparable programmes.