History

The Postgraduate Program in Geography at Universidade Federal do Ceará is intended to train human resources qualified to act in the areas of teaching and researching in Geography, in order to meet the demand of public and private institutions, mainly in the Northeast, for information on environmental and territorial theme in the Brazilian semi-arid region. The implementation of this postgraduate program reinforces graduate and ths postgraduate in Geography area on the scale of Ceará and the Northeast, specifically in the doctoral mode.

In the first scale, that of the state, it will broaden the possibility of formation of an important contingent of professionals who have already graduated in Master Degree in Geography at the Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC) and at Universidade Estadual do Ceará (UECE), and of other areas, which is expanded if it is considered the possibility of formation of teaching staff in Geography and related areas in university in the State hinterland: State University, Campi of Limoeiro do Norte; University of Acaraú Valley (Sobral).

In the second scale, the region, it also will compose the frame in which are set only the Universidade Federal do Pernambuco (UFPB) and Universidade Federal de Sergipe (UFSE), the doctorate program in Geography at the Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC) aids in training professionals on a regional scale.The timid action undertaken the course in its early years, with few training professionals from other states, will be consolidated and strengthened with expansion of its range of influence in the region, contributing in these terms, the potentiation of training PhDs in Geography.

Regionally, the area of Geography will be strengthened not only in quantitative terms, but mainly in qualitative terms, with the inclusion on the scene of a set of professionals whose the skills will diversify the approaches. The level of PhD professional experience in Geography is evident: on the theme and vehicles (mainly international and national) of undertaken scientific production; the links established with international and national institutions; in particular gender approach, covering coastal and hinterland and confined mainly to the northeastern semi-arid.

Finally, it is emphasized that Professors involved in the postgraduate congregate will and scientific drive, have physical and financial infrastructure and have the support of the Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC), as guarantor potential of the program to become reference center for Geography in the Northeast and especially in semi-arid area.

The Geography Master's course was approved by CAPES in 2003 and it started in July of 2004. In its first assessment (2004-2006) was graded 4 by the CAPES concept. The Geography PhD course was approved by CAPES in 2008, starting its activities in 2009 with the formation of two classes.

To complete the description of the spatial scope of the Program, it is noticed with the implementation of doctoral expansion of its range, with increased participation of students from other states and from other countries. The clientele served by the course represented a broadening of access of students from different states of the North and Northeast.

A total of 38 students admitted to the PhD, we currently have from the two classes of 2009, 2010 and 2011: 1 student from the Amazonas State, 2 from Paraiba, 4 from Rio Grande do Norte, 2 from Bahia and 6 from the countryside of the state of Ceará. All linked to public university institutions such as the Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, and Universidade Estadual do Ceará as URCA (with which we hit the extension of incentives in 2011), UVA and UECE.

Therefore, the trend that showed was the one which pointed out that with the master's participation from Rio Grande do Norte, Maranhão, Paraíba and Espirito Santo or their entrance as educators in these and other states of the federation reaffirms response to a clear regional demand. This scope tends to enlarge on the international scale, and announcement of this foreshadowing for the future coming in 2012.2, of the professor at the Universidade de Cabo Verde (Cape Verde, Africa) to undertake a PhD in our Program.