Sustainability topics in our courses
The University of Tartu offers a selection of courses related to sustainable development goals and traineeship opportunities to help students enhance their future skills to solve complex problems. For the conditions of taking a specific course, read the course information in SIS or contact the teaching staff member in charge of the course. Note that most courses are taught in Estonian.
The course provides students with thorough knowledge helping to understand long-term ecological, economic and socially sustainable development through a critical and systems thinking approach. The course covers the principles, indicators and impacts of sustainable development and ways of assessing sustainable development in different systems and at different levels, and develops problem-solving skills through leadership.
Teaching staff in charge: Melanie Kay Smith
Course code: P2PC.00.511
Volume: 5 ECTS
This course aims to provide knowledge on the three aspects of sustainability: economic, social and ecological, and their reciprocal effects.
Teaching staff in charge: Kati Orru
Course code: SVUH.00.127
Volume: 6 ECTS
The course aims to introduce the current degrowth paradigm and social organisation through theoretical and practical approaches and stimulate the skills to lead discussions on the topic.
Teaching staff in charge: Madis Vasser
Course code: SVSV.00.010
Volume: 6 ECTS
The course aims to give an up-to-date overview of global change, including the climate and biodiversity crises. The course focuses on the connections between large-scale environmental change, the natural environment and people. An important focus is on the impact of global change on the functioning of the natural environment and ecosystems and the ecosystem services they provide. The course develops general competences such as searching for scientific information and writing texts, critical thinking, teamwork, problem-solving and oral and written expression in Estonian.
Teaching staff in charge: Aveliina Helm
Course code: LTOM.00.008
Volume: 3 ECTS
Culture
The course aims to introduce the theoretical grounds of ecosemiotics, their applications, and key authors. It provides an overview of the development of environmentalist thinking in the West and a chance to discuss several modern understandings of man's place in the ecosystem.
Teaching staff in charge: Riin Magnus
Course code: FLSE.00.275
Volume: 6 ECTS
The course aims to provide knowledge on the environmental crisis, its cultural causes, effects and mitigation by discussing essential texts in environmental humanities.
Teaching staff in charge: Timo Maran
Course code: FLSE.00.340
Volume: 3 ECTS
The course describes the key concepts and approaches of Christian thought on environmental problems.
Teaching staff in charge: Andrei Shishkov
Course code: HVUS.00.011
Volume: 3 ECTS
The course aims to broaden students' general knowledge of the environment and provide practical skills for organising cultural events in an environmentally friendly way.
Teaching staff in charge: Jana Reidla
Course code: HVKU.03.043
Volume: 3 ECTS
The course aims to introduce links between sustainable development and culture management and discuss the best practices for reducing culture's footprint.
Teaching staff in charge: Jorma Sarv
Course code: HVVK.00.018
Volume: 3 ECTS
The course aims to cover a broad spectrum of the arts in their relation to the ecological crisis, and their role and function in rendering sensible, representing, articulating, and confronting the ecological crisis in its various aspects.
Teaching staff in charge: Jaak Tomberg
Course code: HVKU.05.035
Volume: 3 ECTS
The course gives a systematic overview of the basics of ecology, the ecosemiotic paradigm, and relations between culture and nature. Populations, ecosystems, societies and cultural phenomena are treated as semiotic and communicative webs by emphasising their structure, dynamics and interrelations. Semiotic aspects of environmental problems are analysed.
Teaching staff in charge: Timo Maran
Course code: FLSE.00.069
Volume: 3 ECTS
Natural environment
The course aims to make students think about global trends and options to influence them and help them see the relations between natural and socio-economic processes.
Teaching staff in charge: Tõnu Oja
Course code: LOOM.02.001
Volume: 3 ECTS
The course gives a systematic overview of the basics of ecology, the ecosemiotic paradigm, and relations between culture and nature. Populations, ecosystems, societies and cultural phenomena are treated as semiotic and communicative webs by emphasising their structure, dynamics and interrelations. Semiotic aspects of environmental problems are analysed.
Teaching staff in charge: Timo Maran
Course code: FLSE.00.069
Volume: 3 ECTS
The course aims to give an overview of the main natural resources, their spatial distribution, and how they can be used to ensure sustainable development.
Teaching staff in charge: Ain Kull
Course code: LOOM.02.122
Volume: 4 ECTS
The course aims to introduce the theoretical framework, process and assessment methods of environmental, strategic and social impact assessment as well as to develop the skills to analyse the quality of environmental impact statements.
Teaching staff in charge: Alar Noorvee
Course code: LOOM.02.164
Volume: 3 ECTS
The course provides an introduction to both nature conservation and environmental protection. On the nature conservation side, an overview is provided of its history and organisation in Estonia and the world, about the protection of habitats and species, nature conservation in urban areas, etc. On the environmental side, an introduction to global environmental agreements, relevant institutions, environmental policies and regulations is provided.
Teaching staff in charge: Anneli Palo
Course code: LOOM.02.140
Volume: 3 ECTS
The course aims to give an up-to-date overview of global change, including the climate and biodiversity crises. The course focuses on the connections between large-scale environmental change, the natural environment and people. An important focus is on the impact of global change on the functioning of the natural environment and ecosystems and the ecosystem services they provide. The course develops general competences such as searching for scientific information and writing texts, critical thinking, teamwork, problem-solving and oral and written expression in Estonian.
Teaching staff in charge: Aveliina Helm
Course code: LTOM.00.008
Volume: 3 ECTS
Society and politics
The course aims to provide an overview of global population trends and their relationship to urban development and planning.
Teaching staff in charge: Tiit Tammaru
Course code: LTOM.02.030
Volume: 6 ECTS
The course gives an overview of the European Green Deal, its contents and targets, the use of resources in ensuring sustainability and the green transition and climate neutrality.
Teaching staff in charge: Alar Rosentau
Course code: LTOM.00.016
Volume: 3 ECTS
The course aims to provide insight into global processes and their impact on the sustainable development of communities.
Teaching staff in charge: Kati Orru
Course code: SVUH.00.121
Volume: 6 ECTS
The course aims to provide knowledge of contemporary theories and methods of community service and development, the processes that have influenced the formation of communities in Estonia, as well as the skills to use this knowledge to develop social resilience within communities.
Teaching staff in charge: Dagmar Narusson
Course code: SVUH.00.196
Volume: 6 ECTS
The main aim of the course is to introduce the options and actions for limiting the scope and impact of climate change in the world, with a special emphasis on the policies and actions of the European Union.
Teaching staff in charge: Peep Mardiste
Course code: SVJS.00.056
Volume: 6 ECTS
Health care
The course aims to
1) equip learners from the field of health and related disciplines with knowledge about the key concepts of global health,
2) introduce the key project design concepts for developing interventions aimed at strengthening health systems,
3) compare the global burden of disease and inequities in health in relation to social and environmental determinants of health.
Teaching staff in charge: Mikk Jürisson
Course code: MVPT.04.005
Volume: 3 ECTS
Economy
Students get first-hand knowledge of waste management. The course is structured in a way to target waste reduction and processing, material use, bio-processing, energy use and storage. Attention is paid to the idea of a waste-free society and the criteria for abolishing the waste concept. Water and gas monitoring at landfill sites are explored. The purpose of the course is to make the student understand the unbiased reasons for the development of waste management, become familiar with waste management technologies and be able to plan waste management, incl. to recycle different types of waste.
Teaching staff in charge: Andres Jäärats
Course code: SVPC.00.069
Volume: 3 ECTS
The course aims to give an overview of the green economy and its potential role in solving global environmental problems. In addition, learners get basic entrepreneurial skills and are introduced to work opportunities in the private and public sectors.
Teaching staff in charge: Virve Sõber
Course code: LTOM.04.014
Volume: 6 ECTS
The course aims to introduce the current degrowth paradigm and social organisation through theoretical and practical approaches and stimulate the skills to lead discussions on the topic.
Teaching staff in charge: Madis Vasser
Course code: SVSV.00.010
Volume: 6 ECTS
Education
The overall aim of the course is to develop an understanding of the multifaceted concept of education for sustainable development and how its principles can be integrated into the learning process.
Teaching staff in charge: Aigi Kikas
Course code: HTOS.02.194
Volume: 3 ECTS
Student projects
The UT has set a goal to develop the creativity, enterprising spirit, critical thinking as well as the cooperation, self-management, digital and other future skills of our students. To put these skills into practice, we offer students the chance to get involved in shaping the university and society through practical projects.