The Course

The Postgraduate Program in Geography – PPGEO, created in 2018, is the result of an academic project by the faculty for at least a decade. Its creation is justified due to the demand for Geography professionals to work in numerous activities, both in the public and private sectors, and due to the lack of qualified human resources to analyze varied territorial contexts; act in consultancy and advisory services involving environmental, social, political, cultural and economic issues; the exercise of teaching in higher education and the development of scientific research.

In this sense, the PPGEO assumes high relevance for local and regional development policies, as it constitutes a space for the systematic production, at levels of excellence, of analyzes and diagnoses regarding contemporary geographic aspects and issues. By making studies and research in various fields of Geography viable, the Master’s degree will contribute to the improvement of public policies and other forms of action/intervention in the territory, given that the territorial reality of the city of Viçosa and its region has been revealing for some time , various problems relating to the uses and ways of appropriating space. The creation of the Program therefore reflects an effective social and academic demand, which calls, theoretically and practically, for studies and work that are capable of contributing to the improvement and transformation of the environmental and territorial conditions of our region. 

At an institutional level, the Master’s Degree in Geography aims to support the area of teaching, research and extension in Geography at a university that is recognized for its tradition and excellence in the areas of agricultural and biological sciences, but which is increasingly investing in research in the areas of human sciences with a view to strengthening the institution. In this sense, the PPGEO’s central objective is to promote cognitive improvement with the aim of improving students to perform tasks and functions related to research related to the Area – Environmental Dynamics and Territory and the Lines of Research: Socio-environmental issues and Dimensions of Nature and Productions and Appropriations of the Territory. 

The organization and operation of the Program comply with the rules of the Geography Postgraduate Regulations and the Federal University of Viçosa and complementary rules, approved by the competent bodies of the institution, as well as the provisions established by CAPES.

The Program will be administered by the Department of Geography (DGE) and coordinated by a PPGEO Coordinating Committee. The Coordinating Committee is made up of four professors, nominated by the Head of the Geography Department, and chosen from among the supervising professors elected in a triple list organized by their peers; and by the representative of the Program’s students, according to the UFV Postgraduate Regulations. The PPGEO coordinator is one of the members of the Coordinating Committee, elected by its members and by the Department’s Board. This will be appointed by the Rector, and his management will be carried out based on criteria established by the Regulations.