University of Tartu

About

Located in Tartu, Estonia, the University of Tartu is the country's premier centre of research and higher education, renowned globally for its strengths in computer science, medicine, and semiotics. The university offers a wide selection of fully English-taught bachelor's and master's degree programs, making it an increasingly popular destination for global learners. International students benefit from a dedicated International Student Service and active organizations like the Erasmus Student Network, which provide comprehensive support with housing, visas, and social integration. Set in Estonia's intellectual capital, the campus experience is enriched by historic university traditions blending seamlessly with a vibrant, student-friendly digital society. A distinctive characteristic of the institution is its historic university main building, an architectural masterpiece of classicism that anchors the lively, youth-centric atmosphere of the entire city.

Background

The University of Tartu (Estonian: Tartu Ülikool) is a public research university in Tartu, Estonia. It is the national university of Estonia, as well as the largest and oldest university in the country. The university was founded in 1632 by Gustavus Adolphus, at the time the king of Sweden. Currently, 15,573 students study at the university, of whom 1,435 are foreigners (9%). Most of the curriculum is instructed in Estonian. There are also 30 programmes taught in English: three at the undergraduate level and 27 at the master's level, including the Erasmus Mundus programme in Excellence in Analytical Chemistry. The historical buildings of the university are included in the European Heritage Label list as "embodiment of the ideas of a university in the Age of Enlightenment". The university is a member of the Coimbra Group and the Utrecht Network. The mascot of the university is a blue bird called Tiksu.

Quick facts

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