Academic Programme

ESD offers an eight-month post-graduate certificate programme in the theory and practice of International Relations and Diplomacy. In this programme, students acquire the academic and practical skills necessary for a successful career in the international arena.

Learning outcomes of the student:

• she/he has an overview of international relations theories, knows how to compare, contrast and analyse them;
• grasps the main topics of international relations (foreign policy, security policy, international law, European Union, international economics
• grasps the main topics of the priority regions of international relations, such as Asia, Africa, Middle-East, Russia, the United States;
• has acquired practical skills in the field of diplomacy – diplomatic skills, protocol, public diplomacy, intercultural communication, international negotiations.

Target group and requirements: students who are interested in international relations. The student holds at least a BA degree and his/her level of English both in oral and written form enables him/her to participate actively in class and study independently at home.

Volume of studies: 2025/26 curriculum consists of 63 credit points. The student needs to complete 60 points minimum in order to graduate. The volume of studies (63 credit points) consists of 400 academic hours of classroom work and approximately 1000 academic hours of independent work.

Learning process: courses are taught 4 afternoons per week, usually Tuesday to Friday, 4.45-7.45 PM, in English. Classroom based work is either in lecture or seminar format, in case of practical courses various exercises will be conducted. Course content and list of reading material per course can be found on Moodle. *ESD has the right to make changes in the curriculum if there is a need. All the changes will be communicated timely to the students.

Class environment: classroom, equipped with all the necessary items, e.g. projector, PC, screen, board, speakers, accommodates 25-30 people.

Completion of studies: Examination criteria for the courses can be found in the curriculum. The successful student (having obtained minimum 60 credit points) will be awarded a certificate and an academic record. The latter will not be awarded to the student in case of any unfulfilled duties towards ESD, such as unpaid study fees. In case the student does not manage to collect necessary credit points, he/she will be awarded a proof of only positively passed courses. Students taking individual courses will also be awarded a proof.

Lecturers: Courses taught at ESD will be conducted by Estonian and foreign experts.

Information about tuition fees and scholarships is provided here.

Subject	Lecturer	Institution	Time	CP	Form of examination
EU History, Institutions, and Policy-Making	Stefano Braghiroli, PhD	University of Tartu, Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies	13.01-16.01 20.01-23.01.26	6	Essay TBC Written closed book class room exam TBC
Terrorism and Hybrid Warfare in the EU and its Neighbourhood	Tomas Jermalavicius	ICDS	27.01-30.01.26	3	Essay TBC
Protocol and Etiquette	Riina Aasma	Chief of Protocol, Office of the President	TBC	3	Essay TBC
Foreign Policy Analyses	Amb ret Taavi Toom		17.02-20.02.26	3	Essay TBC
Intelligence and Counterintelligence: An Overlooked Dimention of Foreign Relations	Ivo Juurvee, PhD	ICDS	25.02-27.02; 09.03.26	3	Groupwork TBC
"Defense and Security in Northern Europe: Current Baltic, Nordic and Arctic Security Issues"	TBC	ICDS	TBC	3	Essay TBC
Asia Pacific and the Great Power Rebalancing	Louis Wierenga	Baltic Defense College	24.03.-27.03.26	3	Essay TBC
Public speaking and Communication with Media	Hannes Rumm	Estonian Journalist	07.04-10.04.26	3	In-class grading
Public and Digital Diplomacy	Amb ret Taavi Toom		14.04-17.04.26	3	In-class grading
The MENA Shatterbelt: Between Domestic Turmoil and Power Projection	Wolfgang Mühlberger, MA	Senior Advisor MENA & Strategy at CMI	27.04-30.04.26	3	Essay
Diplomatic Skills	Amb Michael Roberts	Centre for Political and Diplomatic Studies, Ambassador (ret) UK	05.05-08.05.26	3	In-class grading