MA Folkloristics and Applied Heritage Studies

Programme Overview

The Folkloristics and Applied Heritage Studies master’s programme at the University of Tartu is a full-time postgraduate programme designed to train specialists with a strong understanding of scholarly approaches to folk culture and cultural heritage. The programme focuses on how individuals, communities, regional actors and states relate to the past, understand cultural heritage, and use it to shape the present and imagine the future.

The programme provides students with both academic knowledge and practical skills that can be applied in academia, cultural institutions, public and private organisations, business, and other professional environments.

Study Details

• University: University of Tartu
• Location: Tartu, Estonia
• Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Humanities
• Study level: Master’s
• Study type: Postgraduate, full-time
• Duration: 2 years
• Teaching language: English
• Degree awarded: MA
• Studies commence: 31 August 2026

Specialisations

Students can choose between two specialisation options:

Analysis of Folklore and Cultural Heritage

This specialisation focuses on the analysis and scholarly study of folklore and cultural heritage. Students develop knowledge and analytical skills related to folk culture, heritage and the processes through which cultural heritage is understood and produced.

Study and Application of Heritage of Craft

This specialisation focuses on the study and practical application of craft heritage. Students can develop their knowledge through practical work and may use their previous work, such as fieldwork, crafts or exhibitions, as part of their academic development.

Students receive individual mentoring to support the development of their academic and professional careers.

Programme Focus

The programme addresses the growing importance of cultural heritage in contemporary societies. Heritage is presented as a key category through which people and communities relate to their past while continuously creating and recreating their identities and social environments.

Students develop expertise in both tangible and intangible cultural heritage and become familiar with cultural policy processes. The programme also focuses on the responsible use and application of cultural heritage as a social and economic resource.

UNESCO and Heritage Studies

The University of Tartu hosts the UNESCO Chair on Applied Studies of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which is one of seven such chairs worldwide. The university also participates in the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s programme in Education in Museums and Heritage.

The programme reflects the increasing international need for specialists in cultural heritage and policy, particularly as more states worldwide join the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Programme Completion

Students complete their studies with either a master’s thesis or a practically oriented master’s project.

The programme website provides an overview of the programme structure and courses.

Career Opportunities

Graduates can continue their academic careers by pursuing doctoral studies in Europe, North America and elsewhere. Others can work in public or private sector positions related to cultural heritage, folk culture and cultural policy.

The programme develops analytical, writing and communication skills together with multifaceted practical experience. Graduates can apply these skills across a wide range of professional areas.

Graduates may work as specialists in the growing field of tangible and intangible cultural heritage. They can contribute to the development of the field and act as mediators between communities, officials, enterprises, memory institutions and other participants involved in heritage production.

Graduates can also plan and conduct research and business projects related to cultural heritage. As the international importance of intangible cultural heritage continues to grow, specialists who can analyse cultural heritage and use it responsibly as a social and economic resource are increasingly needed.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must hold an undergraduate diploma or higher. A bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification must be obtained by the end of July.

Country-specific document requirements apply, and applicants are advised to consult the University of Tartu’s country-specific requirements and step-by-step application guide.

Entry qualification documents are accepted in:

• English
• Estonian

English Language Requirements

All applicants must comply with the University of Tartu’s English language requirements.

The exact acceptable English tests and exempt categories are specified by the university’s English language requirements information.

Motivation Letter

Applicants must submit a motivation letter as part of their application.

The final version must be uploaded before submitting the application because it cannot be edited after submission.

The motivation letter must be 5,000–6,000 characters including spaces, written in English, and address the following areas:

• Why the applicant is applying to the master’s programme
• How their educational, professional or other relevant background makes them suitable for the programme
• Which specialisation or topics they would like to focus on and why
• Their plans after graduation and how the programme can contribute to their professional goals
• Any other relevant information about the applicant

Applicants may also attach up to five files demonstrating previous work discussed in their motivation letter, such as fieldwork, crafts or organised exhibitions. These files are uploaded through the DreamApply application system.

Motivation Letter Evaluation

The motivation letter is evaluated according to three main criteria:

• Reasoning in describing research interests and professional goals: maximum 40%
• Fit between the applicant’s background and the programme’s content and goals: maximum 30%
• Analytical, argumentation and self-expression skills: maximum 30%

Applicants must achieve at least 51 points to receive a positive evaluation result and proceed to the second stage of the admission process.

Admission Interview

Applicants who receive a positive motivation-letter evaluation are invited to an admission interview.

The interview lasts approximately 10 minutes and is designed to assess the applicant’s readiness for continuous learning, professional development and ability to study in the master’s programme.

The interview evaluates:

• Motivation and fields of interest presented in the motivation letter — maximum 30%
• Fit between the applicant’s goals and the programme’s goals — maximum 30%
• Analytical, argumentation and self-expression skills in English — maximum 30%
• Readiness for continuous learning and professional development — maximum 10%

The minimum positive score for the admission interview is 51 out of 100 points.

Online Admission Interview

The University of Tartu conducts online admission interviews using video communication platforms such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom. The admissions committee informs applicants which platform will be used and provides the interview schedule.

For the stated admission period, interviews were scheduled for 8 April 2026.

Applicants participating in the online interview need:

• A computer or smart device
• A web camera
• Earphones
• A microphone
• An internet connection with a recommended speed of at least 1 Mb/s for upload and download

The web camera is mandatory because applicants must be visually identified during the interview.

During the interview, applicants must have an identity document available and ensure that the room is free from other people and distracting background noise. Applicants are not permitted to record the interview.

Tuition Fees

The tuition fee for the programme is €4,800 per year.

Citizens and permanent residence permit holders of EU/EEA countries or Switzerland are exempt from the tuition fee.

The source states that there are no tuition waivers for citizens from outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland.

For this programme, two admitted students receive a 25% tuition fee reduction for their second semester, based on the weighted average grade of all results from the previous studied semester.

Applicants who are not citizens of the EU/EEA or Switzerland must pre-pay half of the first semester’s tuition fee after receiving an admission offer.

Application Fee

The application fee is €100, payable once.

The application fee is non-refundable.

Application Status

The provided source states that the application period has ended.

The stated study commencement date is 31 August 2026.

Academic and Professional Development

The programme combines academic study with practical experience and individual mentoring. Students develop expertise in folk culture, cultural heritage, cultural policy, research, analysis, writing and communication.

Through its two specialisation options and thesis or practical project, the programme enables students to develop an academic or professionally oriented pathway in the field of folklore and heritage studies.

Why Study Folkloristics and Applied Heritage Studies?

The programme offers specialised preparation for work with folk culture and cultural heritage at a time when the importance of intangible cultural heritage is increasing internationally. Students benefit from the University of Tartu’s involvement in applied intangible cultural heritage studies, individual mentoring and opportunities to develop both academic and practical expertise.

Graduates can continue to doctoral studies or pursue professional opportunities involving cultural heritage, cultural policy, research, memory institutions, communities, enterprises and other organisations involved in heritage production.