Qualification

Qualification is not a mini-defense. It is a feasibility check: is the project on track? Does the student master what they need to master? Is there time and resources to complete?

A well-done qualification identifies problems that can still be corrected. A perfunctory qualification only postpones problems to the defense.

For the committee: the report should clearly indicate what is adequate and what needs to change. Vague feedback does not help the student improve.

For the student: qualification is an opportunity to receive external criticism before it’s too late. Use the report, don’t defend against it.

The qualification exam is an assessment of the graduate student’s academic progress. Its main statutory characteristics are:

Mandatory status:

• Doctorate and Direct Doctorate: mandatory according to Bylaws
• Master’s: optional by Bylaws, but required by the Chemistry Program

Objectives:

• Assess the student’s ability to develop their research project
• Verify mastery of the topic and methodology
• Offer external feedback on work progress

Statutory deadlines:

• Registration: up to 50% of the maximum statutory deadline for deposit
• Completion: up to 90 days after registration

Result:

• Approval or failure (no grade assigned)
• The committee may suggest course transfer
• In case of failure, only one new attempt is allowed
• Second failure results in dismissal from the program

Format: The exam may be conducted in person, hybrid, or exceptionally fully remote (with prior approval and adequate infrastructure).

The qualification exam is mandatory in the Master’s, Doctorate and Direct Doctorate courses of the Chemistry Program. Registration is the student’s responsibility and must be done within the maximum established deadline.

The exam has two main objectives:

1. Academic assessment: verify the student’s degree of maturity and knowledge in Chemistry and areas related to their formative track
2. Project feedback: offer external appreciation of the research development

The exam must be held in a public session.

1. English proficiency: valid certificate attesting level B1 or higher
2. Minimum credits: have completed required course credits

Exception for level change: Master’s students requesting change to Direct Doctorate with institutional scholarship change must have 100% of course credits completed (30 credits).

The student must have completed the minimum required course credits:

Note: English language proficiency certification is also required for registration (according to Section V of the Regulation).

The student must present:

• Completed registration form
• Suggestion for examining committee composition
• English proficiency certificate
• Updated Currículo Lattes
• Activity report (up to 4 pages) containing:
  • Description of academic activities performed
  • Description of research project
  • Results obtained to date

The committee must consist of three members with minimum Doctor degree:

• At least two full advisors from the Program
• The advisor and co-advisor cannot be part of the committee

The student who fails the qualification exam may repeat it only once:

If failure persists, the student will be dismissed from the Program.

To register for the qualification exam, the student must present:

Administrative documentation:

• Registration form completed and signed by student and advisor
• Suggestion for examining committee composition (three names)
• English language proficiency certificate (within 5-year validity)
• Links to updated Currículo Lattes and ORCID

Project summary (up to 10 pages): The summary must contain:

1. Formative track: description of academic activities performed (courses, training, internships) and other activities relevant to the project
2. Research project: brief description of objectives, justification and work plan
3. Results obtained: main results up to the registration date (if any)

For level change candidates: Master’s students wishing to be considered for transfer to Direct Doctorate must additionally present the Doctorate Project summary (up to 2 pages), describing the expanded scope of the work.

Note on scholarships: Information about CAPES scholarship conversion and ranking process is available on the Transfer page.

Expected content:

• Research project contextualization
• Methodology employed
• Results obtained (if any)
• Completion schedule

The committee will assess the student’s academic maturity and mastery of concepts from courses in the [C] and [A] cores related to the topic.

Expected content:

• Research project contextualization
• Literature review and state of the art
• Methodology and experimental/theoretical approach
• Results obtained and discussion
• Schedule and expected products (publications, patents)

Composition: The examining committee must consist of three members, all with minimum Doctor degree.

Requirements:

• At least one member must be a Full Advisor of the Program
• The advisor and co-advisor cannot be part of the committee
• Final composition is approved by the CCP based on the advisor’s suggestion

The committee is responsible for:

• Conducting the student examination
• Deliberating on approval or failure
• Issuing a report with recommendations for work continuation
• In Master’s cases, expressing opinion on possible level change

The student who fails the qualification exam may repeat it only once:

Consequences:

• The student must present a new summary, incorporating the committee’s recommendations
• The new committee may have different composition from the first
• If failure persists, the student will be dismissed from the Program
• The dismissed student will receive a certificate for courses completed with approval