Doctoral programme in Humanities

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Starting from the 2022/2023 academic year there will only be one programme at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. It will include 22 specialities:

  •     English Language and Literature
  •     French Language and Literature
  •     Spanish Language and Literature
  •     German Language and Literature
  •     Russian Language and Literature
  •     Scandinavian Languages and Literature
  •     Classical Philology
  •     Translation Studies
  •     Estonian Literature
  •     Comparative Literature
  •     Theatre Studies
  •     Folkloristics
  •     Ethnology
  •     History
  •     Archaeology
  •     Art History
  •     Philosophy
  •     Semiotics and Culture Studies
  •     Linguistics
  •     Finno-Ugric Studies
  •     Religious Studies
  •     Theology

 

Learn more about admission to doctoral studies

The focus of doctoral studies are the doctoral thesis and research related activities. The doctoral student is able to make individual and purposeful choices in their individual study plan in collaboration with their supervisor(s).

The doctoral programme is made up of two modules:

The progress review committee assesses doctoral student’s advancement in relation to their individual plan, programme learning outcomes and required activities within the programme. In addition, specialities can have their own specific requirements and suggestions for their doctoral students.

Programme aims and requirements

Learning outcomes outline the skills and knowledge you should have upon successful completion of the programme. The doctoral student should acquire the competence necessary for independent research, development and creative activities.

Graduation requires completion of the programme in full and defense of the doctoral thesis. It is recommended that students study and/or do research in a university or research institution abroad to gain international study and work experience.

Upon successful completion of the programme, the doctoral student:

  1. will have acquired state of the art knowledge and skills in their field of research, publishing their results in international peer-reviewed publications;
  2. will develop their research field’s methods and associate them with each other, and be able to generalise knowledge across different disciplines;
  3. will be able to analyse, synthesise and evaluate knowledge-rich and novel ideas, formulate research questions and develop theories;
  4. will be fluent, logical and understandable in both oral and written communication, both in their language of instruction and in the foreign language most important to their speciality;
  5. will be ethical in their conduct, and follow good research practice and other best practice guidelines laid out by the university, good data management practice, and intellectual property and data protection policies;  
  6. will initiate, plan, apply and critique research and development work, while being able to give and receive constructive feedback;
  7. will be independent, creative and innovative, and capable of making strategic decisions;
  8. will be able to manage processes and people, work well in a team, and when carrying out teamwork will be open, flexible, and proactive;
  9. will be able to systematically analyse their own skills and needs for self-improvement, and develop their transferable skills;
  10. will pass on their knowledge through various activities such as teaching or supervising, both inside and outside of academia.

Research, Development and Creative Work module (RDC)

The aim of the module is to enhance and strengthen both specialised and field-specific knowledge and skills. The doctoral student will become competent in conducting research and will acquire transferable skills through practical experience, participation in events and other activities.

The volume of this module is 5,460 hours, which is equivalent to 210 ECTS.

Upon successful completion of the module, the doctoral student:

  1. will be able to express, synthesise and develop ideas specific to their speciality, as well as identify and formulate research questions;
  2. will be able to synthesise and develop various research methods, and apply interdisciplinary methods to their own research;
  3. will be able to present and discuss their research and results both orally and in writing to both a specialist and non-specialist audience in at least one foreign language in addition to their language of instruction;
  4. will follow good practice and regulations, such as good research practice and other best practices laid out by the university, as well as intellectual property and data protection policies;
  5. will initiate, plan and review research and development activities, and provide substantiated feedback about them;
  6. will be able to manage processes and people, and work well in a team;
  7. will pass on their knowledge through teaching, academic supervision or other activities.

The doctoral student shall:

  1. write a doctoral thesis that complies with the requirements set in the Regulations for Doctoral Studies, and comply with the progress review regulations set at the faculty;
  2. give at least one presentation at an international event of a high scientific standard, and participate in international discussions regarding their research.
  3. actively participate in their speciality’s doctoral seminars;
  4. participate in research and development activities at their institute or faculty, contribute to organising research and development activities, and participate in events organised by the Centre for Doctoral Studies;
  5. be involved in outreach activities, and pass on their knowledge through teaching or supervising;
  6. analyse their progress and professional development in collaboration with their supervisor(s) (supervision diary), and report on their academic progress during progress reviews.

Study module

The aim of the module is to enhance and strengthen both specialised and field-specific knowledge and skills. The doctoral student will learn how to conduct research and will acquire transferable skills by participating in courses, training events and other activities.

The volume of this module is 780 hours, which is equivalent to 30 ECTS credits.

Upon successful completion of the module, the doctoral student:

  1. will demonstrate a thorough knowledge of their speciality and of the general research field, and will be able to critically evaluate and generalise ideas specific to their speciality;
  2. will analyse their research field's interdisciplinary connections to related research fields;
  3. will be able to identify and evaluate various research methods;
  4. will develop their skill at international publishing and be able to analyse their own academic writing skills;
  5. will analyse and develop their public speaking skills, apply standards related to both oral and written academic communication to their own work, and follow best practices when giving feedback to others;
  6. will analyse and substantiate choices related to research ethics, intellectual property, and data protection and management;
  7. will analyse and combine different methods of teamwork and management (both self-management and on an organisational level);
  8. will have the knowledge and skills necessary for teaching, supervising and research dissemination, and be able to apply these.
 

Transferable Skills sub-module

  • “Introduction to Doctoral Studies in Humanities" during the first year (3 ECTS).
  • Complete a course or workshop on research ethics during the first year.
  • In the remaining volume of the sub-module, the doctoral student in collaboration with their supervisor(s) choose courses, events, trainings, local or international events etc., that best contribute to their thesis and professional development. 

 

Specialist Knowledge sub-module

Doctoral students, in collaboration with their supervisor(s), choose courses, local and international events and training that contribute to the completion of their thesis. (15 ECTS)

  • FLAJ.01.126 Interdisciplinary Archeology (9 ECTS)
  • In the remaining volume of the submodule (6 ECTS), doctoral students, in collaboration with their supervisor(s), choose courses, local and international events and training that contribute to the completion of their thesis.

 

 

Speciality representatives

Janet Laidla
History, Art History, Archaeology
Janet Laidla
History, Art History, Archaeology
Ann Veismann
Linguistics, Finno-Ugric Studies
Ann Veismann
Linguistics, Finno-Ugric Studies
Alexander Stewart Davies
Philosophy, Semiotics and Culture Studies
Alexander Stewart Davies
Philosophy, Semiotics and Culture Studies
Kristin Kuutma
Estonian Literature, Comparative Literature, Theatre Studies, Fokloristics, Ethnology
Kristin Kuutma
Estonian Literature, Comparative Literature, Theatre Studies, Fokloristics, Ethnology
Raili Marling
English, French, Spanish, German, Scandinavian Language and Literature, Classical Philology, Translation Studies
Raili Marling
English, French, Spanish, German, Scandinavian Language and Literature, Classical Philology, Translation Studies
Urmas Nõmmik
Religious Studies, Theology
Urmas Nõmmik
Religious Studies, Theology
Doktoritöö

Doctoral defence: Rodolfo Basile "Invenitive-Locational Constructions in Finnish: A Mixed Methods Approach"

Rahvusvaheline Ulmeuuringute Ühingu suur aastakonverents 07.-11.05.2024

Science Fiction Research Association annual conference at University of Tartu

täis kirjutatud vihik laual

University of Tartu Linguistics is among the top 200 in the world