Brazilian Universities: Student Safety A Priority

Brazil has a mixed system of public and privately funded universities. The country has over 2,300 universities and colleges, including some of the best in Latin America and the world. Undergraduate degrees in Brazil are known as first degrees and include bachelor's, licentiate, and technologist degrees. Bachelor's degrees typically take between three and six years to complete, while licentiate degrees take three to four years, and technologist degrees take two to three years. Graduate degrees are known as second degrees and include lato sensu and stricto sensu postgraduate degrees. The latter includes master's and doctoral degrees.

To enter a university in Brazil, candidates must pass a public open examination called Vestibular, which is similar to the SAT or ACT in the US. The Vestibular includes subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, history, geography, literature, and languages. The competition for admission to public universities is high, with nearly ten candidates for every place. As a result, socially privileged students tend to have an advantage due to their access to private instruction and their ability to focus on studying.

The Brazilian higher education system aims to implement teaching, research, and extension, with federal institutions primarily conducting research. The main objective of higher education in Brazil is to professionalize students, and the structure comprises universities, faculdades (colleges), and isolated institutions.

Student loans and financial aid

Brazil's higher education system consists of a mix of public and private universities. The former are funded either federally or by state governments, while the latter can be for-profit or, in the case of Catholic universities, not-for-profit.

Degree programs in public universities are entirely financed by the government, while private institutions charge varying fees for their courses and degree programs. These fees can be very expensive, and financial aid is available in the form of student loans and scholarships.

Student loans in Brazil are mainly used to pay for tuition through monthly installments. Since 1988, student loans have been allocated from the resources of the Ministry of Education and administered by the Caixa Econômica Federal. A financing program called Financiamento Estudantil (FIES) was created in 1999, and approximately 700 higher education institutions throughout the country have participated. In 2001, around 102,000 students received aid from FIES, totalling approximately $225 million in resources.

Brazilian students studying abroad usually self-fund their education or rely on family support. Some may receive fee waivers, scholarships, or awards, but these often do not cover all costs. International student loans are available to help fund their education, although these usually require a co-signer who is a US citizen or permanent resident.

Entrance exams

The Vestibular is designed to test students' knowledge across a range of subjects, including mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, history, geography, literature, Portuguese language, and a foreign language. The exam usually consists of two stages. The first stage comprises around 90 multiple-choice questions covering a broad range of subjects. Students who score below a certain cutoff score are automatically eliminated and do not proceed to the second stage. The second stage may include written questions and a student-written essay. The specific format and content of the Vestibular can vary depending on the university and the student's chosen course. For example, military engineering colleges may focus solely on mathematics, physics, chemistry, and Portuguese and English language proficiency.

The Vestibular is considered a fair and unbiased selection system due to its standardised nature. However, it has also faced criticism for favouring students from wealthier backgrounds who have had access to better educational resources. To address this issue, some universities provide bonuses or exemptions for students from public schools or implement racial and social quotas.

In recent years, there have been calls to abolish the Vestibular and replace it with a standardised national exam. Since 2009, the Ministry of Education and Culture of Brazil (MEC) has proposed the use of the ENEM (National High School Exam) as a standard university entrance qualification test. The ENEM is composed of multiple-choice questions and an essay, and it assesses students' basic education. It is open to students from both private and state institutions, with a nominal fee of around $16, which may be waived for students from low-income backgrounds. While the Vestibular remains the predominant entrance examination, some universities have started to adopt the ENEM, either as a replacement for or in combination with the Vestibular.

Undergraduate degrees

Brazil has three types of undergraduate degrees: Bachelor's, Licentiate, and Associate.

Bachelor's (Bacharelado)

Bachelor's degrees in Brazil take between three and six years to complete. They enable individuals to act as professionals in a certain area, such as law, economics, or medicine.

Licentiate (Licenciatura)

A Licentiate degree allows an individual to become a teacher. It takes three to four years to complete. The core courses taught are similar to a Bachelor's degree, and the option to undertake a Licentiate or a Bachelor's degree can be made towards the end of the course.

Associate (Tecnologia)

Associate degrees take two to three years to complete and give students a highly detailed education in a specialized area, such as human resources management. Technology degrees are comparable to US Associate's degrees and are aimed at providing highly specialized professional knowledge.

Entrance Examinations

All prospective candidates for Brazilian universities must take an entrance examination, similar to the SAT or ACT in the US. The Vestibular exam includes many of the subjects covered in high school, including mathematics, sciences, history, geography, literature, Portuguese, and a foreign language. The specific questions depend on the degree program for which the student is applying. For example, law students will likely be tested on history, geography, and mathematics, while medical school students might be tested on biology, chemistry, and geography.

A fairly new national secondary school exam, the Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio (ENEM), is used by some universities in place of the Vestibular. Sometimes, the ENEM may replace only the first qualifying section of the Vestibular. A few public universities, such as USP and UNICAMP, have chosen not to use ENEM grades at all, basing their admission criteria solely on the Vestibular exam.

Grading systems

There are several grading systems used in Brazilian universities. The most common are:

• Percentage point grading system: ranging from 0% to 100%
• Scale grading system: ranging from 0 to 10 (0 being the lowest and 10 being the highest)
• Stage grading system: usually using letters ranging from A (best) to E (worst)
• A: 90%–100% (Excellent)
• B: 80%–89% (Very good)
• C: 70%–79% (Good)
• D: 60%–69% (Satisfactory)
• E: <50% or <60% (Failing grade)

Universities are free to choose their own grading system, and the lowest passing grade varies between institutions. While some universities consider a score of 5 (5 out of 10, 50%, or "E") as the lowest passing grade, others may adopt a 7 or 70% minimum. Grades received at Brazilian universities are sent to the program coordinator of the school and converted to U.S. grades. This conversion takes into account the inherent difficulties of studying within a different university system.

Academic ranks

Class E:

Professor titular (single level): Equivalent to a full professor, this is the highest faculty position.

Class D:

Professor associado (levels 1-4): Must hold a PhD. This rank is equivalent to an associate professor.

Class C:

Professor adjunto (levels 1-4): Must hold a PhD. This rank is equivalent to an assistant professor but, in practical terms, is closer to an associate professor. This is because it requires higher academic levels and is not a temporary position.

Class B:

Professor assistente (levels 1-2): Must hold a master's degree.

Class A:

Levels 1-2): Pre-tenure faculty.

Professor adjunto A:

Must hold a PhD.

Professor assistente A:

Must hold a master's degree.

Professor auxiliar:

Must hold an undergraduate degree or specialization title.

At São Paulo state universities, the academic rank system is as follows:

• Professor titular (MS-6): Equivalent to a full professor, this position requires years of academic experience and meaningful publications in international academic journals.
• Professor associado (MS-5): Must hold the title of livre docente, which is similar to a German Habilitation. This rank is equivalent to an associate professor.
• Professor doutor (MS-3): Must hold a PhD. This rank is equivalent to an assistant professor.
• Professor assistente (MS-2): Must hold a master's degree and have pedagogical preparation.
• Auxiliar de ensino (MS-1): Requires only a bachelor's degree.

Career Advancement

Career advancement is achieved through progression across levels of a given class and promotion across different classes. Each step normally requires two years of service plus approval in a performance evaluation. Faculty may expedite promotion upon tenuring, thus advancing to the first level of Class B or Class C if they hold the required degrees (master's or PhD, respectively).

Advancement to the top rank (Class E) requires either a type of Habilitation (defense of an original thesis) or approval of a written document describing the applicant's professional achievements. This evaluation is carried out by a special commission made up of at least 75% external members.

Frequently asked questions