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Studies & Degrees in Baltic Studies

Baltic studies is the interdisciplinary study of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania: their languages, literature, folklore, history, politics and societies. It is an area studies subject, in the same family as Scandinavian or East European studies, and it is often taught inside those departments. Some programmes take a wider view and cover the whole Baltic Sea region, including the Nordic countries, Poland and Germany.

Language is the core of the subject. Lithuanian and Latvian are the two living Baltic languages, a branch of the Indo-European family; Estonian belongs to the Finno-Ugric family and is close to Finnish. Around the languages, students take courses on the region's cultural history, on the 20th century and on the three states since they regained independence in 1991.

Qualifications and levels

Baltic studies is a small field, and a full degree under this exact name is rare. Students usually meet it in one of three forms.

  • A minor or language track within a bachelor's degree. The University of Washington in Seattle, whose Baltic Studies Program was established in 1994, teaches Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian and offers a Baltic Studies minor in its Scandinavian Studies department. The minor requires 15 credits of first-year Estonian, Latvian or Lithuanian and 20 credits of departmental course work, including at least one Baltic studies course. Courses taught in English include Baltic Cultures, Baltic History and Baltic States since 1991.
  • A master's degree in the region itself. Vilnius University in Lithuania offers a master's specialisation in Baltic Linguistics, in which students work on the Lithuanian, Latvian and Prussian languages, and a master's programme in Languages and Cultures of the Nordic and Baltic Sea Region, in which students deepen one language (Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Russian or German) and combine it with comparative cultural study.
  • A doctorate in linguistics, history, political science or a related discipline with a Baltic topic.

Admission and costs

Requirements depend on the programme, and the language level asked for is the main difference. For Baltic Linguistics, Vilnius University asks for a bachelor's degree in the humanities, proof of English at CEFR level B2 and Lithuanian at level B2 or higher. For Languages and Cultures of the Nordic and Baltic Sea Region it asks for English at level B2 and the language of the chosen specialisation at level B1 or higher. Both programmes invite eligible applicants to a motivational interview.

International applicants to Vilnius University apply by 1 May if they come from outside the EU/EFTA and by 1 July if they are EU/EFTA citizens; the academic year begins on 1 September. The university publishes an annual tuition fee for a place that is not state-funded of €4,837 for Baltic Linguistics and €5,815 for the Nordic and Baltic Sea Region programme. Check the programme page for the fee of the year in which you start.

Where to study it

SpainExchange currently lists one active school under Baltic studies, the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP) in Mexico. We could not confirm a dedicated Baltic studies programme on the university's own site, so ask the university directly which courses it offers on the region before you apply.

The programmes described above, at the University of Washington in the United States and at Vilnius University in Lithuania, are examples of where the subject is taught. Universities in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are the natural place for full immersion; teaching there is in the national language or in English, depending on the programme. The Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies (AABS) promotes research and education in the field through conferences, publications such as the Journal of Baltic Studies, and scholarships, grants and prizes. Its conferences are a good way to see which universities are active: the next Conference on Baltic Studies in Europe takes place in Tartu, Estonia, on 16–18 June 2027.

Careers

Baltic studies does not lead to one profession. Graduates use their languages and regional knowledge in other fields. Vilnius University names roles such as language researcher, teacher, translator or interpreter, editor, language policy adviser and cultural institution specialist for Baltic Linguistics, and positions in public administration, international organisations, NGOs, cultural institutions, media and education for its Nordic and Baltic Sea Region programme. The University of Washington says alumni of its department have gone on to careers in education, translation, business and medicine. Regional bodies also need people who know the area: the Council of the Baltic Sea States, for example, is an intergovernmental organisation of 10 member states and the European Union. No official employment statistics are published for Baltic studies as a separate field.

Frequently asked questions

Which languages are part of Baltic studies?

Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian, the languages of the three Baltic states. Latvian and Lithuanian are Baltic languages; Estonian is a Finno-Ugric language.

Can I take a full degree in Baltic studies?

Rarely under that name. It is usually a minor, as at the University of Washington, or a master's specialisation, as at Vilnius University.

Do I need to speak a Baltic language before I start?

Not for an undergraduate minor, which starts with first-year language courses. Master's programmes do set a level: Vilnius University asks for Lithuanian at B2 for Baltic Linguistics and B1 in the chosen language for its Nordic and Baltic Sea Region programme.

What does a master's in this field cost in Lithuania?

Vilnius University publishes annual tuition fees of €4,837 (Baltic Linguistics) and €5,815 (Languages and Cultures of the Nordic and Baltic Sea Region) for places that are not state-funded.