Government and Politics PhD

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Admissions schedule

Additional admission requirements:

• Prior to the admission examination, applicants must submit a doctoral research proposal (PhD project) approved by a prospective supervisor and signed by the supervisor. Based on the proposal, selected candidates will be invited to an admission interview.

Structure of the Doctoral Research Proposal (5-10 pages + list of references):  

•  the topic of the doctoral thesis, including a brief summary of the research problem the thesis aims to address.
• the objectives of the study, the main research questions and tasks, or research hypotheses
• a brief overview of the most relevant previous research and theoretical approaches related to the topic, including references
• the data and research methods planned for addressing the research problem, including the principles for sampling (if applicable).
• a work plan, the resources required to complete the doctoral thesis, and potential risks
• why did you choose Tallinn University?            

Evaluation Criteria:

Doctoral Research Proposal (40%) – maximum 40 points, distributed as follows:

• relevance of the topic; originality and significance of the research problem (max 10 points);
• justification of the chosen theoretical and methodological framework and its alignment with the research and development activities of the School of Governance Law and Society (max 10 points);
• clarity of the research plan (max 10 points);
• feasibility of conducting the research at the School of Governance, Law and Society (max 10 points).

Interview (60%) – maximum 60 points. Interview evaluation criteria:

• candidate’s knowledge of the fundamental principles and current issues in government and political science (max 10 points);
• motivation to pursue and complete doctoral studies (max 10 points);
• readiness to work at the university as a junior researcher (max 10 points);
• relevance of previous academic and professional experience to research and development projects in government and political science (max 10 points);
• ability to justify the choices made in the doctoral research proposal (max 10 points);
• communication and presentation skills (max 10 points).

* The PhD proposal must be agreed upon and signed by a potential supervisor.

Supervisors contacts can be found here: https://www.tlu.ee/en/yti/contact-us

Supervisors research field can be found here: https://www.etis.ee

Triin Lauri

Triin Lauri is a Appointed Professor of Public Policy at Tallinn University and the recipient of an ERC Starting Grant. The ERC-funded project she leads, EDUMERIT, examines school choice policies and related experiences, and how these shape people’s perceptions of fairness and their policy preferences.

In the doctoral programme, Triin teaches and supervises research on social policy, theories of governance, and comparative research design. Her main research interests include comparative welfare policy, educational inequality, and market-making in public services. In these areas, she is either leading or participating in several international research projects and heads the Welfare Policy Research Group at the Centre of Excellence in Welfare Sciences.

Triin Lauri in the Estonian Research Information System.

Mari-Liis Jakobson

Mari-Liis Jakobson is a Professor of Comparative Politics, the Principal Investigator of the SIDESTREAM project and the Project Leader of the POLINERA project. Her research interests are related to populism and the forms and impacts of political radicalization, including the strategies and capacities of populist and far-right parties to appeal to different voter groups, as well as the effects of right- and left-wing radical politics on the political integration and transnational political participation and identity of people with a migration background. She also participates in the SustainERA project, where her area of responsibility is environmental political communication.

Mari-Liis Jakobson in the Estonian Research Information System

Leif Kalev

Leif Kalev is a Professor of Political Science. Within the Political Science curriculum, he teaches courses on state theory, citizenship, and political leadership. His research focuses primarily on statehood and citizenship, as well as the relationships and practical applications of the core dimensions of political science (politics, policy, polity).

Kalev is the project manager, author, and editor of Estonia’s first comprehensive university textbook on the foundations of politics and governance, as well as three textbooks on public policy. Currently, he leads the Estonian team for the Horizon Europe Democrat project, which develops functional democratic citizenship education for the modern era. Leif Kalev also has high-level public sector experience - from 2012 to 2015, he served as the Deputy Secretary General for Law Enforcement and Migration Policy and as the Secretary General at the Ministry of the Interior.

Leif Kalev: 1-Minute Lecture – "How to Overcome Political Stagnation?"

Leif Kalev in the Estonian Research Information System

Raivo Vetik 

Raivo Vetik is a Professor of Comparative Politics. Within the Political Science curriculum, he teaches courses related to political culture and ethnic relations. His research also focuses primarily on ethnic relations, which is the central theme of all his recent research projects. These include the migration and integration-focused Twinning project MIRNet and the DIMA project, which examined political and socio-psychological factors in the context of integration.

Additionally, Raivo Vetik has been involved in conducting all Estonian integration monitorings and served as the Editor-in-Chief of the 2014-2015 Estonian Human Development Report.

Raivo Vetik in the Estonian Research Information System

Birgit Poopuu

Birgit Poopuu is a Professor of International Relations and Head of the International Relations and Future Studies field. Birgit’s recent research explores the Syrian revolution from the perspective of Syrian activists. Her primary expertise lies in feminist peace and conflict studies, with research interests including international relations from a revolutionary perspective, peacefulness, the politics of knowledge production, the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, critical IR theories, and critical relationalism.

Birgit is an editor for the journal Ariadne Lõng. Her forthcoming work, the Handbook of Knowledge and Expertise in International Politics (Oxford University Press), examines the politics of knowledge production in global politics (co-edited with Berit Bliesemann de Guevara, Katarzyna Kaczmarska, Xymena Kurowska, and Andrea Warnecke). You can find Birgit on Twitter @BirgitPoopuu.

Birgit Poopuu in the Estonian Research Information System

Anu Toots

Anu Toots is a distinguished professor of social policy who has successfully supervised numerous doctoral dissertations on the development of the welfare state and sectoral reforms. Methodologically, she favors comparative analyses and policy transfer frameworks. Having been involved at the European level in conceptualizing the so-called social investment (SI) turn of the welfare state, she is particularly interested, in her doctoral supervision, in the implementation of the SI approach across countries and within new policy domains (e.g. digital services and housing).

Anu Toots in the Estonian Research Information System

Georg Sootla

Gorg Sootla is a Distinguished Professor of Public Policy. His research focuses on the organization of governance, specifically from the perspectives of both institutional structure and the policy-making process. His work has centered on governance reforms, the evolution of the cabinet and its support structures, and central-local government relations, both in a comparative perspective and through the lens of transitional societies.

Additionally, his research has covered local government, the forestry and environmental sectors, taxation, and the organization of internal security within states and communities, often in cooperation with Estonian government agencies (including the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of the Environment, and the Ministry of Finance). Georg Sootla has served as an advisor and analyst for the development of Estonian forest policy and the State Forest Management Centre (RMK), the advancement of local government cooperation in Läänemaa, Hiiumaa, and Raplamaa, as well as municipal mergers and administrative reform.

Georg Sootla in the Estonian Research Information System 

• A strong theoretical and methodological foundation in political science and public policy, covering comparative politics and policy analysis, governance theories, political theory, and international relations. The doctoral programme supports systematic thinking, creative application of theories, and methodological diversity.

• A focus on the relationship between politics and inequality, including welfare state developments, social cleavages, power relations, and the impacts of public policy. Research questions are addressed in the context of local, national, as well as international and multi-level processes.

• A research-driven and scholarly learning environment, where doctoral studies are closely linked to professors’ research (see faculty) and the international scientific community. Doctoral candidates are encouraged to participate in research networks, conferences, and joint discussions that support their development as independent researchers.

• An individual and flexible study path, tailored to the doctoral candidate’s research project, academic interests, and development needs, allowing the creation of a personalized academic profile.

• Regular university, institute, and TEHA research seminars, writing retreats, and methodology schools that foster collegiality, academic dialogue, and the development of argumentation and presentation skills in a supportive scholarly community.

• An internationally oriented doctoral training approach, emphasizing researcher development, interdisciplinarity, and early integration into international research and discussion networks.

• the research area in the School of Governance, Law and Society is internationally evaluated and nationally accredited;

• the lecturers are leading specialists in Estonia including professors: Georg Sootla, Raivo Vetik, Leif Kalev, Birgit Poopuu, Anu Toots, Mari-Liis Jakobson, Triin Lauri (administrator of the curriculum);

• doctoral seminars in the study of Government and Politics take place at least once a month and provide feedback from professors and fellow doctoral students;

• participation in conferences, seminars, summer schools and studying within the ERASMUS programme in foreign universities is supported in order to gain international experience;

• the School provides as much help as possible in order to get the doctoral students’ written works published in journals such as Acta Politica Estica and in Studies of Transition States and Societies, which is published in collaboration with the Institute of International and Social Studies (IISS);

• the School considers individual needs and supports flexibility at work;

• the doctoral students of Tallinn University are exempt from tuition fees. In addition, it is possible to apply for scholarships from University funding.

• Specific questions regarding the programme should be directed to the School of Governance, Law and Society:  Triin Vendik   phone: 6409 452  E-mail: yti-ope@tlu.ee

• For additional guidelines regarding admission procedure please contact the international admission specialist.

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