Cheapest Tuition Masters Degree in Estonia and how to Apply

Estonia is a really beautiful and lovely country situated in northern Europe and neighbouring countries Finland, Latvia and Russia. This country has striking natural beauty and amazing seaside areas that show historical and modern contrasts. The universities here are low and cheap for international students. Estonia, became an EU member in 2004 and runs a modern market-based economy and currently has one of the highest per capita income levels in Central Europe and the Baltic region. It might interest you to know that Estonia is also a member of the Schengen Area and has been a proud member of the region since 2011. On top of that, Estonia’s economy has been booming ever since it adopted the euro as its official currency. The economy experienced a 7.6% growth in 2011, and that was five times the euro area average and at the moment is the only country with a budget that is in surplus in the Eurozone. With these astonishing stats, Estonia has become a respected member of the European Union and a role model for other EU countries.

As an ambitious and truly forward-thinking country, Estonia is popular in Europe for its various online based solutions and services, flat-rate tax system, nationwide e-voting, tweeting President Mr. Ilves and its open acceptance of new technologies. One of the prime examples of how far Estonia’s modern technology has evolved is Skype. It took four Estonian software developers to code a series of complex programmes to make the idea of free calls anywhere in the world translate to reality! The application as at now is free and is owned by Microsoft, still operates from the capital city of Tallinn.

Living in Estonia

If you decide to study in Estonia, you will be living in a super connected society, that has unlimited and free Wi-Fi service everywhere. Everyday activities are made easier with tons of IT solutions e.g: you can register a company in 18 minutes, purchase a cinema ticket with your mobile phone app, seamlessly park your car with a mobile device, pay for and register courses online etc. Entrepreneurial thinking and innovative solutions are highly sought after and welcomed in Estonia, which has a vibrant start-up community and is technically the Silicon Valley of Europe.

Tertiary education in this tiny EU community is of good value, with low tuition and affordable fee programmes, cheap living costs and scholarships designed for international students. As an international student in Estonia you can take advantage of several discounts and special promos designed specially for individuals, who are full time students. On top of that it is possible for international students to nicely combine their programs with part or full time job and use same to cover their living expenses during their studies.

Student living in Estonia is full of social and extracurricular activities and events. There are a number of organizations and events set up to help foreign students adjust and settle quickly into Estonian life and create a vibrant social network in the country. They put together a number of events for international students, such as excursions, company visits, trips and social gatherings, photo competitions, visiting the ballet, bike trips, quiz tournaments and lots more. On top of this, universities also house different student clubs and interest groups, that help to cultivate student`s unique identities and develop their special skills. At the start of each academic year universities put together a special event for all international students in order to provide practical help with studying and living in Estonia. New students are able to interact with their fellow students, tutors, faculty, staff, university buildings and the city, where they are about to start studying.

How to Apply for a Master’s in Estonia

If you’ve decided to study a Master’s degree at a university in Estonia, you will have to gather the right documents to prove that you fit the university requirements. Provide complete personal information, previous qualifications, financial information, and a personal statement.

What documents do I need to provide to Study in Estonia?

To apply to a university in Estonia you will be asked to provide some of the following documents:

birth certificate;
recent photos;
your passport or national identity card;
one or more reference letters from past employers or teachers;
copies of past diplomas or certificates, including your graduated Bachelor’s degree;
academic transcripts;
letter of intent;
Curriculum Vitae;
Some form of proof that you can support your stay in the country during your studies.

Based on your chosen Master’s course, you may be required to provide results for additional tests such as the GRE, GMAT or LSAT. So do well to check if your programme requires any of these, or others.

Another thing to note is that the list of documents will depend largely on specific requirements of universities in Estonia so it is possible you could be asked to include additional documents. It’s also likely you may be required to provide official English translations of your documents, or translations in the estonian language.

Prove your English skills

Since you’ll study an international degree in English, you’ll be required to present a language certificate. Some popular options for international students are IELTS, TOEFL or C1 Advanced language certificates. You are expected to meet a minimum language score prescribed by the university, and your test scores should not be older than 1-2 years. If for some reason you don’t meet the minimum language requirements, you will be required to improve your language skills and scores by taking an English preparation course.

Application deadlines for Estonia

The deadlines for applying to a Master’s degree in Estonia are usually during summer (June-July), or in winter (January-February). Please bear in mind that some universities do not have application deadlines, which means you can apply whenever you are ready.

In order to avoid delays or missed deadlines, please send your required documents in advance.

Tuition Cost

Doctoral studies in Estonia are for free. PhD students studying full time have the right to receive a monthly stipend of 383.47€. Ask more specifically about the scholarship opportunities from the university coordinators.

Scholarships for Visiting PHD Students at Estonian Universities

These scholarship funds are designed to cover research and study visits for a period of 1-10 months by international PhD students coming to Estonian universities regardless of the course work. This stipend will take care of study allowance (383,47€ per month), travel cost (according to the unit price), residential cost, health insurance, mobility expenses (up to 260€ per month) plus study and research expenses of the visiting Doctoral international student. Please note that applicants are expected to be enrolled in a doctoral degree program at a legitimate educational institution in another country. For more info on eligibility requirements, deadlines and application, please connect with your university in Estonia.