MSc Software Engineering

The MSc Software Engineering is a full-time, postgraduate master’s programme at the University of Tartu, Estonia, offered by the Faculty of Science and Technology. The programme has a nominal duration of 2 years and is taught entirely in English, leading to a Master of Science (MSc) degree.

Programme Overview

The international master’s programme in Software Engineering develops students’ expertise in software engineering, software development, and management, while also providing specialised knowledge in two major software application domains.

The programme begins with a base module covering foundational concepts in modern software engineering theory and practice. Students develop knowledge across the full software development lifecycle, including requirements elicitation, software design, implementation, quality assurance, and operations. The base module addresses both the technical and managerial aspects of software development.

Students later specialise in one of two narrow-field modules:

• Enterprise Software Engineering
• Secure Systems Engineering

Admission Requirements

Applicants must hold a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification, which must be obtained by the end of July, in one of the following areas:

• Information Technology
• Computer Science
• Software Engineering
• Computer Engineering
• Information Systems
• A related field

Applicants with a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics, natural sciences, technology, engineering, business, or economics must have completed at least 24 ECTS in information technology. This must include courses in programming, database technology, and software engineering.

Entry qualification documents are accepted in English or Estonian. Country-specific document requirements may also apply.

English Language Requirements

All applicants must comply with the University of Tartu’s English language requirements. The source specifies that only the university’s accepted English tests and exempt categories are eligible, but it does not provide the specific test scores in the supplied information.

Motivation Letter

Applicants must submit a motivation letter in English, with a maximum length of 6,000 characters including spaces. The final version must be uploaded before submitting the application and cannot be edited after submission.

The motivation letter should address the applicant’s reasons for choosing the Software Engineering master’s programme, preferred specialisation, technical and non-technical skills, previous complex software engineering projects, and participation in programming challenges, hackathons, Olympiads, code camps, online courses, or other relevant extracurricular activities.

The motivation letter is evaluated according to two criteria:

• Fit between the student’s background and goals and the study programme — 75%
• Clarity, logical structure, writing skills, and fluency in written English — 25%

Tuition Fees

The tuition fee for the programme is €7,200 per year.

Citizens and permanent residence permit holders of EU/EEA countries or Switzerland are exempt from tuition fees. According to the supplied information, there are no tuition fee waivers for citizens from outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland.

For this programme, ten admitted students can receive a 50% tuition fee reduction for their second semester, based on the weighted average grade of all results from the previous 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.

Study Environment

Students study at the University of Tartu Delta Centre, which brings together a community of students, researchers, and innovators working in computer science, business and economics, mathematics, and statistics.

The programme provides an international study environment, with more than 50% of students coming from international backgrounds. Students also have the opportunity to spend up to half of their studies at a partner company and follow a personalised study plan.

Career Opportunities

The MSc Software Engineering programme prepares graduates for both high-level technical and managerial careers in the software industry.

Potential technical career paths include:

• Software Analyst
• Software Architect
• Research Engineer

Managerial career paths include:

• Project Leader
• Team Leader
• Technology Officer

Graduates are prepared to work in the dynamic software industry in the Baltics, Northern Europe, and Eastern Europe, as well as pursue opportunities in the wider international software industry.

The source lists graduate employment at companies including Google, Facebook, Ericsson, Swedbank, Wise, Bolt, Kuehne + Nagel, Nortal, Pipedrive, Playtech, Testlio, and Apromore.

Overall, the programme combines software engineering theory, practical development knowledge, management skills, and specialised training in Enterprise Software Engineering or Secure Systems Engineering, preparing students for advanced technical and leadership roles in software engineering.