Urban Studies MSc

Apply between February 1 and March 2, 2026 to enroll in fall 2026. Register here for the online info session: January 12, 2026, 5pm EET time. Visit here for more information on the admission process.

Ever wondered why some places grow while others shrink? How different communities experience urbanization, and who benefits in this uneven, global process? How cities depend on natural resources even as they teem with biodiversity? Why it is still not common sense that everyone has a right to good housing? That neighborhoods do not need to be “revitalized” but developed in ways that are equitable and just?

Rethinking to change
The Urban Studies MSc is a two-year interdisciplinary programme focused on rethinking cities and socio-environmental change. Key areas include urban nature, housing and infrastructure. You’ll engage with materials, architecture, landscapes and technology against the backdrop of global capitalist dynamics and persistent social hierarchies. The programme centers affordability and reparative action in order to transform planning, policy and society.

Small-group, student-led
Urban Studies classes comprise collaborative research, site visits, field work, and project-based creation. The instruction prioritizes small-group, student-led learning activities. Students engage with communities of humans and non-humans through installations, interventions and other initiatives, while reading and writing practice is centred in the programme to unlock curiosity and critical thinking. On a journey to rethink and reshape the urban mainstream, you’ll master a variety of skills and tools such as critical mapping, institutional literacy, strategies for degrowth and urban political ecology. Click here to see a sample of student projects.

Truly interdisciplinary pathways
Urbanism is a fluid concept encompassing the urban everyday, a professional arena and an academic field of study. Urban Studies is therefore a collaborative place for students with diverse interests including architects curious to understand the bigger picture, social studies graduates seeking to ground theory in actual neighbourhoods, and artists interested in engaging the urban arena. What unites them is a shared concern for social equity spanning the built and natural environments. A critical study of urban change opens up pathways to truly transformative, unique careers in policy, planning, academia, advocacy and beyond.

Pathway to doctoral study
Urban Studies MSc provides a good basis for doctoral study in the fields of urbanism, planning and architecture. The PhD program offers two tracks:  history and theory, and creative research. Explore and apply to the doctoral program here.

Comparative urbanism
During your studies you’ll be immersed in Tallinn’s diverse neighborhoods and infrastructural hinterlands. Field trips in cities such as Berlin and Lima complement this experience with an emphasis on urban justice and everyday reproduction. A key concern is geographical difference and positionality: the programme guides students to develop, individually or as a group, non-extractive engagement with geographically wide-ranging communities. Examples of recent thesis projects: anti-gentrification movements in Lisbon, urban river regulation in Vienna, the management of post-disaster recovery in Turkey, how coastal fishing communities in Latin America grapple with development pressures.

Tutor diversity
The program is coordinated by Maroš Krivý and Sean Tyler. Tutors for 2026 include Kaija-Luisa Kurik, Nabeel Imtiaz, Mira Samonig, Karina Vabson, Lia Alarcón, Milla Kallio, Wangui Kimari, Leonard Ma, Mattias Malk, Agáta Marzec, Efe Ogbeide, Helen Runting and Paco Ulman. Past tutors, speakers and scholars include: Sandra Jasper, Nina Stener Jørgensen, Flo Kaserau, Tahl Kaminer, Helena Mattson, Viktória Mravčáková, Jess Myers, Lily Song, Henriette Steiner and Anna Livia Vørsel.

Apply by March 2, 2026. Questions? Contact admissions@artun.ee.

About Estonian Academy of Arts
Established in 1914, the Estonian Academy of Arts is a leading public university providing higher education in fine arts, design, architecture, visual culture and other fields. It offers eight English-language master’s programmes with competitive study fees. In 2018, the university opened its new, centrally located campus in Tallinn’s Kalamaja district. The campus is a short drive or tram ride to Tallinn Airport with direct flights to major European destinations.