Why did you choose to study International Relations at the Tallinn University School of Governance, Law and Society (SOGOLAS)? During my bachelor studies I was convinced I want to take a gap year after graduating, but two weeks into my summer job I decided I want to continue with my studies after all. I explored a lot of options and different countries to do masters, but as I already had knowledge of the schooling system of Estonia and I was familiar with Tallinn from my bachelor studies, Tallinn seemed like a good option. [caption id="attachment_29980" align="alignleft" width="300"] "I think that anyone who are thinking of studying at Tallinn University and especially at SOGOLAS should do so," says Satu.[/caption] Why I especially chose Tallinn University and SOGOLAS was because of the interesting curriculum in IR, which is specializing in topics that I didn’t find in any other universities in Estonia or around the Baltic Sea in general. I also think that the fact that the professors and students in our programme come from so many different backgrounds adds its own extra value to the programme and before choosing to apply it definitely was one of the factors why I chose this programme. What is the most interesting subject in International Relations? What is the topic of your final thesis? I am writing my MA thesis about the new era of radicalization and how social media is contributing to the recruitment of western women to join ISIS and what impacts this might have in the future security policies of these countries, of course as I am still in my first semester the topic will develop a bit in the time. In general, I have not found a course from the IR curriculum that I haven’t found interesting, even though all of the courses are not related to my MA thesis topic, I find that the way the courses have been structured they really support each other to get a comprehensive image of international relations in the world today. However, I think the most interesting topics are from our security module, so far my favorite has been Conflict Analysis: Approaches and Cases. What are your future plans? In the future I would want to first pursue my PhD and work for an international organization or NGO, for example Unicef or ICRC. As it is obligatory for us to include an internship for our studies I think this is already a good platform for us to start building our careers. I think that my studies in Tallinn University are preparing me for this regardless which route I decide to go first. Are you happy with the studies at SOGOLAS? Like any other person in the beginning of my studies I have had a few bumps on the road, but after the first confusion of starting new studies I can say I am very satisfied with my studies. The professors are very experienced in their own field and very encouraging for us in our studies and in promoting extracurricular activities that we can do to add more value to our studies and can help us in the future. In addition to this it is a great experience to be involved in such an international environment to do my masters. What is the strength of SOGOLAS in your opinion? As I have mentioned before the strengths of SOGOLAS are definitely the curriculum and the professors as well as the international environment the students and the professors form together. Would you recommend SOGOLAS to others and why? Yes, definitely. I think that anyone who are thinking of studying at Tallinn University and especially at SOGOLAS should do so. In addition to the great professors, classmates and interesting curriculum and possibilities to do so much more extra in addition to the studies. Why it is worth to study at SOGOLAS are the group sizes and the quality of the education, here the professors really have time to invest on you, I think this is one of the greatest things a MA programme can offer as it will only guarantee you to have better results in your studies. What is your opinion about Tallinn University? Tallinn University campus is great, close to center and modern, which offers great environment for learning. You can go and have a look at our campus virtually via virtualtour.tlu.ee. As it has probably come out already I think very highly of my programme, but also from my friends from other faculties I have only heard good feedback from them. I really feel like Tallinn University puts the students first, which is great! How do you like Tallinn? Why is it good to study in Tallinn? Tallinn is a small capital of a small European country, but it still feels like you live in a bigger city than what it really is. There is always something to do no matter what day of the week it is, nightclubs, restaurants, museums, theater, cinema and several sporting possibilities, keeps you busy even after your day at the university has ended. And as the price level in Estonia is not that high, students can actually do all of those things. I think Tallinn is the well-hidden gem of the Baltic sea! Text by Satu Maria Lappi  (International Relations MA student).  

Read more about the International Relations MA programme and admission requirements from our webpage.

Ask our student ambassadors what they think about the programme: tlu.ee/ambassadors.