Estonian Information Technology College


The Estonian Information Technology College was a private non-profit institution of professional higher education in Estonia, located in Tallinn. EITC provided Estonian applied higher education diploma-level education in information technology in four main programmes, carried out shorter-term vocational training programmes as well as various R&D-oriented activities. In 2017 it merged with the Tallinn University of Technology.

Founding and History

The governing body of the IT College, the Estonian Information Technology Foundation, was established in March 2000 by the Republic of Estonia, the University of Tartu, the Tallinn University of Technology, AS Eesti Telekom, and the Estonian Association of Information Technology and Telecommunications. One of the main forces behind the formation of EITC was the rapidly growing need for IT professionals which could not be met by universities and attracted people with uneven educational and professional background. During the first years, all students had to pay for the tuition - however, starting from 2007, 100 places are funded by the state, in a similar manner to state universities. In addition, up to 150 self-financing students are admitted every year.
The College was inaugurated by the Prime Minister Mart Laar in September 2000 and received the Estonian Award of Educational Achievement for that year. The location was in the downtown Tallinn until 2008 when the College moved into a new building in Mustamäe, at the vicinity of Tallinn University of Technology and Tehnopol.
Kalle Tammemäe served as the rector of EITC from the beginning to 2010. Linnar Viik held the office in 2011, the current rector Tiit Roosmaa was inaugurated in August 2011.

Academic studies

The College's three-year curriculum totalling at 180 credit points in the European Credit Transfer System produces a specific vocational qualification equal to a bachelor's degree. The College's priority is to train IT specialists, yet graduates may choose to pursue their studies at the master's level either in Estonia or abroad.
The IT Systems Development and IT Systems Administration programmes are available in the daytime study format either in full-time, part-time or external study forms. The Information Systems Analysis and Technical Communication programmes are available in the evening study format in full-time, part-time or external study forms. The evening study format with classes starting at 6 p.m. on business days is targeted at the people who work during the daytime. All four programmes have received full accreditation.
The graduates of the IT Systems Administration programme will have an in-depth knowledge of the structure, indicators and functions of appropriate IT systems. They will be able to administer, expand and retune these systems, as well as contribute to developing new services and applications.
The IT Systems Development programme provides a comprehensive education in the field of software development and IT systems. Graduates will develop thorough knowledge of different programming languages and tools, development environments and teamwork basics necessary for development of modern application software.
The graduates of the Information Systems Analysis programme will have a balanced knowledge of the processes occurring in both IT and business systems. They will be able to participate in devising complex business information systems, applications or services and work as applications integrators, system architects, data systems developers and system analysts.
The Technical Communication programme introduces students not only to the basics of IT but also skills in oral and written self-expression, and knowledge of design, printing technology, etc. Graduates in this subject area will be able to work in positions that require providing users of IT products and services with specific IT terminology and content. Graduates will have the skills of producing user guidelines, product catalogues and technical texts for selected target groups, and designing advertising / promotional materials.
The language of instruction is Estonian, but some courses are available in English as well.
Completing a three-year programme of 180 credit points students acquire a special qualification that corresponds to the bachelor's degree and is aimed at working in a specific field. The graduates are able to continue their studies at the master's level at Tallinn University of Technology, Tartu University or elsewhere.

Research and development

Although EITC is not a research-oriented institution, it takes part in a number of applied research and development projects. Via the EITF as the mother institution, it also cooperates with the in various national and international development projects and events in e-learning.

Vocational training

EITC offers a wide variety of vocational training courses on a diverse choice of subjects on different levels. The College is also a training partner to the , taking part in retraining programmes for unemployed people.

Public lectures

The tradition of public lectures at EITC is as old as the College itself Over the years, the lecturers have included Richard M. Stallman from the Free Software Foundation, Jon 'Maddog' Hall from Linux International, Mikko Hyppönen and Jarno Niemelä from F-Secure, Akira Hirooka from DoCoMo, Andrew Kass from Microsoft, U.S. Ambassador to Estonia Michael C. Polt and many others.

Student life and traditions

EITC has given high priority to accessibility and special needs since its foundation. The current building was erected with accessibility in mind and was tested by a disability activist group in 2010, and as a result, received 2.7 points out of 3 . The College subsequently received a commendation from the .

Scholarships

Throughout the history of the College, the scholarships have been founded by Baltic Computer Systems, Datel, Elion, EMT, Eesti Ühispank / SEB, Hansapank / Swedbank, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Kungla Dialoog, Liewenthal Electronics, Mantador Estonia, Microlink, Microsoft, Nokia, Open Estonia Foundation, Oracle, Santa Monica Networks, Starman, Sybase Symantec, Tallinn City Government and Tele2.

Partnership programmes

The College takes part in the following partnership programmes:
International partnerships include