Higher Education

The most important objectives in education in the following years are specified in the Estonian Lifelong Learning Strategy 2020 or the education strategy. The general goal of the strategy is providing all people in Estonia with learning opportunities that are specific for their needs and capabilities throughout their whole lifespan in order to provide them with opportunities for dignified self-actualisation as individuals in the society, in their work and in their family life.

In order to pursue the general goal, five strategic goals have been specified together with measures to be taken to achieve the goals. The goals regard all learners, including children and young people as well as adults and the elderly; and achievement of the goals depends on the contribution of everyone involved: the learners themselves, employers, etc.
Achievement of the strategic goals of lifelong learning in higher education has been specified in the higher education programme.

In Estonia, the higher education system has two branches: study is carried out in the academic and the professional higher education branch. Since the academic year 2002/03, the general structure of academic study has three levels or cycles. The first level is Bachelor's study and the second level is Master's study. The third and the highest level is Doctoral study.

Professional higher education is, similarly to Bachelor's study, the first level of higher education, which ensures access to Master’s study. Completion of respective studies at each level of higher education is considered the graduation from an educational institution.

In case of medical training, veterinary training, pharmacist training, dentistry training, architectural studies, civil engineering studies and teachers’ training for general teachers, study is based on integrated curricula of Bachelor's and Master's study and gives the qualification of the second level of academic higher education.

An academic year is divided into two terms – the autumn and the spring term. An academic year begins in September and ends in June. Both the autumn and the spring term generally last for five months, the volume of which in credit points makes one half of the study load of an academic year. The autumn term usually lasts, based on the decision of the educational institution, from September to December; and the examination session is in January. The spring term lasts from the end of January or the beginning of February to the end of May, but examinations often take place until the end of June. Students shall have at least eight weeks of holiday each year.

The study load determined in the curriculum shall be expressed in credit points of European Credit Point Transfer System (ECTS). One credit point corresponds to 26 hours of work used by a student for studying. The study load of one academic year shall be 60 credit points, which is 1,560 hours of work which a student has spent on studying.

Two types of institutions operate: universities and institutions of professional higher education. At a university, higher education is acquired at three levels: professional higher education and Bachelor’s study, Master’s study and Doctoral study. A professional higher education institution and some other vocational educational institutions provide professional higher education. A professional higher education institution can also provide vocational training to students who have acquired secondary education and, upon complying with certain requirements on the basis of the decision by the Government of the Republic, also Master’s study. In terms of the form of ownership, educational institutions can be state-owned, public and private.

The general legal principles of higher education are determined in the Education Act of the Republic of Estonia, the Universities Act, in the Institutions of Professional Higher Education Act and in the Private Schools Act. Also the Vocational Educational Institutions Act and the Adult Education Act and in case of doctoral studies the Organisation of Research and Development Act are applied. The Education Act of the Republic of Estonia determines higher education as formal education and describes the types of higher education institutions. The Universities Act determines the procedures for the establishment, merger, division and termination of the activities of universities, the bases for the activities, the limits of autonomy, the principles of management, organisation of studies, incl. the principles of compilation of joint curricula, the system of quality assessment, the legal status of assets of universities; the principles of financing, the basic rights and obligations of teaching staff and students, and administrative supervision over the activities of universities. The law also defines the main concepts related to higher education. Study Allowances and Study Loans Act provides for the conditions and procedure for granting allowances and study loan to students. The Regulation “Student scholarship types, rates and general conditions for award” lays down government scholarships for students (speciality grant, results-based grant, doctoral allowance, special-needs student grant and grant for young people raised in substitute home or family), scholarship rates and conditions which have to be met by the student upon application.

Uniform requirements for higher education studies shall be established by a regulation of the Government of the Republic in the Standard of Higher Education, which applies to all levels of higher education, regardless of the legal status of the educational institution. The Standard of Higher Education is the source document for issuing of education licenses, institutional evaluation and the accrediting of the curricula of education institutions providing higher education. For medical training, veterinary training, pharmacist training, dentistry training, midwifery, nursing training, architectural studies or civil engineering studies or teacher training the provisions of higher education standard are applied having regard to differences arising from the framework requirements established by a regulation of the Government of the Republic. The Framework specifies the requirements for both curricula and teaching staff and also the competences to be acquired by completion of a corresponding curriculum. The correspondence of qualifications issued in Estonia at different periods is established with the regulation of the Government of the Republic Correspondence of qualifications of the Republic of Estonia and qualifications of the former Soviet Union before 20 August 1991.