Pathways for doctoral studies
You can enter doctoral studies at different stages of your career to create new knowledge and drive change in society and the economy. Doctoral studies constitute a research-based form of learning that, besides field-specific knowledge, provides transferable skills that will enable you to pursue a career as a researcher, manager or a leading professional.
There are several ways to complete doctoral studies, though for all doctoral researchers, the doctoral supervision, research, and study opportunities are based on the same quality standards. Those accepted for a junior research fellow position have an employment contract with the university as well as a student status. It is possible to combine your day job and doctoral studies as an intersectoral doctoral researcher by doing research for a company or institution. In considered cases, it is possible to complete your doctoral studies as a student while continuing to work in a job unrelated to doctoral research.
Find out about the conditions of the study place of interest to you in the competition information.
Junior research fellow
This doctoral researcher is both a student and an employee of the university. This is the best way to dedicate yourself to your research and progress to a degree without major obstacles.
- Most doctoral places offered by the university are intended for junior research fellows.
- You will have a junior research fellow employment contract and receive the average Estonian salary.
- As a junior research fellow, it is possible to pursue the doctoral degree full time or part time.
- Student status allows doctoral researchers to apply for student grants and scholarships.
- A fixed-term employment contract is concluded with the junior research fellow until the end of the person's standard period of study. The workload corresponds to the planned period of study agreed upon in the individual plan. The standard duration of the doctoral programme is four years, and the standard workload is 1.0. The minimum workload of a junior research fellow is 0.5.
- The period of study of a doctoral researcher, including suspensions of doctoral studies, may not exceed eight years, unless the doctoral studies are suspended for caring for a child of up to three years of age or for conscription or alternative service in the Defence Forces.
- The specific duties of the junior research fellow are agreed upon in the individual plan. A junior research fellow must be engaged in research, development and creative activities for at least 80% of the working time.
- The junior research fellow is entitled to annual leave based on the employment contract. Doctoral studies of the junior research fellow are suspended based on the junior research fellow’s request for the period during which the junior research fellow is on maternity leave, parental leave, in conscription or alternative service or, by agreement of the parties to the contract, on unpaid leave.
- The employment contract establishes the conditions related to intellectual property: as a general rule, the moral rights belong to the author, but the economic rights to the intellectual property created in the execution of work duties belong to the University of Tartu.
- The result of the doctoral researcher's progress review determines whether the employment contract is continued.
- If the doctoral researcher is exmatriculated, the employment contract is terminated.
- 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, in 2026, is €2,100 per month for full-time work, net salary being approx. €1,580). An additional monthly salary can be granted by the supervisor or the institute.
- To gain international experience, explore the options for mobility grants.
The employment contract ensures the same rights as other university employees have. In addition to a stable income, national health insurance and paid annual leave, the different social guarantees arising from the employment contract include entitlement to sickness benefit, applicability to occupational health and safety requirements, access to workplace facilities and equipment, reimbursement of business trip expenses, in-service training courses and the opportunity to use staff services. The position of a junior research fellow involves institute-related duties and obligations.
The UT intranet provides more information regarding employment contracts and granting stipends.
International doctoral researchers from non-EU/EEA countries should keep in mind that:
- you need to apply for a D-type visa to come to Estonia,
- you can apply for a temporary residence permit to study when you are already in Estonia.
Learn more about visa and residence permit application procedures
Intersectoral doctoral researcher
This doctoral researcher is a student at the university and an employee of the partner organisation. This type of doctoral studies is well suited to those who wish to combine their day job and doctoral studies. Intersectoral doctoral studies require a cooperation agreement between the university and the doctoral researcher's employer, and the topic of the doctoral thesis is related to the interests and needs of the partner.
- An intersectoral doctoral researcher can pursue the doctoral degree full time or part time.
- Student status allows doctoral researchers to apply for student grants and scholarships.
For more information, see the intersectoral doctoral studies page.
Personal stories
Doctoral student without an employment contract
This doctoral researcher is a student at the university. This is the best option if you are looking for a flexible form of doctoral studies and wish to continue working in a job unrelated to your doctoral research.
- A student place is offered to candidates who propose their own research topic that the institute is willing to supervise and finance.
- As a student, it is possible to pursue the doctoral degree full time or part time.
- Student status allows doctoral researchers to apply for student grants and scholarships.
- To admit the doctoral researchers as a student, the academic unit must have capacity to supervise the doctoral researcher and suitable funding/project to finance their research.
- The period of study as well as the plan of studies and research are agreed upon in the individual plan.
- The standard duration of the programme is four years. The period of study of a doctoral researcher, including suspensions of doctoral studies, may not exceed eight years, unless the doctoral studies are suspended for caring for a child of up to three years of age or for conscription or alternative service in the Defence Forces.
- The university or state has no obligation to provide any allowance or stipend to the doctoral researcher.
- To gain international experience, mobility grants are available.
International doctoral researchers from non-EU/EEA countries should keep in mind that to apply for a visa or temporary residence permit, they will have to provide proof of sufficient means of subsistence for the entire stay in Estonia. If a student has been accepted to the doctoral researcher position, their monthly income must meet the requirements established by law, in addition to which the student will need to purchase health insurance coverage for the full period of study in Estonia. Moreover, when planning funds, take into account monthly living expenses in Estonia.
Learn more about visa and residence permit application procedures
If you were matriculated in 2021/2022 or earlier, you have the status of a student. This enables you to apply for different scholarships and allowances meant for students. To gain international experience, mobility grants are available.
All doctoral students studying full time are entitled to receive a monthly doctoral allowance of 660 euros for the four years of the standard duration of the curriculum.
To receive the doctoral allowance, the student must:
- study full time or part time without the obligation to pay tuition fees,
- be a citizen of Estonia or reside in Estonia on the basis of a long-term or temporary residence permit, or a permanent or temporary right of residence,
- have successfully passed the progress review in the academic year preceding the granting of the allowance, or be a first-year doctoral student,
- not be on academic leave.
The University of Tartu grants doctoral students with excellent study results a monthly performance stipend of 400 euros in addition to the doctoral allowance.
To receive the performance stipend, the student must:
- study full time and have completed 100% of the curriculum to date according to the progress review or be a first-year doctoral student who has not had a progress review yet,
- not be on academic leave,
- not be on the extension year, i.e. studies must not have exceeded the standard duration of the curriculum,
- not have an employment contract with the university to perform work that supports their doctoral studies,
- not receive other doctoral stipend.
Learn more about the performance stipend
Please note! Doctoral students may receive other stipends or allowances in addition to the doctoral allowance and the performance stipend, but the specific requirements and possible restrictions of different funding opportunities must be kept in mind.
International doctoral students not employed have Estonian national health insurance during the period they receive the doctoral allowance (660 euros monthly income). During the extension period or academic leave (even if taken for health reasons), Estonian national health insurance is not granted. Employed students have national health insurance coverage.
A doctoral student matriculated in the 2021/2022 academic year or before can apply for the position of a junior research fellow. The position can be financed by the state, faculty or institute.
Good to know
- The opening of a position and the term of employment contract are decided by the head of unit.
- Junior research fellow employment contract is concluded to follow a university's doctoral curriculum and at least 80% of working time should be dedicated to research, development and creative activities.
- Junior research fellows are entitled to annual leave based on their employment contract; in addition, as students, they can take academic leave.
- Junior research fellows are entitled to national health insurance as employees.
- Junior research fellows must be matriculated to doctoral studies at the University of Tartu. If the junior research fellow is exmatriculated, the employment contract is terminated.
- Junior research fellows cannot get a performance stipend.
Ask for more information about open positions of junior research fellows from from your institute or from the centre for doctoral studies of your faculty. For fore information about employment contracts, see the UT intranet.
Learn more about visa and residence permit application procedures
As a general rule, there is no tuition fee for doctoral studies. Exceptions to this rule:
- doctoral researchers studying part time pay a tuition fee of 100 euros per semester,
- external doctoral students pay a tuition fee of 100 euros per semester.
