About the faculty

The School of Law, School of Economics and Business Administration, Institute of Social Studies, Institute of Education, Institute of Psychology, Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies, Narva College and Pärnu College belong in the Faculty of Social Sciences.

Our faculty is the most valued training centre for social scientists and offers the most broad-based higher education in social sciences in Estonia. Here the researchers and students of law, political science, psychology, educational science, communication studies and many other fields of study cooperate. For students it provides flexible and convenient opportunities to study various other interesting subjects in addition to their own specialisation, which creates a stronger basis for future professional work.

Our faculty is a hotbed for highly acknowledged teachers, psychologists, journalists, communication and marketing experts, economists, political scientists, sociologists, lawyers and legal scholars. Students at our faculty are taught by internationally renowned experts, for example, experimental psychologist Jüri Allik, Professor of Personality and Social Psychology Anu Realo Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience Risto Näätänen, who are among the top 1% of most cited researchers in the world. Researchers of UT Faculty of Social Sciences have a say in the country’s legislation and policy making and they are influential opinion leaders in society. UT Media and Communication Studies specialisation is the highest ranking Estonian specialisation in the QS World University Ranking by Subject (2013 and 2014).

Students of the faculty are also active participants in various research projects, some student projects have developed into successfulenterprises (PsychoBus). Through the Vega Fund, the Idea Lab of the School of Economics and Business Administration give up to 50 000 euros each year to fund students’ knowledge-intensive ideas. The students of the Faculty of Social Sciences have also successfully participated in various national student research contests.

Graduates of the faculty are renowned lawyers, judges, media and psychology experts, teachers, educationalists, political scientists, economic experts, leaders, public personas and high officials in Estonian as well as European Union institutions. The alumni of our faculty include, for example, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Priit Pikamäe, former Vice President of the European Commission Siim Kallas, Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas, media entrepreneur Hans H. Luik, top journalists Aarne Rannamäe and Vahur Kersna, writer Andrus Kivirähk, sociologist Andrus Saar and many others.

A degree from the University of Tartu Faculty of Social Sciences ensures a multifaceted and broad worldview, competitiveness on the labour market and a social network for life.