Admission to Materials Science PhD Programme
Candidates can apply for specific projects listed here. For futher information about research projects please contact the Faculty of Science and Technology.
Documents to Be Submitted
The following electronic documents must be submitted via DreamApply by the application deadline:
- application;
- official copy of the diploma and diploma supplement (transcript/mark sheet) of the preceding study levels (both bachelor's and master's) in the original language*;
- official translation of the diplomas and diploma supplements into English;
- proof of English language proficiency at a satisfactory level;
- copy of the passport page stating the applicant´s personal particulars;
- doctoral thesis project;
- curriculum vitae (relevant form CV).
Sending the documents by post
All admitted students are required to send the application documents by post to: Student Admissions, University of Tartu, Ülikooli 18-132, Tartu 50090, ESTONIA. The signed application form, degree certificates and transcripts, copy of passport and proof of English language proficiency are expected to be mailed.
Two ways for sending the hard copies- Hard copies of the application documents are posted by the application deadline. This enables us to process the documents earlier and if you should be admitted, the further process will be smoother.
- However, you can send the documents also after receiving the conditional admission offer via DreamApply (if you will be admitted). In this case, the documents should be sent in the fastest way possible (by courier) and they must arrive in 2 weeks. If you choose the second option, please prepare the certified copies already now, so that you can send them out at once, if necessary. Getting your documents properly certified can take quite a bit of time. If the documents do not arrive on time, the university has a right to withdraw the admission offer.
Please note that the documents are firstly delivered to the university clerical office and not to the Admissions Office. Be patient and wait until you receive a notification via DreamApply, which confirms that we have started processing your documents at our office. Please note that the application documents will not be returned.
All copies of educational documents (diplomas and diploma supplements/academic transcripts) must be officially certified. Certified copies should bear an original signature and seal of the authority certifying that these are true copies of the original. The documents can be certified:
- by an authorized official of the issuing institution;
- by a notary;
- with an Apostille attached.
NB! The University does not accept simple copies of original documents or already certified copies.
Some country-specific requirements also specify the way documents must be certified.
NB! Applicants graduating in 2020 and having their diplomas issued later than the application deadline, should electronically submit their most recent official Transcript of Records by the required deadline along with the rest of the required documents. Please note, that you must have graduated from your master´s studies by August 1, 2020. The graduation documents must be submitted by August 5.
Entrance Criteria
A master’s degree or an equivalent qualification is a prerequisite for admission.
Admission requirement | Percentage |
Doctoral thesis project and assessment of its feasibility | 100% |
Applicants are admitted on the basis of the ranking list. The minimum score required for being admitted is 66.0.
Doctoral Thesis Project
The doctoral thesis project in Estonian or English and the curriculum vitae must be submitted with other entrance documents in the online application system.
Applicants are chosen based on doctoral thesis projects approved during a general competition in the faculty.
The doctoral thesis project must give an overview of the research topic an applicant is planning to carry out during PhD studies at UT. The project should reflect the applicants’ knowledge and skills in the field and a feasible plan for completing the dissertation. The commission will assess the plan presented and its feasibility – applicant’s potential to complete the plan accordingly. The content of the project should be agreed upon with a supervisor prior submission.
The project must include the following:
- Description of the research topic (the project approved by the faculty) – a short overview of the field and listing the most relevant studies carried out in the field;
- Research objective – which particular objectives or tasks have been set within the given topic; hypotheses of the research to be carried out;
- Research methods or ways to solve the problems set, and description of tools the research requires
- Expectations towards the results – their novelty and importance
- Applicant’s preparedness and ability to implement the doctoral project, knowledge of the field; methodological competency and the topic’s compliance with the applicant’s prior research or professional work
Assessment
The project is assessed on a 100-point scale (0–100 points). The minimum score required for being admitted is 66.0
For assessment the following is considered: the projects’ academic quality (relevance; novelty and innovativeness) and its feasibility from the perspective of theapplicant. The applicants’ prior experience in the field is also considered.