EKA Erasmus | Onboarding support

Study plan

Unfortunately, the Autumn semester 2026/27 course catalogue is not yet available. We aim to send a preliminary list of courses approximately one month before the start of the exchange semester. However, we can confirm that a variety of specialty and optional courses totaling at least 30 ECTS credits* will be offered.

*the exact amount depends on the student’s home university. EKA has not set a specific number of credits to be done by exchange students while studying at EKA and therefore we advise you to seek the requirements by contacting their International Coordinator in home university.

Exchange students are not part of any specific study group in EKA, but instead will combine their individual schedules with courses offered by the department as well as with optional courses:

Specialty Courses: These are subjects provided by your specialty department. Exchange students will combine individual schedules of different year courses offered by their department.

For a preliminary overview, you can view the course lists from each department from the previous autumn semester below. Please note that the courses listed are subject to change.

Optional Courses: These are subjects provided by different departments for all the students of EKA despite their speciality.

For a preliminary overview, you can view the optional course lists from the previous autumn semester below. Please note that the listed courses are subject to change.

OPTIONAL COURSES course catalog, autumn 2025/26

Registration to the course is normally done via a specific form a week before the beginning of courses. The form as well as the list of courses will be announced prior to the registration, so the exchange students can make their selection by the time of opening the registration form.

Students can change their selection up until the second class of each course and change must be registered also in Tahvel (study information system). If you do not unregister from a course you do not take, the courses will be on your Transcript of Records with a result “not attended”.

Student card

The EKA building is accessible only with a door card. Not only the entrance door, but all the other rooms in the building are digital and therefore can be opened with a door card.

Once an exchange student is accepted, an order for the card will be placed, so by the time of student’s arrival the card is ready and available for use. The card will be given to the student individually on the first meeting on campus.

If you lose the card, please notify the International Office about it and the access rights will be removed from the lost card. Also an order for your new card will be placed in, but the copy must be paid by the student.

As the door card is also an ISIC card, therefore it enables students to receive discounts in different places in Tallinn. Seek the exact list from HERE.

Photo: Kaido Kruusamets

Buddy students

We have several volunteers who help new students feel more welcome at the Estonian Academy of Arts. Each exchange student shares a buddy with other international students in EKA and if possible, the buddy comes from the same study programme as the student assigned to.

Buddies help to adapt to EKA by introducing the student life and providing an opportunity to discuss problems from a student’s point of view. Buddy students can provide advice on how to find the necessary information and help in case you have questions about everyday life in Tallinn. Time to time buddies organise fun joint activities, which offer the possibility to meet fellow students as well as explore Estonia from a local perspective.

Psychological counselling

Our psychologist-special needs counsellor is available for discussing any topic that might troubling a student’s mind. There is no such thing as a trivial problem and the counsellor can be visited when there seems to be no particular concern but you just feel like talking to someone.

The psychologist can be talked in confidence on all topics that might trouble, including:

Adaptation problems
Issues related to communication and relationships
Stress, sadness or depression
Low self-esteem and insecurity
Decision-making and the respective difficulties
Loss of inspiration and motivation, creative problems
Learning motivation and examination anxiety
Difficult and unexpected events in life

The psychologist helps the advisees to understand and express their problem better, supports them in coming to terms with their thoughts, feelings, wishes and fears and assists them in finding a solution.

Counselling for students with special needs
EKA supports students with special needs upon admission to university and during their studies. A student with special needs refers to students who may need to make changes to the subject organisation or learning environment due to a long-term health condition in order to ensure equal access to higher education. To prove a special need and, if necessary, to determine possible adaptations in their studies, a disability certificate from a specialist doctor is required, which must be submitted to the advisor for students with special needs.

Counselling takes place in the EKA main building (2nd floor, room D201), is private and confidential, usually lasts 45 minutes and, as a rule, meets several times (maximum 5 times). Counselling is free of charge.

Please contact our psychologist – advisor for students with special needs Janne Hunt
janne.hunt@artun.ee for making an appointment.

IT help

The aim of the IT department is to ensure that the necessary ICT environment exists to ensure the execution of the Academy’s regulatory objectives. The assignments and field of activity described in the IT department’s statutes include the development and management of the EKA’s data communications networks and the computer classes under the administration of the IT department. In case you need any help from the IT department, please contact them via email it@artun.ee.

In addition, the IT department owns a rental, which lends EKA students different electrical equipment for study work. The rental period is free from the first rental day until the morning period of the next equipment rental opening time. For every following day after the free rental period there is a fee of 0.50 per rented item. Sundays are free of charge. The fee for the subsequent days must be paid in advance.If the rented equipment is not returned on the agreed upon date, a penalty of € 3 is due per day on every rented item.

Rented equipment must be returned in working order and as received. This means, with charged batteries, formatted SD cards and other media and without personal information (deleted pictures/videos/texts, all accounts logged out.) Equipment rental must be notified as soon as possible if the equipment is malfunctional, broken or stolen.

For the protection of users of the equipment rental users and the rental property, surveillance cameras are installed and the records are kept for 2 months.

As the equipment rental is only for the students of the Estonian Academy of Arts, a proof of identity is required for rental.

Equal Treatment

The Estonian Academy of Arts’ previous development plan (2021–2025) focused on developing EKA into an inspiring educational, working, and creative environment for both its community and visitors, emphasizing mutual respect, appreciation, and recognition. Since 2017, EKA has also been a signatory of the Good Research Practice agreement, which provides guidelines for all Estonian research institutions. These principles ensure a safe working environment, equal treatment for all employees, and a zero-tolerance approach to bullying and harassment, supported by clear procedures for addressing violations of equal treatment, collegial relations, and workplace conduct.

In 2021, EKA updated its ethics code, outlining the core values and principles guiding the ethical conduct of staff, guest lecturers, and students, as well as frameworks for resolving ethical conflicts. The Academy’s gender equality plan aims to ensure equal opportunities, fair treatment, and support for all members of the EKA community, while promoting gender equality both within the institution and in Estonian society.

While these documents reflect the current policies, new versions are currently under development. In the meantime, the Academy continues to follow the principles and guidelines set out in the existing plans.

Discrimination-Free EKA

Tips for responding to discrimination/bullying

If you are an academy employee or student and feel that you are being discriminated against or bullied at work or in your studies:

If the situation allows, tell or write to the person that their behavior is not acceptable and ask them to stop. You can also inform them that if the situation continues, you will file a complaint. If you’re afraid or can’t contact the bully, ask a trusted person (i.e your coordinator or buddy student).
Write down the entire sequence of events with dates and times so that it’s easier to recall the details later.
Collect and keep all written evidence (e-mail exchanges, etc.). If others witness the event, note it down, as eyewitness statements can be crucial evidence. Evidence is vital to verify discrimination or bullying.
Don’t suffer alone. Students can seek psychological counselling from the psychological career counsellor (email: janne.hunt@artun.ee).
As a student, first address your concern to International Office staf or employee whom you trust
If no solution is found in the above process, or if the solution is unsatisfactory, you can file an official complaint to the rector by e-mail (mart.kalm@artun.ee) or post. You can also directly contact the rector without going through the above steps. The complaint should relate to working or studying at the university; this guideline doesn’t apply to purely personal conflicts. If necessary, the rector will set up an ethics committee to resolve the complaint.
Provide all necessary information to the person handling the complaint and inform them of what you believe would be the best final solution.
In cases of physical violence or another threatening situation (e.g., stalking), also contact the police. You have the right to file a complaint. Even if the investigation does not confirm discrimination or bullying, it doesn’t mean you’ve done something wrong. You’ve only acted wrongly if you’ve knowingly lied when filing a complaint. In that case, your complaint is malicious, and the university may take appropriate measures to address your behavior.
If you see a fellow student being bullied/discriminated against: speak with the victim and express support; understand that your intervention is important, as often victims are hesitant to seek help; if the situation persists and you feel safe, intervene and tell the discriminator/bully that their behavior is unacceptable; and be willing to cooperate if your testimony as a witness is needed. Anyone who witnesses or perceives a hostile, intimidating, hostile, derogatory, demeaning, or offensive atmosphere can file a complaint, even if the direct victim is someone else. Unaddressed discrimination or bullying can potentially victimize everyone in the collective. Therefore, it’s essential for witnesses to intervene or draw attention to the situation.
If you’re a student against whom a discrimination/bullying complaint has been filed: talk with the person investigating the complaint and explain the situation from your perspective; even if you feel you’ve done nothing wrong, don’t downplay the feelings of the complainant and immediately stop the alleged inappropriate behavior; no one is condemned merely based on a complaint; a fair and objective investigation is carried out. Listen to the recommendations provided by the person handling the complaint.

The decision taken by the rector regarding the complaint and the subsequent measures are communicated to both the person filing the complaint and the person against whom the complaint was filed. If the decision doesn’t satisfy the complainant, they can file an appeal to the court. If the investigation confirms discrimination/bullying, measures are taken to remedy the situation, such as adjusting the work environment or duties, providing further training, or taking disciplinary measures against the discriminator/bully.

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