The Department of Semiotics at the University of Tartu is one of the leading centres of semiotics in Europe, with deep roots in semiotics of culture and biosemiotics it has become a vibrant interdisciplinary research environment. Works of Juri Lotman, the founder of the world-renowned Tartu-Moscow school of semiotics, and the forerunner of biosemiotics Jakob von Uexküll form the cornerstones of Tartu semiotics research. Department of Semiotics offers a creative research environment and a fascinating group of scholars bringing together wide range of research themes in semiotics. The library holds an excellent collection of semiotic literature, in English as well as in Russian; including also the T.A. Sebeok memorial library. Semiotics doctoral programme in Tartu lasts 4 years and gives altogether 240 ECTS.

Currently most courses on curriculum are in Estonian, yet can be replaced with supervised individual work. We also provided a series of general and special courses on various branches of semiotics in English, both from local and visiting scholars. Thus every student can find in Tartu the possibilities that in the best way can meet his or her scholarly needs.

Students of our doctoral programme can also participate in the international programme SEMKNOW.

Learn more about the programme

More information about admission