Master of Arts in Humanities - Semiotics |
Delivered by Faculty of Philosophy
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This Master’s degree programme has been selected by the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research as one of the winners of the 2008 national competition of the most attractive international Master’s programs in Estonia.
The 2-year Master’s programme in Semiotics provides interdisciplinary background and gives a theoretical base for application of semiotic ideas to a wide variety of disciplines and scientific study. The programme binds together the theory of semiotics and three core modules - cultural semiotics, biosemiotics and sociosemiotics. The programme also combines the major semiotic traditions of Ferdinand de Saussure and Charles S. Peirce with the leading contemporary and innovative thought
What is semiotics?
Why study semiotics in Tartu?
General admission requirements
Application process, documents, deadline
Important information for non-EU applicants
Announcement of admissions results
Curriculum structure and courses
Language of instruction
Programme duration
Tuition fees and scholarships
To get more information
What is semiotics?
Semiotics is the general study of sign processes, or semiosis. Semiosis makes the world meaningful.
Today’s world, where processes have a disbalance of global and local dimension, challenges us to understand the need of individuals and societies for defining their identity. Semiotics is centrally relevant to achieve this understanding.
Why study semiotics in Tartu?
- The tradition of excellence in semiotic theory in Tartu was established by Juri Lotman in 1960s, the founder of semiotics of culture and the Tartu-Moscow Semiotic School, as well as the oldest journal of semiotics, Sign Systems Studies.
- The University of Tartu is one the few institutions in the world teaching full Master’s and PhD degree programs in semiotics since 1993.
- As one of world’s major centres of semiotics, the University of Tartu collaborates and is regularly visited by professors from all around the world: Myrdene Anderson, Paul Bouissac, John Deely, Dinda Gorlee, Jesper Hoffmeyer, Winfried Nöth, Roland Posner, Frederik Stjernfelt, Eero Tarasti, and many others.
- The finest collections of semiotic materials in Tartu include the memorial library of Thomas Sebeok, one of the world leaders in the 20th century semiotics, and the Centre of Jakob von Uexküll, a Baltic German whose works have been very important to the development of biosemiotics.
Excellent international career prospects
- Graduates can apply their expertise in the professions that require a complex knowledge of cultural analysis, i.e. semiotic consulting companies, marketing or media.
- Practical applications of semiotics include translation and science writing, design and architecture, advertising, and communication strategies.
- Employees of international organizations, e.g. embassies, where tolerance and conflict management skills are vital, can improve their professional education.
- Programme graduates can continue on to doctoral studies and research. Semiotics is particularly relevant to advanced study in the life sciences, where biosemiotic understanding and semiotical interpretation is proving to be of remarkable value
General admission requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in social sciences, natural sciences or humanities.
- English language requirements
Application process:
1. Submit the online application form available on the university’s website. You will receive an applicant code, which gives access to your
account to track your application status. We ask you to upload the
electronic copies of all the required documents to your application.
This makes the pre-processing of your application quicker and is
especially important for candidates applying to more than one programme.
2. Mail the application (do not send any documents by e-mail!) with all the required documents by the indicated deadline to:
International Student Service, University of Tartu, Ülikooli 18, Tartu 50090, ESTONIA.
Documents to be submitted:
- online application
- motivation letter - guidelines and evaluation criteria are included in the online application form
- official copy of the Bachelor's diploma or its equivalent and Diploma Supplement (transcript/mark sheet) in the original language*
- official translation of the Bachelor’s diploma and Diploma Supplement (transcript/mark sheet) into English, translation certified
- proof on English language proficiency.
- copy of the passport page stating the applicant’s personal particulars
*Please note that in order to be considered official, all academic transcripts must bear a seal, and a signature of an authorized official. Official documents must be provided from the institution awarding the degree. Academic records certified by notary publics are not official. Documents sent with an Apostille are official.
NB! Applicants graduating in 2012 and having their diplomas issued later than application deadlines (in July, for example), please send an application form and the most recent official Transcript of Records by the required deadline. Inform the International Student Service when the final diploma will be issued. For detailed information contact the Service.Only complete applications will be considered by the Admission Commission!
Application deadline: April 16
Important information for non-EU applicants
Country specific requirements
Important application information for applicants from Canada, Cameroon, China, India, Iran, Nigeria, Northern Cyprus, Turkey, Western Africa, and the USA
Residence permit issues
Please find more information about the application process for the residence permit
Announcement of admissions results
The university`s Admissions Commission will announce final admissions
results, including info on tuition waiver scholarships i.e. state funded
study places, by June 1st. Admission notifications are sent by an
e-mail. All admitted students must inform the university of their
decision to accept or cancel admission offer by June 8th.
Please note that the decision regarding admission can only be taken if all required documents have been sent to the university!
Curriculum structure:
General module 30 ECTS
Specialty module 54 ECTS
Elective courses 6 ECTS
Master’s thesis 30 ECTS
TOTAL 120 ECTS
General module:
- History of Semiotics: Basic Concepts and Classical Works
- Tartu-Moscow Semiotic School
- Readings of J. von Uexküll and J. Lotman
- Methodology of Semiotic Analysis
- Master’s Seminar
1. Culture module (18 ECTS):
- Cultural Semiotics and Theories of Culture
- Semiotics of Art
- Semiotics of Translation
- Semiotic Analysis of Performance and Multimediality
- Biosemiotics
- Ecosemiotics: Cultural Interpretations of Nature
- Zoosemiotics: Umwelt and Animal Communication
- Landscape Semiotics
- Sociosemiotics and Societal Theories
- Ideology and the Concept of Identity
- Models of Communication and Mass Media
- Semiotic Analysis of Subcultures
Elective courses: can be chosen from courses currently available at the University of Tartu.
Master’s thesis: individual research paper, written under the supervision of a professional semiotician.
Language of instruction: English
Programme duration: 2 years, including three semesters of study, one semester writing the Master’s thesis
Tuition fees and scholarships:
Programme fee, 3520 euros, covers tuition, some study materials, supervision and advising of thesis preparation. There will be a limited number of scholarships available covering full tuition for 2 years of the programme.
There is also a possibility to be granted a monthly stipend of the programme "DoRa 9"
To get more information:
University of Tartu www.ut.ee
Department of Semiotics www.ut.ee/semiotics
Tartu www.tartu.ee
Address for inquiries:
Ms
Katre Väli
Department
of Semiotics
University
of Tartu
Jakobi
2, 51014 Tartu, Estonia,
Telephone
+(372) 737 5933
katre.vali@ut.ee
Skype
katrevalisem
International Student Service
University of Tartu
Ülikooli 18, 50090 Tartu, Estonia
Telephone +(372) 737 6109
www.ut.ee/ask
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