Curricular Structure

The number of credits required for the completion of the Master Program is, at least, 24 credits distributed in disciplines and seminars and 4 credits of advising (each credit is equivalent to 15 hours of lessons). The deadline for the completion of the program is, at least, 18 months and a maximum of 24 months. In the first semester, the student has to attend the mandatory discipline of Infrastructure and the Environment I. This discipline is taught in a concentrated way in the first month of lessons.  Still, in the first month, the disciplines of Scientific Methodology and Quantitative Methods in Scientific Research are offered. These disciplines are optional and do not integrated the total number of credits aiming at the curricular completion. In the second month, the instrumental disciplines of Planning and Experiment Assessment and Optimization Applied to Engineering start; part of the group of Elective Disciplines I. The student is obliged to take one of these disciplines. In the second bimester of the first semester the basic disciplines, which are part of the Elective Disciplines II, begin. A total of seven disciplines are offered and the student must take two of them, at least. The student has to take 12 credits in the first semester. If the student is interested in taking more instrumental or basic disciplines, it is possible; however, they do not integrate the number of credits. Concerning the elective disciplines, it is relevant to mention that once the student chooses a discipline, it will be part of his/her program plan and it cannot be replaced. In the first semester, each student is designated one tutor in order to provide a more effective pedagogical advising. At the end of the first semester, the student can choose his/her advisor, replacing the tutor. In the second semester, aiming at the completion of credits, the student has attend three optional disciplines, at least, choosing among 15 optional disciplines offered in the two research lines of the Program.  The student and his/her advisor carry out the selection of the optional disciplines in agreement, depending on the research line. Besides the optional disciplines, the student must attend the disciplines of Seminar I and Special Topics I, which occur in the second semester. The discipline of Special Topics I aims to guide the student in the theme of his/her dissertation through a bibliography review, which is conducted along with the advisor.  The discipline of Seminar I aims at the presentation of the research project, providing the other academics a closer contact with the works accomplished in the Program. In the third semester, the student starts the dissertation effectively and attends the discipline of Seminar II, which is mandatory for all students. At the end of the third semester, the student must present the partial results to a board of professors (qualification exam). The student must attest proficiency in English to be able to do it. The disciplines of Teacher Training I and II are offered in the second and third semesters of the program, respectively. Finally, in accordance with the conditions established in the PPGEng Intern Regiment, the candidate must present the dissertation to a Selection Board, presided by the advisor, composed of 3 doctors and one professor from another institution.