Educational Technology University of Tartu

Overview

The Educational Technology programme is a 1-year online programme designed to provide an opportunity for professional development to people working or planning to work in positions that involve teaching and wish to use educational technology more effectively in their work.

The programme may prove to be especially useful to people currently working at educational institutions (schools, universities, etc.) who did not have a chance to gain digital technology skills and knowledge during their studies (whether because such technological solutions did not exist yet or were only beginning to emerge).

The programme's flexibility and a major focus on e-learning make it especially well-suited to those who work – whether it be outside of Tartu or in another country. In August, there is a ten-day on-site session in Tartu. The exact dates of the August session are usually published by early June. Graduation takes place in June with the possibility of virtual participation.  

What is educational technology?

Educational technology is an interdisciplinary field of study which focuses on facilitating learning and improving teaching practices by creating, using and managing appropriate technological processes and resources and providing corresponding training to educators.

Students will be working together in groups of 2–4, supported by their lecturers and mentors, to find solutions to specific problems in their workplace or improve some other aspect of their work (or the work of the teams they are leading in their workplace).

For example, lecturers might want to learn how to effectively implement the flipped classroom approach; school teachers might aim at creating fun and beneficial learning activities where students use their smart devices; heads of schools may want to increase their teachers' digital competence, and trainers in companies might be interested in developing trainings in the form of e-learning that allow the employees to study at home.

Why study Educational Technology at the  University of Tartu ?

• The University of Tartu belongs to the top 350 of the world's best universities (THE World University Rankings 2025).
• The University of Tartu is ranked in the top 300 universities globally in education and training.
• Teamwork is a primary emphasis of the programme, allowing you to advance your collaboration skills and help you develop a global social network. Students have the option to do their MA thesis in a small team. 
• The flexible 1-year programme is almost entirely online, allowing you to continue working in your current job.

• You can find practical solutions to challenges in your workplace. 

Career opportunities

Graduates are prepared to work as lecturers in universities or teachers in schools (depending on their previous studies and positions), as specialists in the field of education, or in various institutions or companies focused on educational research, development or innovation. Continuing in the doctoral programme is also possible. 

University of Tartu Institute of Education

The University of Tartu Institute of Education provides research-based, pre-service training for teachers, special education teachers, speech therapists, and social pedagogues. There is also an extensive in-service training programme for teachers, heads of schools, and university teaching staff.

The institute's main fields of research consist of teachers' professional development, students' assessment and support in development, educational technology, and special education. Important recent publications deal with phases of inquiry-based learning, students' metacognition, and the interconnection between teaching practices students'nts’ achievements.