Politics and Governance

• The programme offers a substantial amount of elective courses. You can choose at least two of our four specialisations: politics, governance, international relations and economics and management.
• All courses have a global or international approach so you can focus on a country or region you are most interested in when doing your assignments, but also learn about other countries and regions.
• You will complete your studies with a bachelor thesis, which will give you the experience of individual research under the guidance of a supervisor. A good bachelor thesis can also serve as a ticket to your desired MA programme.
• There is no upper limit to the amount of courses you can take – you can study as much as you like.
• Lectures and seminars take place during weekdays. On average, there is about 15 hours of auditory work per week, but there is also a substantial amount of independent work. 

Study programme

Leif Kalev is Professor of State and Citizenship Theory. He has worked in the academia since 2002, but also served as Secretary General at the Ministry of the Interior in 2013-2015. In the Politics and Governance programme, he teaches courses like State, Politics and Government, Democratic Statehood, and Parties and Party Systems.

Read a blog post about "Politics and Governance BA: Global Trends in Practice" written by Leif Kalev.

Tõnis Saarts is Associate Professor of Comparative Politics. He has been a visiting professor of the Vienna University (2009 and 2016) and he is also serving as the official representative of The European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) at the Tallinn University. For the Politics and Governance programme, he teaches Research Design, Political Sociology, Political Parties and Party Systems, and Politics and Government in the Baltic States.

Mari-Liis Jakobson is Associate Professor of Political Sociology and also head of the study programme. She earned her PhD degree in 2014 and then acted as post-doctoral researcher at University College London. She has been teaching at Tallinn University since 2009. For the Politics and Governance programme, she teaches Political Sociology, Political Communication, Civic Society, and Qualitative Research Methods.

 Catlyn Kirna is Lecturer in International Relations and one of the most highly regarded teachers among our students. She holds two MA degrees – one in international relations and the other in translation. For the Politics and Governance programme, she teaches Studying at the University and Basics of European Union. European Parlament Conference of Presidents meets with the incoming Estonian Presidency of the Council at Tallinn University", moderated by Caltyn Kirna.

Priit Suve  is Associate Professor of Public Management. He has served as a  police officer more than 26 years in different positions mostly in law enforcement police but also as a CEO of West Prefecture for about ten years. During this full-time work in the police, he earned his Ph.D. degree in 2016. Since 2017 he teaches Basics of Public Management; Management in Public, Private, and Non-Profit Sector. 

What else does our staff do? 

Professor and political scientist Tõnis Saarts gives his comments to Estonian Public Broadcasting about the recent president of Estonia – "Kaljulaid must demonstrate capabilities, learn politician's role".

General requirements

• Completed Secondary Education or the equivalent.
• Proof of English Proficiency
• Please see the complete overview of admission and application requirements for Bachelor's level applicants.

Entrance exams

• The entrance exam consists of a written assignment and an interview, both in English. The maximum number of points is 100 (50% written assignment, 50% interview).
• Applicants receiving at least 30 points for the written part are allowed to the interview.
• Minimum programme enrollment threshold: 65 points out of 100.

Written assignment

Letter of motivation together with the article analysis (750-850 words) that gives insight into the reasons for applying and answers to the questions concerning the candidate's motivation and desire to study at the programme. The motivation letter must include answers to the following questions:

• The choice of the study programme: Why Tallinn University? Why this specific programme? What interests you about politics? What kinds of courses and fields are you most interested in and why?
• Previous experience and studies: What have you done before applying here? Where and what have you studied? What kind of previous work or volunteer experience do you have?

Pick one of the articles below. Having read the text, what do you agree and disagree with and why? What is the main point the author made and your reflections on that?

In what ways do you find this text relevant to studying politics and governance? If not, elaborate. How did you find reading this text? What were the positive aspects and challenges? Why did you choose this specific text?

Choose one of these three articles to read:

1. Social sciences: Between theory and intuition

2. The Reith lecture by Prof. Ben Ansell. The Future of Solidarity

3. Challenges for a reparatory social science

These articles do not represent the views of Tallinn University, they were simply chosen for discussion.

NB! Plagiarised motivation letters are not accepted in any form and will receive 0 points.

Admission interview

The applicants must show an identification document (passport or ID card) at the beginning of the interview. With international applicants, the interview will be carried out via Zoom and for the purposes of identity verification, the admission committee has the right to record the interview.

The interview is conducted based on the candidate’s application and letter of motivation. There are no additional materials that need to be studied to prepare for the interview. The interview questions vary depending on the candidate and the interviewer but the purpose of the interview is to find out the candidate's motivation and willingness to study, knowledge of the chosen programme and the field of study. 

Assessment of the candidates

In the motivation letter, the assessment entails:

• the candidate`s capacity to explain the choice of the programme and university;
• motivation and interest in political sciences and respective courses;
• previous work and study experience, as well as voluntary activities;
• in addition, the assessment considers language proficiency and writing skills.

In the analysis of the article, the assessment entails:

• the capacity to understand the focal arguments of the text;
• the capacity to discuss the topic and provide own viewpoints;
• the capacity to explain the choice of the article and understand its connections with the programme;
• in addition, the assessment considers language proficiency and writing skills.

At the interview, the assessment entails:

• the candidate`s interest in the programme and motivation to study in the field by applying common study methods in social sciences;
• capacity to understand the focal arguments of the article and provide their input and viewpoints into the discussion;
• capacity to contextualise previous work, study and voluntary activity experience in the frames of the chosen programme;
• in addition, the assessment also considers the general background and field-related knowledge, language proficiency and the ability to engage in analytical discussions.

Required documents

Must BE SUBMITTED WITH THE APPLICATION ON THE ONLINE APPLICATION SYSTEM BY THE APPLICATION DEADLINE*:

• CV
• Motivation letter (including article analysis) in English
• Copy of Secondary Education Certificate/Diploma (an official translation is requested if the document is not in English); 
• Transcript of Records/Academic Transcript (translation is requested if the document is not in English);
• Proof of English language Proficiency;
• Copy of the identification page of the passport;
• Specific documents required for the programme you are applying to;
• Copy of a Sworn Affidavit to Confirmation of Name if the applicant's name stated in his/her passport differs from the name on any of the other required documents;
• Applicants applying for adjustments to be made during the admission exams due to his/her physical or psycho-social special need must submit a copy of medical proof of this special need to the Counsellor for Students with special needs - Kai Rannastu (kai.rannastu@tlu.ee).

EU/EEA applicants 

Application procedure for the citizens of the member countries of the European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) can be found here.

Non-EU/EEA applicants

Application procedure for the international applicants from Non-EU/EEA countries can be found here.

Estonian citizens and holders of a long-term residence permit

Application procedure for Estonian citizens or for holders of an Estonian long-term residence permit can be found in Estonian here and in English here.

A graduate of any BA programme is primarily expected to continue studies to obtain an MA degree. More than 20 years of experience indicates that our graduates are well prepared to enter further studies in European universities and beyond. The Politics and Governance BA programme also provides basic competences to work, especially in NGOs but also in public administration, enterprises and international organisations. This is supported by a more specialised elective module and practical training.

Examples of the currently high ranking politics and governance alumni of Tallinn University include Deputy Secretary General for economic development in the ministry of economic affairs and communications Viljar Lubi, head of the Estonian foreign intelligence service Mikk Marran and head of national financial control department in the ministry of finance Kaur Siruli, but also the head of Elering (one of the largest companies in Estonia) Taavi Veskimägi, deputy chairman of the Estonian Centre Party Jaanus Karilaid and programme director of the TV channel ETV+ Darja Saar.

• Size means variety – Tallinn University School of Governance, Law and Society (SOGOLAS) is the largest academic unit in Tallinn University with ca. 1800 students, 26 different study programmes and ca. 100 staff members. This means the students can choose from a large set of subjects from all of the major fields of social sciences.
• Internationalised staff with high qualifications - the study areas of political science and governance and international relations and future studies include 7 professors and about 25 other permanent academic staff members, from Estonia and abroad. Everyone teaching in the programme has international teaching experience.
• Opportunities to continue studies with us – the institute also has 1 English MA programme (International Relations), and a PhD programme accessible to English-speaking students.
• Technologically advanced – all course materials can be accessed online, so you do not have to spend extra on coursebooks and copies.
• Small study groups – most of our English courses are relatively small, normally hosting around 15-30 students, which allows a more interactive teaching style.
• Vibrant student life – SOGOLAS has an active student union Civitas, and a vibrant student life around International Relations Society organised by the students themselves. Additionally, you can join the international club of the university.
• Students have an excellent opportunity to use the Erasmus programme possibilities and receive the Erasmus scholarship. The Erasmus programme includes different mobility options in Europe as well as outside of Europe such as long-term and short-term exchange studies and traineeship. For exchange studies, we have a large selection of partner universities and the credits can be easily transferred. 

Environment

Tallinn University has a modern urban campus located in the center of the city. The airport, train and bus stations are just a few minutes away by public transport. The beautiful view of the harbour is a constant reminder that students studying at Tallinn University are in the center of a major European hub. Our students have access to physical and online libraries, computer labs, cafeterias and cafes. Further, the university has all the facilities necessary for a productive learning environment and ample opportunities for leisure, sports, and social activities, all leading to an exciting and well-balanced student life. Take a walk around our campus via the virtual tour!

Our Politics and Governance program is taught entirely in the English language. Our student body is international, with students from many countries in Europe, as well as students from Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Day-to-day student life is always international at Tallinn University, as our programme is closely connected with other English language programmes and among your classmates, you will frequently find Erasmus exchange students who have come to visit.

• Specific questions regarding the programme should be directed to the School of Governance, Law and Society: 

• For additional guidelines regarding the application procedure please contact the International Admission Office: