A new amendment to the Higher Education Act will give universities the right to create paid one-year master's programs in Estonian.

Universities already have paid programs, but until now, these have required separate agreements with the state.

Kristi Raudmäe, head of higher education at the Ministry of Education and Research, said the shorter programs are intended for a specific target group who already have a prior master's degree or long-term work experience.

She said the amendment would make it possible to offer more flexible study options to working people while also bringing additional funding into the higher education system.

Raudmäe stressed that shorter studies do not mean compromising on quality, but rather take into account the student's previous knowledge.

"If a master's program is shorter than two years, meaning less than 120 credit points, then the higher education institution has the right to charge tuition to cover study costs. Such programs are generally intended for people who already have a prior master's degree or broader work experience in the field," she said.

Aune Valk, vice rector for academic affairs at the University of Tartu, said the change in the law will mainly reduce bureaucracy.

The University of Tartu already offers 11 one-year master's programs, five of them in Estonian and four of those fee-based under administrative agreements.

Valk said there is no need to fear that one-year programs will replace traditional free studies. She said that one-year studies are often necessary for specialization.

"If you obtained a master's degree perhaps at 25, then by 45 that education and everything you actually need at work may no longer be the same. These are rather additional master's studies for adults, not something I see as a first master's degree for a young person," she said.

Valk gave the example that pharmacists study for five years, which is considered equivalent to a master's degree, but if a person wants to work in a hospital, they must additionally complete a one-and-a-half-year master's program in clinical pharmacy.

TalTech also supports making one-year master's programs fee-based. However, Rector Tiit Land said universities must retain the obligation to provide traditional tuition-free education as well.

"These one-year programs are in fields where additional study and further development are needed. They will certainly not replace or phase out traditional curricula," he said.

The ministry said the new arrangement could apply from the next academic year.

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