Since the year 1800, several healthcare schools and medical courses have been operating in Tallinn, where midwives, nurses, and doctor's assistants have been trained. Continual training for health care specialties started in 1940 when the Nurses' School was opened. After consolidation with the Assistant Physicians' school, the Tallinn Medical Secondary School was established. October 16th, 1940, is considered to be the official birthday of our College.
In 1943 due to World War II, the School of Assistant Physicians and Midwifery was temporarily transferred to Tambov, Russia. But in 1944, the school continued working in Estonia in the former building of the Nursing School in Tallinn, Pärnu road 104.
In 1945 the school was renamed the Tallinn Republican Medical Secondary School. The school offered study programs in five specialties: assistant physician, midwife, assistant pharmacist, dental technician, and nurse. On September 2nd, 1946, 11 assistant physician-midwives, one assistant physician, and 20 nurses graduated.
From December 7th, 1964, the school was renamed the Tallinn Medical School - the school's name up to 2005.
During the 70 years of the school's existence, professional education has been provided in 11 health care specialties according to the Estonian labor market's needs. Since 1992, the admission of students is accepted only based on secondary education.
In 1996, nurses' training at the level of higher vocational education started; during the following years, the same level was achieved in a midwife, pharmacist, and dental technician specialties. In 1998, the training for a new specialty - optometrist - was launched. Two more professional higher education curricula were opened during the next years - occupational therapist and radiology technician.
In cooperation with the Estonian Nurses Union (now the Estonian Nurses Association) and the Ministry of Social Affairs, the advanced study course for nurses was started in 1998, advanced studies for midwives and dental technicians followed in 2002.
In the autumn of 2002, all the curricula were corrected and approved by the Ministry of Education and Research as the professional higher education curricula. During the academic year 2003/2004, nurse assistants' training at the level of secondary vocational education was started again.
From 2005, the school was reorganized into an applied higher education institution and renamed Tallinn Health College. The title of our College changed slightly in February 2009; now it is Tallinn Health Care College. Today, the College provides professional higher education in eight fields. Currently, nurses and health nurses, midwives, dental technicians, optometrists, assistant pharmacists, occupational therapists, and health promotion specialists are underway.
The number of students has continuously increased. Currently, more than 1200 students are taught in the College.
Tallinn Health Care College has actively been participating in international cooperation and education programs; we have cooperation in Lifelong Learning Programmes Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci, Grundtvig, Nordplus, Tempus, Interreg, etc.
One of the most popular programs is the Erasmus program in which the participation of students and staff is very active in our College. The hard work in this project has also provided plenty of achievements, one of them being the silver medal in Erasmus teacher exchange from 2008, which we consider an essential milestone in our College's history.
The College shall provide professional higher education, vocational education and training, and in-service training.
Student workload in professional higher education studies for persons with vocational education in the same profession shall be 120 ECTS credits.
Professional higher education studies shall end with defending a final paper or taking a final examination (according to curricula).
A student who has completed a professional higher education curriculum shall receive a diploma of professional higher education and diploma supplements in the Estonian and English languages.
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