2026 Regulation

Article 1 – The new Regulation for the Graduate Program in Chemistry is hereby approved, as set forth in the annex to this Resolution.

Article 2 – Currently enrolled students will have a period of 90 (ninety) days to opt in or out of this Regulation, from the date of its publication.

Article 3 – This Resolution shall come into effect on the date of its publication.

Article 4 – All contrary provisions are hereby revoked, especially Resolution CoPGr 8044, of 11/17/2020 (Case 2009.1.5799.1.5).

Vice-Provost Office for Graduate Studies of the University of São Paulo, January 2026.

RODRIGO DO TOCANTINS CALADO DE SALOMA RODRIGUES Vice-Provost for Graduate Studies

JUREMA LUCIA DOS SANTOS SILVA Acting Secretary General

III.1 In the Master’s program, the maximum deadline for dissertation submission is 24 (twenty-four) months.

III.2 In the Doctoral program, intended for holders of a Master’s degree obtained at USP or recognized by it, the deadline for thesis submission is 56 (fifty-six) months.

III.3 In the Direct Doctoral program, intended for holders of an undergraduate degree who have not obtained a Master’s degree, the deadline for thesis submission is 60 (sixty) months.

III.4 In duly justified exceptional cases, students may request a deadline extension for a maximum period of 180 days in the Master’s and Direct Doctoral programs and for a maximum period of 120 days in the Doctoral program.

IV.1 Master’s students must complete a minimum of credit units as follows: 160 (one hundred sixty) credit units, with 30 (thirty) in courses and 130 (one hundred thirty) in the dissertation.

IV.2 Doctoral students must complete a minimum of credit units as follows: 320 (three hundred twenty) credit units, with 40 (forty) in courses and 280 (two hundred eighty) in the thesis.

IV.3 Direct Doctoral students must complete a minimum of credit units as follows: 330 (three hundred thirty) credit units, with 50 (fifty) in courses and 280 (two hundred eighty) in the thesis.

IV.4.1 For the Master’s program, required courses are:

• QFL5930 – Laboratory Safety Concepts in Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ethics and Research Responsibility
• QFL5939 – Advanced Topics in Chemistry I

IV.4.2 For the Doctoral program, required courses are:

• QFL5930 – Laboratory Safety Concepts in Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ethics and Research Responsibility
• QFL5940 – Advanced Topics in Chemistry II
• QFL5942 – Advanced Topics in Chemistry: Seminar Presentation Practice

Sole paragraph. Students who completed the required Doctoral courses during their Master’s program are exempt from retaking them. However, they must fulfill the minimum credit load required for the course through other courses.

IV.4.3 For the Direct Doctoral program, required courses are:

• QFL5930 – Laboratory Safety Concepts in Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ethics and Research Responsibility
• QFL5939 – Advanced Topics in Chemistry I
• QFL5940 – Advanced Topics in Chemistry II
• QFL5942 – Advanced Topics in Chemistry: Seminar Presentation Practice

IV.5.1 Upon student request and with advisor approval, special credits (SCs) may be granted for up to 50% of the total credits required in courses in each program. Special credits (SCs) may be obtained through participation in one or more of the following activities:

a) authorship or co-authorship of an article published in an indexed journal or a book chapter with an editorial board, with attribution of 3 (three) credits per work;

b) patent filing, with attribution of 3 (three) credits per patent;

c) presentation of a work, oral or poster, at a scientific event with published proceedings or similar, upon proof of participation, with attribution of 2 (two) credits per event;

d) participation as a teaching assistant in the Teaching Enhancement Program (PAE), with attribution of 2 (two) credits per participation, limited to 20% of course credits;

e) completion of Technical Training, with attribution of 1 (one) credit for every 15 (fifteen) hours of activity;

f) service as a student representative on committees at the Institute of Chemistry of USP, with an attendance rate above 75% during the term, with attribution of 1 (one) credit per term.

Sole paragraph. The granting of special credits is conditional on the submission of supporting documentation for each activity. For the activities described in items a, b, and c, it is additionally required that they be related to the student’s research project. Detailed rules, as well as procedures for requesting and validating credits, are available on the Program’s website.

V.1 Students in the Master’s, Doctoral, and Direct Doctoral programs must demonstrate English proficiency as a requirement for registration in the qualifying examination. Proficiency certificates attesting to at least level B1 (intermediate) of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) or a “sufficient” rating in the exam administered by FFLCH at USP for the IQUSP Chemistry Program will be accepted as proof. Proficiency certificates are valid for 5 (five) years from the date of the examination.

V.2 Approved foreign nationals from countries where English is the official language are exempt from demonstrating proficiency in this language.

V.3 Foreign students are not required to demonstrate Portuguese proficiency.

VI.1.1 Course accreditation or re-accreditation is based on analysis of the syllabus, compatibility with the Program’s research lines, and the specific competence of the instructors, as well as a detailed report from a reviewer, with input from the CCP.

VI.1.2 The responsible instructor must be accredited in the Program as an advisor.

VI.2.1 Course section cancellation may be requested by the instructor for reasons of force majeure and is subject to CCP approval.

VI.2.2 The CCP must issue a decision on the request within a maximum of 10 (ten) calendar days.

VI.2.3 Course section cancellation due to insufficient enrollment may only occur upon request from the course instructor when there are fewer than 3 (three) enrolled students and must be formalized before classes begin.

VI.2.4 The maximum deadline for CCP deliberation on cancellation is up to 2 (two) business days before the scheduled start date of classes.

VII.1 The qualifying examination is required in the Master’s, Doctoral, and Direct Doctoral programs.

VII.2 Registration for the qualifying examination is the student’s responsibility and must be completed within the maximum deadline established by the Program in this regulation.

Sole paragraph. For registration, the student must submit:

a) Registration form and suggested examining committee, duly completed and signed by the student and advisor;

b) English proficiency certificate;

c) Links to Lattes Curriculum and ORCID;

d) Summary of up to 10 (ten) pages containing the following items:

• i. Description of the formative pathway (academic activities and other activities relevant to the project),
• ii. Research Project (brief description of project objectives and work plan),
• iii. Main Results obtained in executing the research project up to the date of registration for the examination, if any.

e) Master’s students who wish to be considered for transfer to the Direct Doctoral program must also submit a summary of the Doctoral Project in up to 2 pages.

VII.3 Graduate students who do not complete the qualifying examination within the period stipulated for their program will be dismissed from the Program, in accordance with the Regimento de Pós-Graduação da USP.

VII.4 The examination must be held in a public session within 60 (sixty) days after registration.

VII.5 Students who fail the qualifying examination may retake it only once, and must register again within 90 (ninety) days after taking the first examination.

VII.6 The second examination must be held within a maximum of 30 (thirty) days after registration. If the student fails again, they will be dismissed from the Program and will receive a certificate for courses completed.

VII.7.1 The examining committee for the Master’s, Doctoral, and Direct Doctoral qualifying examination shall consist of three members with at least a doctoral degree, with at least one being a Full Advisor of the Program.

VII.7.2 The advisor and co-advisor, if any, may not be part of the Examining Committee.

VII.8.1 The qualifying examination in the Master’s program aims to:

a) Assess the student’s degree of academic maturity and formal knowledge in Chemistry and areas related to the chosen formative pathway, based on the summary, presentation, and oral defense;

b) Provide the student with an external assessment of the research project in progress.

VII.8.2 In the Master’s program, the examination shall consist of a presentation of up to 30 (thirty) minutes by the student on the topics covered in the report and an oral defense by the committee lasting a maximum of 60 (sixty) minutes.

VII.8.3 Master’s students have up to 10 (ten) months after their first enrollment in the program to register for the qualifying examination.

VII.8.4 Master’s students must have completed 24 credits in courses by the date of the examination, except in cases where a direct transfer to the Doctoral program with a change in institutional scholarship level is requested, in which case 100% of course credits must be completed.

VII.9.1 The qualifying examination in the Doctoral or Direct Doctoral programs aims to:

a) Assess the student’s degree of academic maturity and formal knowledge in Chemistry and areas related to the chosen formative pathway, based on the summary, presentation, and oral defense;

b) Provide the student with an external assessment of the research project, results obtained to date, research project timeline, and products derived from the project.

VII.9.2 In the Doctoral and Direct Doctoral programs, the examination shall consist of a presentation of up to 40 (forty) minutes by the student on the topics covered in the report and an oral defense by the committee lasting a maximum of 120 (one hundred twenty) minutes.

VII.9.3 Doctoral and Direct Doctoral students have a maximum of 24 (twenty-four) and 30 (thirty) months, respectively, after their first enrollment in the program to register for the qualifying examination.

VII.9.4 Doctoral and Direct Doctoral students must have completed at least 32 and 40 credits, respectively, in courses by the date of the examination.

VIII.1.1 Students may request, with justification and advisor approval, transfer from the Master’s to the Direct Doctoral program, or from the Doctoral/Direct Doctoral to the Master’s program. The request will be analyzed by the CCP, based on a detailed report from a reviewer or on the opinion of the funding agency responsible for granting the scholarship for the new program.

VIII.1.2 The deadlines established for completing the qualifying examination and fulfilling the minimum credits required for the new program must be observed. If the deadline has already passed or the minimum number of credits has not been completed, the program transfer will not be authorized.

VIII.1.3 Students who transfer from Master’s to Direct Doctoral must take a new qualifying examination in the new program.

IX.1 Students will be monitored throughout their program by an assessor, holding a doctoral degree, appointed by the CCP from a list prepared by the advisor and with the student’s approval, within a maximum of 6 (six) months after first enrollment.

IX.2 Students will be evaluated throughout their program by the assessor based on the research plan, to be submitted within 60 (sixty) days after first enrollment, and on annual activity reports, according to deadlines set by the CCP or the funding agency. Failure to meet these requirements or unsatisfactory academic performance may result in dismissal from the Program.

IX.2.1 The project must contain an abstract, introduction, justification, objectives, work plan, timeline, materials and methods, and bibliography, and must be no more than 20 pages typed in double spacing.

IX.2.2 The report must contain an abstract of the student’s research project (1 page), description of activities performed and achievement of planned goals (up to 10 pages), planning or re-planning of future activities (up to 2 pages). It must also be accompanied by the advisor’s evaluation of the student’s academic and scientific performance. Alternatively, the report may follow the format defined by the funding agency responsible for granting the scholarship.

IX.3 Students whose report is rejected must submit a new report within a maximum of 30 (thirty) days, counted from the date the Program announces the evaluation result.

IX.4 In addition to the rules established in the Regimento de Pós-Graduação da USP, students may be dismissed from the graduate program, in any of the programs (Master’s, Doctoral, and Direct Doctoral), in the following situations:

a) failure to submit a research plan within 60 days after first enrollment;

b) failure to submit annual reports within established deadlines;

c) absence of regular enrollment in two consecutive academic terms;

d) two failures in the same course or three failures in different courses;

e) two failures in the qualifying examination;

f) rejection of the activity report twice consecutively;

g) for unsatisfactory academic and/or scientific performance, based on justified statement from the advisor and detailed report prepared by a reviewer designated by the CCP, which shall make the final decision on dismissal.

X.1 The accreditation or re-accreditation of advisors will be decided by the CCP, based on a detailed report from an assessor appointed by it. For accreditation or re-accreditation, graduate advising and teaching activities, scientific or technological production, and coordination and/or participation in funded research projects will be considered, according to the minimum criteria specified in this regulation.

X.2 Accreditations may be full or specific. Specific accreditations are dedicated to a particular student.

X.3 Candidates for accreditation as a full advisor must be permanent faculty at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) or researchers affiliated with Research Institutes. Post-doctoral researchers, young researchers, and other candidates without employment ties but with ongoing projects at the Institute of Chemistry may apply for specific accreditation.

X.4 Full advisor accreditation is valid for 5 (five) years. Specific advisor accreditation is valid for the duration of the student’s program.

X.5 The maximum number of advisees per advisor is 10 (ten). Additionally, the advisor may co-advise up to 5 (five) students.

X.6 The maximum number of advisees per specific advisor is 2 (two).

X.7 To request accreditation or re-accreditation, the applicant must submit to the CCP:

a) formal, detailed request objectively indicating their qualifications to work or continue working in the program;

b) web address for Lattes curriculum, ResearchID, and ORCID. Foreign candidates without a Lattes Curriculum may submit their updated Curriculum Vitae.

X.8.1 For full accreditation, the requirements are:

a) being an active faculty member at a Higher Education Institution;

b) having published, in the last five years, at least five articles in journals indexed in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) with Journal Impact Factor Percentile (JIF Percentile) ≥ 50%. Publications must be related to the Program’s research areas, or alternatively, demonstrate engagement in research on Chemistry teaching and outreach with regular technical or scientific production (such as book chapters, educational materials, projects, etc.) during the same period;

c) presenting a grant letter or other documentation indicating the capacity to provide material conditions for developing research projects;

d) presenting a proposal for a graduate course.

X.8.2 IQ-USP faculty hired up to 6 (six) months before the accreditation request are exempt from the requirements described in items (b) and (c).

X.8.3 Accreditation of candidates external to IQ-USP as full advisors requires the submission of the following additional documents:

a) Letters of recommendation from 2 (two) full advisors of the program, highlighting the candidate’s potential contribution to the Graduate Program and their academic history;

b) Assessment by the CCP of the candidate’s profile alignment with the Program’s research lines.

X.9.1 For full re-accreditation, the faculty member must meet the same minimum accreditation requirements specified in item X.8, plus the following requirements:

a) having offered and taught a Program graduate course at least twice in the last five years;

b) must be advising or have completed advising at least one Program student in the last five years;

c) having, in the last five years, four productions with Program students and alumni; publications in JCR-indexed journals with the affiliation information required for indexing as published on the Program’s website and with Journal Impact Factor Percentile (JIF Percentile) ≥ 50%, patent applications, and productions related to Chemistry teaching and outreach research are accepted.

X.10.1 For specific accreditation, the requirements are:

a) having published, in the last five years, at least three articles in JCR-indexed journals in the Program’s research areas with Journal Impact Factor Percentile (JIF Percentile) ≥ 50%, or alternatively, demonstrating engagement in Chemistry teaching and outreach research;

b) presenting a grant letter or other documentation indicating the capacity to provide material conditions for developing research projects;

c) if having previously served as a specific advisor in the Program, must have published, in co-authorship with a student or alumnus, at least 1 (one) article in a JCR-indexed journal with Journal Impact Factor Percentile (JIF Percentile) ≥ 50%. Alternatively, if working in Chemistry teaching or outreach research, must demonstrate production with a student or alumnus, in addition to the dissertation or thesis.

X.11.1 The deadline for co-advisor accreditation in the Master’s program is 12 (twelve) months after first enrollment.

X.11.2 The deadline for co-advisor accreditation in the Doctoral and Direct Doctoral programs is 24 (twenty-four) months after first enrollment.

X.11.3 For co-advisor accreditation, the following criteria will be considered:

a) expertise in an area complementary to the advisor’s domain;

b) adherence to the Program’s specific advisor criteria.

XI.1.1 The final work in Master’s programs is a Dissertation in traditional format or as a collection of articles. In both cases, the dissertation must contain:

a) cover page with author name, title of the work, location and date;

b) title page with the name of the Unit, author name, title of the work, advisor name, location and date;

c) title, abstract, and keywords in Portuguese and English.

XI.1.2 In the case of a collection of published articles, they must have been submitted after the student’s admission to the program and be related to the research project. Furthermore, it must be ensured that there will be no copyright violation/reproduction, as provided by national and international copyright laws.

XII.1.1 Regarding the composition of the Dissertation and Thesis Defense Committee, the procedures are those established in the Regimento de Pós-Graduação da USP and in Item IV of the CPG Regulations.

XII.1.2 In the Master’s Dissertation defense, the advisor shall participate in the defense committee as president and examining member, with voting rights.

XII.1.3 In the Doctoral Thesis defense, the advisor shall participate in the defense committee exclusively as president, without voting rights.

XIII.1 In compliance with the Regimento de Pós-Graduação da Universidade de São Paulo, all Dissertations and Theses must contain a title, abstract, and keywords in Portuguese and English.

XIII.2 Dissertations and Theses may be written and defended in Portuguese or English. Dissertations and Theses written as a collection of articles may be partially written in Portuguese and English.

XIII.3 Dissertations and Theses may be written in other languages upon request from the advisor and approval by the CCP.

XIV.1 Master’s students who fulfill all program requirements will receive the title of “Master of Science”. Program: Chemistry.

XIV.2 Doctoral or Direct Doctoral students who fulfill all program requirements will receive the title of “Doctor of Science”. Program: Chemistry.