| Admissions in Undergraduate and Graduate Programs |
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Admission as an undergraduate student to most universities in Brazil requires that the student pass the Vestibular, a competitive entrance exam. Unlike the system in the United States, undergraduate candidates are required to declare their intended university major when they register for the Vestibular, which usually takes place between November and January, just before the start of the academic year in February or March. Some universities also offer admission exams before the second semester, starting usually in August. The Vestibular at preeminent universities is often carried out over several days, with various disciplines tested each day. Although the Vestibular is widely used throughout Brazil, some universities are beginning to review this process and use revised admission criteria (interviews, high school transcripts, etc.). Individuals with a Bacharel degree, Licenciatura or professional diploma are eligible for admission into graduate programs leading to a Master’s or doctoral degree. Admission criteria for graduate programs in Brazil vary depending on the institution. The following are criteria that universities may require of candidates for admission: entrance exams, undergraduate transcripts, letters of recommendation and oral interviews. However, exact admission requirements depend on the individual institution. For doctoral degrees, the candidate is often required to submit a research plan, and a faculty member must agree to serve as the student’s supervisor as a pre-requisite to admission. Natural science doctoral programs are sometimes an exception, accepting graduate students with broad or vague research plans, as these programs often allow students to define their course of study and research within the first year of the program. A Master’s degree is no longer a pre-requisite for admission into all doctoral programs in Brazil, as long as the program in question offers a Master’s as part of the doctoral degree. For more information on the educational system in Brazil, please refer to the Education System section. |