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 5 tuition waivers available for top ranked applicants (regardless of citizenship) in 2025. 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.
Application fee	€100 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 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/folkheritage. 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 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 is used to evaluate the applicant’s motivation to study in the programme “Folkloristics and Applied Heritage Studies”. We strongly advise you to familiarise yourself with the content and structure of the programme before writing the letter of motivation. The letter (5000-6000 characters with spaces) must be written in English and address the following questions: • Why are you applying to this master’s programme? • How does your educational, professional and/or other relevant background make you a suitable candidate for this programme? • Which specialisation and/or topic(s) would you like to focus on and why? • How do you see your future after graduation from this master’s programme? How does this programme contribute to the achievement of your professional goals? • Other information about you that you consider relevant in the context of this master’s programme. You may attach up to five files illustrating your previous work discussed in the letter of motivation (fieldwork, crafts, exhibitions organised, etc.). The files are to be uploaded via DreamApply application system. Evaluation criteria: • reasoning in describing research interests and professional goals (max 40%); • fit between the applicant’s background and the content and goals of the programme (max 30%); • analytical, argumentation and self-expression skills (max 30%). Applicants who receive a positive evaluation result result (at least 51 points) for their motivation letter are invited to the second stage, admission interview. Admission 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 applicant will be evaluated according to the following criteria: • motivation and fields of interests pointed out in the motivation letter (max 30%); • fit between the applicant’s goals and those of the programme (max 30%); • skills in analysis, argumentation, and self-expression in English (max 30%); • readiness for continuous learning and professional development (max 10%). The minimum positive score for the admission interview is 51 points. The duration of the interview is 20 min and it is conducted in English via Zoom. Interviews will be scheduled for 17 April 2025. For further information please see the programme’s website.

More information	ut.ee/folkheritage

Overview

“Folkloristics and Applied Heritage Studies” is one of the few master’s programmes to offer a specialisation in the study and application of the heritage of crafts. Students develop a solid basis in the study of folklore and critical heritage studies as well as many transferable skills, which enables them to:

• unpack the process of heritage production and the workings of tradition in the context of cultural diversity and change;
• act as a mediator between different interest groups in the field of intangible cultural heritage;
• recognise and ethically apply cultural heritage as a resource in the public and non-governmental sectors, crafts, product design, tourism and various other areas of life.

This programme opened in 2017 with the mission of training specialists, who are well versed in scholarly approaches to folk culture and cultural heritage, and competent to use this expertise creatively in academia and beyond. Heritage has emerged as a key category shaping the ways in which individuals, communities and regional as well as state-level actors relate to the past and imagine the future, while making and re-making themselves in the present. As more states worldwide join the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the need grows for specialists capable of analysing cultural heritage and using it responsibly as a social and economic resource.

The programme is affiliated with the UNESCO Chair on Applied Studies of Intangible Cultural Heritage, established as part of the Institute for Cultural Research in 2019. Only eight UNESCO Chairs dedicated to intangible cultural heritage have been established so far and the UNESCO Chair on Applied Studies of Intangible Cultural Heritage at the University of Tartu is one of them.

The aim of the UNESCO Chair is to conduct research on cultural heritage, prepare students for their future in the field of cultural heritage, and collaborate with heritage professionals near and far. More information about the UNESCO Chair and its activities can be found here.

Why study Folkloristics and Applied Heritage Studies?
• There is a growing need for cultural heritage and policy specialists as more states worldwide join the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
• UT hosts UNESCO Chair on Applied Studies of Intangible Cultural Heritage, one of the eight chairs in the world.
• One of the few master’s programmes in the world to offer a specialisation in the study and application of the heritage of crafts.
• International meetings, autumn and winter schools, guest lectures, internships, exhibitions, cooperation with memory institutions and enterprises allow you to gain practical experience. You will get individual mentoring to develop your academic and professional career.
• After graduation, you can work as a mediator between communities, officials, enterprises, memory institutions, plan and carry out research and business projects related to cultural heritage.

Programme structure

Please see the programme structure in our Study Information System

Career opportunities

Upon completing the programme, students have acquired valuable analytical, writing and communication skills as well as multifaceted practical experiences that they can apply in many areas in the public and non-governmental sectors as well as in business. This programme trains experts in folk culture who are knowledgeable about the functions and application opportunities of tangible and intangible cultural heritage and familiar with processes of cultural policy.

Graduates are capable of guiding the development of the field and acting as mediators between communities, officials, enterprises, memory institutions and other participants in the process of heritage production. They are able to plan and carry out research and business projects pertaining to cultural heritage. As more states worldwide join the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the need grows for such specialists capable of analysing cultural heritage and using it responsibly as a social and economic resource. Graduates also are qualified to continue their studies at doctoral level.