Admission

The USP Graduate Studies Bylaws establish general rules for admission to graduate programs. The main rules are:

Selection process:

• Admission to graduate courses occurs through a selection process that evaluates the academic merit of candidates
• Evaluation must be conducted through objective tests or assessments, ensuring equality among candidates
• Specific selection criteria are defined by each program and published in the admission notice

Enrollment:

• Charging fees for regular enrollment in graduate courses at USP is prohibited
• Simultaneous enrollment in two graduate courses at USP is not allowed
• Enrollment is done each semester, according to the calendar established by the Unit

Special students:

• Are enrolled only in isolated courses, without formal connection to the program
• Are not entitled to an advisor or to defend a dissertation or thesis
• Receive a certificate of approval in the courses taken
• Credits obtained may be used in case of subsequent regular enrollment, provided they were completed within the last 36 months

Admission to the program occurs through a selection process regulated by a specific notice, prepared by the CCP and published in the Official Gazette of the State of São Paulo and on the program’s website. The notice specifies the number of positions, procedures and documents required for registration, the stages and schedule of the selection process, the evaluation items and the documents required for enrollment.

Access routes:

The candidate must choose one of two access routes:

Additional requirements:

• Doctorate: Hold a Master’s degree issued or validated by a course recognized by CAPES
• Direct Doctorate: Present a letter of acceptance from the future advisor

Foreign language proficiency:

• Proficiency is required after admission, according to deadlines established in the regulation (section V)
• It is not a requirement for registration in the selection process

Note: Approval in the selection process does not automatically guarantee enrollment; the candidate must provide all documentation specified in the notice in due time.

Admission to the Master’s, Doctorate and Direct Doctorate courses of the Graduate Program in Chemistry occurs through a selection process regulated by a specific notice, prepared by the Program Coordinating Committee (CCP) and published in the Official Gazette of the State of São Paulo and on the Program’s website.

The notice for each selection process specifies:

• The number of positions available for each course
• The procedures and documents required for registration
• The stages of the selection process and the respective schedule
• The evaluation items and classification criteria
• The documents required for completing enrollment

The Unified Chemistry Exam (EUQ) is the assessment instrument currently used for admission to the Program. The EUQ is a Chemistry knowledge test prepared, administered and graded by the Brazilian Chemical Society (SBQ), ensuring a standardized and independent evaluation process.

Approval criterion:

• Candidates who obtain a score equal to or higher than the overall average of all participants in the same edition of the exam are accepted for admission
• The average is calculated by SBQ and released along with individual results

Available languages:

• The EUQ can be taken in Portuguese or English, at the candidate’s choice
• This option facilitates the admission of foreign candidates and promotes program internationalization

Validity:

• The EUQ certificate is valid for 3 (three) calendar years from the date of the exam
• To compete for institutional scholarships, candidates must have taken the exam in the edition immediately prior to the opening of the notice

Positions:

• The Program offers 100 positions per selection process

More information and registration: euq.sbq.org.br

Personal documents (all candidates):

• Copy of EUQ participation certificate with score and edition average
• Copy of Identity Card (RG)
• Copy of CPF
• Copy of Voter Registration Card with electoral clearance certificate
• Copy of Military Service Certificate or equivalent document (when applicable)
• Copy of Birth or Marriage Certificate

Academic documents for Master’s and Direct Doctorate:

• Copy of Undergraduate Academic Transcript (with grades and course hours)

• Copy of Undergraduate Diploma (front and back) or Completion Certificate with graduation date

• Declaration of acceptance from the advisor, indicating the intended course

Additional documents for Doctorate:

• Copy of Master’s Academic Transcript
• Master’s Completion Certificate approved by CPG or Master’s Diploma
• Digital copy of Master’s Dissertation
• Copy of CAPES Evaluation Report for the master’s program completed

Important: Undergraduate graduation is a mandatory requirement for enrollment. Candidates who have not yet graduated cannot enroll, even if they have been approved on the EUQ.

In Regulation 2026, Master’s students can enroll in the program without a defined advisor. The deadline to indicate an advisor is 6 months after first enrollment.

Flow for those entering without an advisor:

What is the Formative Track:

Since the student does not yet have an advisor, the 60-day document is not a research project. The Formative Track should contain:

• Your expectations and areas of interest
• Courses you intend to take in the first year
• Internships and technical training of interest
• Potential advisors you intend to contact

Recommendation: After the assessor is designated by the CCP, talk to them about course selection and finding an advisor. If in doubt, contact the CCP.

Doctorate and Direct Doctorate:

For Doctorate and Direct Doctorate, the advisor’s acceptance letter remains a requirement for enrollment, and the traditional research plan must be submitted within 60 days.

To be considered for institutional scholarship distribution, the candidate must:

• Express interest in receiving an institutional scholarship at the time of registration
• Have taken the EUQ in the edition immediately prior to the opening of the notice
• Not hold a scholarship from another funding agency
• Not have previously received a scholarship for a course at the same level already completed
• Not receive retirement benefits or other income incompatible with receiving a scholarship

The distribution of institutional scholarships follows a classification system that considers the EUQ score and the advisor’s institutional affiliation. Scores are normalized so that the average of each edition corresponds to 5.0, allowing comparison of candidates from different editions.

Based on the normalized score (N) and the advisor’s affiliation, candidates are distributed into four priority groups:

Within each group, the advisor’s priority (P) is also considered. It ranges from 0 to 10 and is calculated based on the difference between the number of advisees with institutional scholarships and external scholarships. Advisors with a higher proportion of external scholarship holders have higher priority for receiving new institutional scholarships, promoting balance in distribution.

• Approval on the EUQ does not automatically guarantee enrollment; all documentation must be submitted within the established deadlines
• Students already enrolled in the Program may compete for institutional scholarships by participating in the selection process
• The number of available scholarships varies with each notice, according to funding agency allocations
• Exceptionally during 2026, scholarship holders with temporary scholarships awarded in 2025 will have preference in the distribution of new scholarships

The Program adopts measures to strengthen inclusion and value diversity, offering score bonuses in the selection process for:

• Low-income individuals: proven through specific documentation indicated in the notice
• People with disabilities: according to legal definition and supporting documentation
• Black, brown and indigenous people: through self-declaration and, when applicable, validation by a specific committee

Bonus percentages and application procedures are detailed in each admission notice. These actions aim to expand access to the program and ensure equitable admission conditions for groups historically underrepresented in graduate education.

→ See more details at Community > Affirmative Actions