The Institute of Government and Politics at the University of Tartu combines both top-level scholarly research and a dynamic, international learning environment at all three levels of higher education.
The
BA study program "Government and Politics" (
Riigiteadused) provides a broad introduction to the field as well as the possibility to specialize early on in one of three main areas: Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Political Theory. Closely connected to the BA studies are the Institute's two
MA programs in Comparative Politics or International Relations. As the pinnacle for these study opportunities, the Institute also offers an English-language
PhD program in Political Science. All of our curricula have been internationally accredited.
The excellence of the study programs is founded on the Institute's top-level research activities, which include both national and international projects, networks and cooperation. For example, the Institute has been a partner in a number of EU Framework (FP6, FP7) projects, as well as international cooperation networks like the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems. In addition to a broad range of research publications, these activities have also generated regular opportunities for PhD candidates and other students to get first-hand experience in international research methods and approaches. For nearly 15 years, the Institute has been a member of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR), where Prof. Vello Pettai has served on the Executive Committee (2006-2012) and Prof. Eiki Berg on the Steering Committee of the Standing
Group on International Relations (2001-2010) and as the member of the Executive
Council of the Central and Eastern European International Studies Association
(CEEISA)(2006-2010).
We are particularly honored to note that in 2008 the founder of political science in Tartu, Prof. Rein Taagepera, was awarded the internationally renowned
Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science for his "profound analysis of the function of electoral systems in representative democracy."
Overall, the Institute's young, dynamic and very international faculty makes it a stimulating place for both learning and research. Our faculty come from seven different countries of origin and have earned degrees in Estonia, Denmark, Germany, France, Russia, the UK, Canada and the United States. The PhD program is entirely in English and increasingly attracts international students. Our MA curricula also feature a number of English-language courses. For example, during the spring term of 2011 about half of the MA courses at the Institute were in English. The Institute also cooperates closely with the other English-language programs at Tartu, such as the MA curricula in "Baltic Sea Area Studies" and "EU-Russia Studies."
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