The Internal Security Institute trains leaders and top-level specialists whose mission is to understand, prevent, and address today’s most pressing security challenges. The programme provides knowledge and skills that help shape a safer future for Estonia and Europe as a whole.
The Master’s programme is designed for those who wish to gain an in-depth understanding of the complex security environment, lead change, develop organisations, and contribute to both Estonian and international internal security. The curriculum combines theory and practice, enhancing students’ analytical, leadership, and cooperation skills.
Graduates of the Internal Security Institute work in the Ministry of the Interior and its agencies, in other ministries, international organisations, and the private sector. The knowledge, experience, and contacts gained during studies create a strong professional network that supports graduates throughout their careers.
You are eligible to apply for the Master's programme in Internal Security if you have: Estonian citizenship, or citizenship of a European Union Member State, or a NATO Member State;
Internal Security Institute Key research directions
Research focuses on emerging security threats. Global development trends that may affect Estonia's internal security are analysed (e.g. the report "Forecast of Global Development Trends Affecting Estonia's Internal Security 2026–2030") and comprehensive national defence and its internal security aspects (2025 joint project with the Estonian Military Academy). The focus will also be on the continuity of critical infrastructure and ensuring the resilience of a digitally empowered society – how global digitalisation and the growth of digital threats increase the complexity of ensuring the security and cohesion of small countries. In order to support resilience, roles and capacity of local governments and communities and the crisis behaviour of Estonian residents are studied (the joint project "RK-KRIIS3. Increasing people's crisis preparedness").
The research focuses on contemporary and emerging hybrid threats and strategic communication in recognising and countering disinformation and misinformation. The impacts emanating from Russia and China are analysed in order to understand the changes in regional and international security, including the West's need to respond to China's reactive foreign policy, NATO-EU cooperation in countering hybrid threats, and the principle of non-interference in international law and international relations. Hybrid influencing activities that combine information, cyber, economic and infrastructure risks are analysed. The mechanisms of disinformation and misinformation, the formation of narratives, and the role of different media and digital platforms to strengthen the cognitive security of institutions and communities are studied. We also examine the trends of radicalisation and the threat of terrorism, and their impact on public safety, as well as the use of religion as a tool of hybrid warfare.
This research area deals with the impact of developments in the cyber environment on security, including the emergence of new forms of cybercrime and vulnerabilities in critical systems. The focus is on cyber threats, applications of artificial intelligence, and the use and protection of mass data in the functioning of the digital state. Some of the latest publications focus on the analysis of the promotion of cyber literacy among Estonians and cyber threats in higher education.
This research direction explores how criminal networks, corruption practices and financial crime (including money laundering, concealment of criminal proceeds and evasion of sanctions) empower each other and undermine the functioning and trust of the state. The studies analyse the impact of organised crime, money laundering and the proceeds of crime on social security, as well as the capacity of the legal system to prevent and contain these threats. Among other things, the focus is on the question of how to prevent crime from generating profit, and the phenomenon of state capture. At the same time, the functioning and development trends of administrative and criminal law are discussed, for example, by interpreting the design of police organisations.