Chemical and Physical Sciences
Doctoral study
15 November
30 November
15 December
10 February
Main intake is on 1–15 May. Additionally, there may be an intake for some specialisations on 1–15 February, 15–30 September or 15–30 November.
Physics and Chemistry PhD programme includes Physics, Chemistry, Space Research and Technology specialisations. When completing the specialisations covered by the programme, it is possible to participate in solving many major problems affecting humanity, from global problems in energy and climate change to finding out the secrets of the universe and the microworld. By completing the programme, it is possible to acquire skills for operating in an academic environment as well as in business and develop cooperation in international consortia. Doctoral students can do their doctoral work in a modern teaching and research building of Physicum, Chemicum and Tartu Observatory.
The doctoral programme in Chemical and Physical Sciences includes three specialisations:
1. Physics (coordinated by the Institute of Physics)
2. Chemistry (coordinated by Institute of Chemistry)
3. Space Research and Technology (coordinated by the Tartu Observatory)
The specialisation of Physics (coordinated by the Institute of Physics) allows you to devote yourself to research in very different fields of physics in the study of the nature of the universe and the microworld, in particle physics, in the development of climate models, in photonics, in the development of chips and sensors, in materials research, in medical physics.
In the field of Chemistry (coordinated by the Institute of Chemistry), it is possible to engage in analytical chemistry, molecular technology, chemical physics, physical chemistry, electrochemistry, organic and bioorganic chemistry, inorganic chemistry and colloid and environmental chemistry during doctoral studies. In the process, it is possible to apply the student´s own knowledge in the design of high-efficiency materials and technologies, in the development of energy sources and energy storage devices, in the design of novel materials and bioactive substances, and to participate in the promotion of chemical education.
Space Research and Technology (coordinated by the Tartu Observatory) major offers opportunities for doctoral studies in astronomy in the field of cosmology and galactic physics and stellar physics, in space technology for the extension of human activity into space and remote monitoring of vegetation, atmosphere and water bodies using satellites and drones.
The most important role in obtaining a PhD degree is research, which is supplemented by studies to acquire the necessary competencies for a doctoral student in the amount of 30 ECTS. In the learning activity module, it is possible to develop professional knowledge (18 ECTS) and transferable skills (12 ECTS). The purpose of acquiring professional knowledge is to support the doctoral student's research project, and based on this, the choice of these subjects is related to the doctoral student's research topics. In the training of transferable skills, it is mandatory to take the subject "Introduction to PhD studies in natural and exact sciences" in the field of space research and technology, but the remaining subjects and training can be freely chosen according to the wishes and needs of the doctoral student. Based on the PhD student's individual plan, their progress is assessed at least once a year during regular attestation. To complete the program, an original PhD thesis must be written and its results must be presented at a public defense.
Curriculum version:
More info: Study Information System
Admission requirements for Chemical and Physical Sciences
- Master’s degree or equivalent qualification
This means that your master’s degree should enable you to apply for doctoral studies in the education system in which you received the master’s degree. However, there might be differences between higher education systems and access requirements to PhD programmes in different countries. To apply to the University of Tartu, your qualification should correspond to a master’ degree in the Estonian higher education system.
- English language proficiency - please make sure you also meet our language requirements.
Citizens of the Russian Federation who, under the legislation of the Republic of Estonia, cannot apply for a long-stay visa or residence permit to study or do not have a valid legal basis to stay in the Republic of Estonia until the end of the curriculum’s standard period of study are not eligible to apply to the University of Tartu in the 2024/2025 academic year.
According to the current legislation, citizens of Belarus can apply for Estonian long-term visa or temporary residence permit for studies and are therefore eligible to apply to the University of Tartu.
There is a set list of thesis projects, which applicants must choose from. It is not possible to apply with your own topic during the application period. The list of projects for the main intake is published by 15 April. If you wish to propose your own topic, it is advised to find a supervisor earlier and reach a prior agreement.
The main admission period is on 1-15 May. In addition, admission for some specialisations may take place on 1-15 February, 15-30 September or 15-30 November.
See the topics and admission details for November 2024 intake on the open calls webpage
Evaluation of applicants
All candidates must submit a motivation letter and CV with their application in the Dreamapply application system. Candidates are evaluated in two stages:
- After the application deadline, the Admissions Commitee evaluates the motivation letters. They are assessed on a scale of 0 to 50 points, minimum positive score is at least 35 points.
- Applicants whose motivation letter is assessed positively will be invited to the interview. International applicants who cannot be present at the interview in Tartu, may conduct an online interview. Applicants will be informed of their interview date and time by the respective faculty. Minimum positive score is at least 35 points out of 50.
The maximum final score is 100 points. Based on the number of available study places, the best applicant(s) acording to the admissions ranking receive the admission offers.
Motivation letter
Applicants must indicate in DreamApply which project they apply for. You can apply for one study place only. Please write a brief motivation letter (in English, maximum of 6000 characters with spaces) based on the following points:
- Why are you interested in this PhD project, explain your choice.
- What is your previous experience in this field? Explain how your educational and professional background relates to the project you are applying to.
- What are the analytical/scientific methods you have practiced.
- Describe briefly the methods and main results of your MSc thesis.
- Decribe your earlier research activities, including research publications and conference presentations, if available.
Assessment criteria for motivation letter:
- motivation and argumentation of skills and the choice of the project
- relevant study and work experience and other relevant activities (publications, project management etc.) as required to present in the motivation letter.
Interview
During the entrance interview conducted by the committee, the applicant must describe his/her motivation to start the PhD studies on this particular project, the wider scientific background of the doctoral project and possible applicability of the results.
The entrance interview is used to assess the following:
- knowledge of the wider scientific background of the project and possible application of the expected results
- applicant’s motivation to pursue doctoral studies in the relevant field of science and to work in this field
- wider analytical and generalization skills regarding the research and study topics.
How to apply
International applicants can apply online via the DreamApply application system. The application form is open during the application period and you must upload all required documents there by the application deadline. If you fail to submit the documents by the deadline, your application is not considered for admission and we do not process it further. You can only apply for one study place.
If you apply with a master´s degree obtained in Estonia, you can apply via SAIS or DreamApply (see details below).
All documents listed below must be uploaded to your DreamApply application by the application deadline. Documents submitted after the deadline are not accepted.
- online application
Complete the application form in DreamApply and submit it by the application deadline.
- motivation letter
You will find guidelines on how to prepare the motivation letter in the section "Motivation letter and entrance interview requirements"
- education documents in their original language
The following documents are required:
- official copies of both bachelor's and master's diplomas
- bachelor's and master's diploma supplements (transcripts/mark sheets, including the description of the grading scale)
Please see our country-specific requirements as well. There may be special requirements for education documents depending on the country in which study took place.
- official translations of both bachelor´s and master´s diplomas and diploma supplements into English
Translations are not required if the university issued these documents in English. As certified translations we consider
1) official translations made by the issuing institution (university) bearing their original signature, stamp, etc., or
2) translations made and certified by a sworn translator (or certified by a notary).
- proof of English language proficiency
This applies to all international applicants. A language certificate must be submitted by the application deadline. If you need to take an accepted English language test, the test must be taken by the application deadline.
- copy of passport page stating the applicant’s personal particulars
Your passport must be valid during the application period.
- curriculum vitae
You will find an example form here. You can format your CV differently, but it must reflect all the points given in the sample file.
Submitted applications can not be edited. It is only possible to upload new documents (e.g. graduation certificates). Applicants will receive feedback and notifications through the DreamApply system to their e-mail. Incomplete applications or those submitted by e-mail will not be considered for admission.
Guide to submitting electronic application on DreamApply.
Applying if you have not yet graduated
It is possible to apply even if you have not finished the master's studies yet. Graduation documents must be submitted at least two weeks before the start of studies.
When applying, submit your most recent official transcript of records by the required deadline along with the rest of the required documents. The master's diploma and diploma supplement (transcript) must be submitted as soon as possible after completing the studies.
Evaluation of your previous qualification
We will assess your qualification during the application period and may send your education documents to the Estonian ENIC/NARIC (Academic Recognition Information Centre) for evaluation at any stage of the application process. The official evaluation at the ENIC/NARIC Centre takes about 30 days. If the evaluation is negative and your qualification does not give you access to PhD studies in Estonia, we cannot admit you to doctoral studies at the University of Tartu and will withdraw the admission offer, if you have received one.
We start processing all applications after the application deadline; you will receive feedback on your application in DreamApply. Processing applications takes time, and we kindly ask you to be patient. During the main intake in May we are able to give feedback to all applicants within three weeks after the application deadline. During other periods you will receive feedback one week after the application deadline.
Please note that applications with deficiencies will be rejected and will not be considered for admission. The decisions on applications will be made based on the electronic copies uploaded to DreamApply.
Evaluation by the Admissions Commission
If you have uploaded all the required documents to DreamApply by the deadline and meet our admission requirements, your application will be forwarded to the Admissions Commission for evaluation. If your motivation letter receives a positive score, you will be invited to attend an entrance interview (online video interview for international applicants). The respective institute will send you the exact time of the interview a few days before the interview date.
Admission results (including offers) will be announced to all applicants personally via DreamApply. Admitted candidates have seven days to accept or decline the offer in the application system. The university may withdraw the admission offer if the admitted student fails to inform the university of his or her decision by the stipulated deadline.
Admission offers are conditional. This means that the applicant needs to fulfil certain conditions in order to be admitted (for example, send application documents by post, obtain the required level of education). If the conditions are not met, the admission offer can be withdrawn.
The university reserves the right to withdraw or amend any offer or revoke the matriculation of a student if it becomes evident that the application contains fraudulent information, the qualification does not provide access to the chosen study programme, the student is found to have omitted key information from the application or a long-term visa or a residence permit for study is not issued to the applicant. Should such circumstances occur, the university will not be liable for any material or immaterial loss suffered by the student as a result.
All admitted students are required to send application documents by post to: Student Admissions, University of Tartu, Ülikooli 18-132, Tartu 50090, ESTONIA.
The package must include:
- a printed and signed application from DreamApply
Please see guidelines - officially certified copies of diplomas and transcripts/diploma supplements (bachelor's and master's, guidelines below)
Please check if you have to follow country-specific requirements when sending education documents - official translations of both bachelor´s and master´s diplomas and transcripts/diploma supplements into English (if applicable)
- simple copy of passport credentials page
- simple copy of English language certificate
You may send the hard copies of the application documents by the application deadline. This allows us to process the documents earlier, and if you get admitted, the following process will be smoother.
However, you can also prepare the documents and postpone mailing them until you receive the conditional admission offer. If you are admitted, send the documents in the fastest possible way (by courier), making sure they arrive within two weeks. If you choose this option, please prepare the certified copies in advance so that you can send them out at once if necessary. Getting your documents properly certified can take quite a while. If the documents do not arrive on time, the university has the right to withdraw the admission offer.
Applicants will be informed when their documents have arrived. Please note that the documents are first delivered to the university´s Postal Service and are taken to our office once a day. If you see that your documents have reached the University of Tartu, it does not necessarily mean we have already started processing your documents. Please be patient and wait until you receive a notification via DreamApply, confirming that we have started processing your documents. Please note that the application documents will not be returned.
All copies of education documents (diplomas and diploma supplements/transcripts) must be officially certified. Certified copies should bear an original signature and seal of the certifying authority stating that they are true copies of the original.
The documents can be certified either:
- by an authorised official from the issuing institution
- by a notary
- with an Apostille attached.
Please note that the university does not accept simple copies of original documents or copies of certified copies. Some country-specific requirements also specify the way documents must be certified.
Never send us your original degree certificates, as documents sent by post may get lost and application documents will not be returned. Only send attested copies of degree certificates.
The official admission letter will be sent to admitted students electronically via DreamApply only after the admissions office has received and reviewed hard copies of the application documents and received the evaluation from the Estonian ENIC/NARIC Centre (if applicable).
NB! The electronic admission letter is also sufficient for non-EU students for applying for visa at an Estonian embassy.
If you have been offered a doctoral student place with a state-funded junior research fellow position at the University of Tartu, you need to sign a work contract. The junior research fellow's salary is comparable to the Estonian average and corresponds to the minimum salary rate of junior research fellows at the University of Tartu (which is in 2024 1,830 euros per month for full-time work, net salary ca. 1450 euros).
You will be contacted regarding the contract by the faculty in a few weeks after accepting the study offer.
Junior research fellows are generally expected to study and work full-time from the time announced on the open call webpage. The exact workload and starting date will be agreed during the contract negotiations. If the university and the applicant fail to reach an agreement on the conditions of the employment contract within one month from accepting the student place, the university has a right to revoke the admission decision. As a general rule, junior research fellows must arrive in Tartu by the beginning of studies and work. Non-EU students also need to have a valid D (long-stay) visa or temporary residence permit (TRP) to stay in Estonia legally.
Once the admission letter has been issued, admitted students may proceed with arranging their arrival.
All non-EU students should first consult information on the process of visa and temporary residence permit application to know where and when to apply for the relevant documents.
Note that housing at the UT dormitories can be applied for during a limited period only, unless specified otherwise on the website. For housing alternatives please find further information on Tartu Welcome Centre website.
Travel information can be found here.
Based upon common queries, the most important information has been summarised into a pre-arrival information website UT Getting Started.
Beginning of your studies
If you apply in February or May, your studies start at the beginning of the academic year (in late August or early September).
When applying in September or November, studies begin during the autumn semester or in the beginning of the spring semester.
General information on academic matters related to PhD studies is described here.
Estonian applicants should apply via National Admission Information Systems (SAIS). Further information in Estonian.
International applicants graduating in Estonia
International applicants who have completed their previous study level in Estonia or who are about to graduate from an institution in Estonia may apply via SAIS or DreamApply. NB! You can access SAIS only with a valid Estonian ID card/residence permit card or Mobile-ID.
Required documents for international applicants graduating in Estonia
- online application in SAIS or DreamApply
- motivation letter
- curriculum vitae (example form here)
- proof of English language proficiency must be submitted only if you have not graduated from an English-taught bachelor´s or master´s programme in Estonia (applies to international applicants)
- copies of master´s documents. If you apply in DreamApply and your degree is not from UT, upload the graduation documents. Information about UT graduates will be verified from the Study Information System and scans are not needed. If you apply in SAIS, the information about your master´s studies will be available in the "Education" section and uploading additional scans is not needed. SAIS uses the data available from the Estonian Education Information System (EHIS)
- a copy of your passport is required in DreamApply, but not in SAIS
If you graduate from the University of Tartu in summer 2024, the most recent transcript of your master´s studies is not required. Information will be verified from the Study Information System. If you graduate from some other higher education institution, you must upload the most recent transcript to DreamApply.
If paper copies of documents are required, we will inform you via SAIS/DreamApply after processing your application.
Applying in SAIS is different from applying in DreamApply:
- Some of the instructions in SAIS are available only in Estonian
- In SAIS we do not give feedback to all applicants. You will receive feedback only if we require additional information or documents. In this case, you will receive notification from SAIS by email. Please check your mailbox regularly, including junk mail
- If you are admitted, you must accept the study place in SAIS (the same is true with DreamApply) within seven days. International applicants in SAIS receive an official admission letter by email in two weeks after accepting the study offer.