PROFESSIONAL MASTER’S AND DOCTORAL DEGREE PROGRAMS

Curriculum

PROFESSIONAL MASTER'S PROGRAM

Professional master’s degree students take three required courses, two required seminars and three elective courses.

Required courses taught in the first semester: 1) History of Brazil. This course discusses themes and issues central to the history of republican Brazil, including events, political figures and debates that marked the establishment of modern Brazil, with a special focus on the implementation of public policies that characterized governmental standards. Above all, it is about considering the historical dimension in critical reflections on cultural heritage and social projects; 2) The course Culture and Society equips students with social science concepts to help them think about society and culture more analytically by moving away from intuitive approaches and toward more reason-based analysis. It also includes themes relevant to contemporary Brazilian society.

Required Seminars: 

The Final Project Seminar is always taught in the second semester of the first year and is methodological in nature. The instructor encourages discussion of the topics researched by reflecting on the methodological options and the theoretical references that give consistency to each project. 

The Tutorial Seminar is a preparation for the thesis or final project to be presented to the board of examiners, validated by the advisor in the last semester of the program.

The final project of the professional master’s program in Cultural Heritage and Social Projects may follow the traditional form of a master’s thesis or an applied format (“project”). Analytical inventories of archives, museum projects, editorial projects focused on heritage education, websites and other products have been presented as final projects. They should be accompanied by a summary of descriptions situating it in its relevant field of study, explaining the methodological options and promoting some substantive reflection on the topic concerned.

Each course in the professional master’s program is equivalent to three (3) credits and is completed in 45 class hours. Courses are always taught from 6:30 to 9:30 pm.

PROFESSIONAL DOCTORAL PROGRAM

Professional doctoral program students take five required courses, one elective course, and four tutorial seminars with their advisors. Activities included in the tutorial seminars will be defined by the advisor.

Required Courses: 

History of Brazil discusses themes and issues that are central to the history of republican Brazil, including events, political figures and debates that marked the establishment of modern Brazil, with a special focus on the implementation of public policies that characterized governmental standards. Above all, it is about including the historical dimension in critical reflections on cultural heritage and social projects. 

Culture and Society equips students with social science concepts to help them think about society and culture more analytically by moving away from intuitive approaches and toward more reason-based analysis. It also includes themes relevant to contemporary Brazilian society. 

Research Methods and Design is designed to provide analytical and methodological tools that enable students to produce and analyze data. The course offers tools for the students to evaluate, plan and conduct research with an emphasis on quantitative and qualitative social science methods. 

The Final Project Seminar encourages discussion of the topics of study by reflecting on the methodological options and the theoretical references that may help add consistency to each project. 

The Advanced Project Development Seminar is a continuation of the Final Project Seminar, with the specific objective to support doctoral students in their research (and no longer their research project) and in the writing of the qualification materials. Students will be given the chance to present the development of their projects along the way. At the end of the course, students should be ready to take the doctoral candidate qualification exam.

Each course included in the professional doctoral is equivalent to three (3) credits and is completed in 45 class hours. Courses are always taught from 6:30 to 9:30 pm.

In the professional doctoral program, the capstone project is not a conventional dissertation. It should follow the final project template accompanied by a summary of descriptions situating it in its relevant field, explaining the methodological options and promoting some substantive reflection on the topic concerned. Examples of projects that can be presented as a final project: analytical inventories of archives, projects for museums or memory centers, editorial projects focused on heritage education and websites.

Flowchart of an ideal course distribution:

MASTER'S

DOCTORAL