Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina

UFSC Social Sciences program prepares sociologists, anthropologists and political scientists with the skills to develop academic research and produce knowledge about  social  relations. Graduates are also prepared to conduct surveys and consulting services for both public or private companies.

The program’s core courses are in the fields of Sociology, Anthropology, and Political Science. However, from the early stages, students have the option to specialize in a particular field by taking specific courses in that domain.

The program delves into different segments of society, including the political system, public policies, social institutions, the business sector, social movements, and socio-cultural diversity. Research is carried out in specialized facilities, such as the Image and Sound Research Laboratory, which also produces educational videos for teaching and learning in the social sciences.

The program offers two types of degrees: a teaching degree and a degree leading to research and other career possibilities. The teaching degree enables students to work in primary and secondary schools. The student takes pedagogical courses throughout the program and completes a teaching internship in an educational institution. The non-teaching degree focuses on research, consulting, advisory roles, and public and private policy management. In the final semester, the student develops a final thesis.

The UFSC Sanitary and Environmental Engineering program offers comprehensive professional training in methodologies and technologies related to the planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and management of various systems, including water supply systems, sanitary sewage, urban and industrial solid waste, industrial effluent treatment, stormwater management, urban drainage, applied hydraulics and hydrology, hydraulic-building installations, and water and air pollution control.

The program also emphasizes the development of actions for diagnosing and characterizing the environment, monitoring and controlling environmental quality, planning water resources, recovering the environment, and preserving and enhancing environmental quality.

The curriculum is structured into three main areas: basic courses (covering calculus, physics, chemistry, biology, and graphic representation), professional engineering courses, and specific courses related to sanitation and the environment. Additionally, students engage in project courses, develop a final project, and complete 360 hours of supervised internships. Complementary research, outreach, and student tutoring activities further enrich the academic experience.

Career opportunities for sanitary and environmental engineers are robust, supported by the regulation of their professional practice and the increasing societal awareness of sanitary and environmental challenges. There is a growing demand in municipal, state, and federal government bodies, consulting firms, and the industrial sector for professionals with technical competence and adequate training to address technological, managerial, and planning issues in sanitation and environmental fields.

The Joinville Campus’ Railway and Metro Engineering program is designed to provide a comprehensive technical-scientific and professional education, equipping students with the skills to identify, formulate and solve engineering challenges. The curriculum fosters a systemic approach, enabling graduates to excel in four key areas:  mechanical design – rolling stock; electrical-electronic systems design; railway and metro system maintenance, and operations management.

More specifically, railway and metro engineers trained in this program are prepared to work in fields such as: railway and metro dynamics; rolling stock design and maintenance (including locomotives, wagons and passenger cars); materials for railway and metro systems; railway and metro communication, signaling and operation systems; permanent way design; accident prevention and investigation within railway and metro contexts.

The railway and metro sector has received increased attention in Brazil due to the need for sustainable development. New investments in the expansion of railway lines have ensured the recent growth of the railway industry. Moreover, the concern about urban mobility has demanded investment in new metro lines, surface trains, monorails and high-speed trains. Many companies are installed or being installed in Brazil to promote rolling stock design and new technologies and solutions for this sector.

Learn more about the Railway and Metro Engineering Program by watching this video (in Portuguese):

The  UFSC  Psychology  program  was established in 1978 and was the first  of  its  kind  in  the  state  of  Santa Catarina,  boasting  extensive experience in teaching, research and outreach.  Its  comprehensive curriculum  equips  students  with knowledge  from  various  theoretical perspectives,  providing  a  solid foundation  for  professional  practice across  diverse  areas  and  fields within the realm of Psychology.

The program offers two types of degrees: a teaching degree and a degree that prepares for the professional practice in psychology. The current curriculum, established in 2010, is divided into two modules. The first module consists of basic courses taken during the first three years of study, while the second module focuses on professional courses in the final years.

Students take practical courses since the early stages of the program, through the introductory internships. During the professional module, they take more in-depth internships, with an increased weekly workload.

The professional module allows students to specialize in at least two of the following focus areas: 1. Health and Clinical Processes; 2. Work, Organizations and Management; 3. School/Education; 4. Community Processes and Collective Action.

The UFSC Psychology Program has several laboratories, research centers and a Psychological Care Service (SAPSI), which offers free services to the local community and serves as a site for internships, research, and outreach activities. As for other fields of intervention, the program has a solid partnership with regional institutions, including schools, hospitals, non-profit organizations and companies, contributing significantly to the development of Brazil’s new mental health model.

Since 2010, the program has been recognized by the Ministry of Health and Education as a Training Reference Center for the Unified Health System (SUS). In this capacity, it prepares students for collaborative work in various SUS care units, including health centers; psychosocial care centers, hospitals and emergency settings.

The Portuguese Language and Literatures program aims to train professionals who are both knowledgeable and autonomous, equipped to engage systematically, reflectively, and critically with themes and issues related to linguistic and literary knowledge across diverse contexts of spoken and written communication.

The program covers three major areas: 1) Portuguese Language and Linguistics, 2) Literature (Portuguese Literature, Brazilian Literature and Literary Theory) and 3) Latin (Language and Literature). Most courses are offered by the Department of Vernacular (Portuguese) Language and Literature from the School of Communication and Arts.

In the second half of the program, students have the option to choose whether they want to pursue a teaching career.

The teaching degree is offered by the Department of Teaching Methodology from the School of Education. This department is responsible for the teaching courses and internships, which are conducted in primary and secondary schools. At the conclusion of each internship, students write a report on their teaching experiences.

Graduates with a teaching degree can work in primary and secondary schools, as well as in preparation courses for university entrance examinations in the area of Portuguese Language or Literatures. They may also pursue graduate studies to further their training for a university teaching career.

For students who do not pursue a teaching degree, the focus shifts to research. Under the guidance of a faculty supervisor, they select specific and elective courses aligned with their research interests. In their final year, they develop a research project and write a thesis, which is publicly defended before an examining committee.

Graduates who choose not to obtain a teaching degree often continue their studies in graduate school. Outside of academia, they find opportunities in text revision, consulting, and advisory services for educational and textual projects.

When applying to the Physics program, applicants must choose between two distinct degree paths: a Physics degree or a Physics Education degree. The Physics degree prepares graduates for careers in research, exploring various physical phenomena at the graduate level, in industries, or in data science. The Physics Education degree, on the other hand, trains future physics teachers for primary and secondary schools, as well as for non-formal and informal education settings. Each degree path has its own unique curriculum structure.

Students can take courses from both degree types, as one holds classes in the afternoon and the other in the evening. This way, after graduating from one of the degrees, they can apply for returning admission to qualify for the second degree.

In both degree paths, core courses in General Physics, Calculus and Chemistry are offered in the early stages, accompanied by laboratory practice. By the end of the program, students in the Physics degree may develop a project in one of the department’s research groups. Students in the Physics Education degree, in their turn, take specific courses on Physics Teaching and engage in teaching internships in primary or secondary schools.

All Physics students are encouraged to pursue graduate studies. The master’s or doctoral degree is a requirement to work in research laboratories and institutes and to become a university professor.

The career prospects for  physicists  are  diverse. Beyond  teaching,  opportunities  abound  in the field  of  medicine,  particularly  in  specialized areas  such  as  ultrasound  and  radiation,  and  in industries,  where  they  contribute  to  the development  of  innovative  products  and machinery.  With  a  solid  foundation  in mathematics  and  computer  science,  graduates also  discover  promising  career  paths  in  data processing and related fields.

Created in 2010, the Physiotherapy program on the Araranguá Campus was the first health-related degree to be offered by a public institution in the southern region of the State of Santa Catarina. It aims to meet the regional demand for public, free and quality education.

The program trains professionals capable of finding and proposing solutions based on scientific knowledge and care resoluteness, from a technical-scientific and ethical-humanistic perspective, combining teaching, research and outreach.

The physiotherapist should be able to preserve, develop and functionally restore the integrity of body organs and systems, from the functional kinetic assessment to the physical and functional diagnosis, in several areas: primary care, pediatrics, orthopedics, traumatology and rheumatology, geriatrics, pulmonology, cardiology, gynecology and obstetrics, and dermatology.

The learning settings for Physiotherapy students include basic health units, APAE (Association of Parents and Friends of Exceptional Children), stud farms, nursing homes, community centers, medical clinics and hospitals.

Learn more about the Physiotherapy program by watching this video (in Portuguese):

Through the study of different philosophical doctrines and the debate around these doctrines, Philosophy students at UFSC are well prepared to engage in academic and intellectual work centered on providing answers to the philosophical inquiries into the human condition.

The core courses in the program are of two types: there are four courses in the History of Philosophy, which introduce the knowledge of philosophical doctrines from Antiquity to the present day, and twelve systematic courses on the various fields of Philosophy: Logic I and II, Theory of Knowledge, Ontology I and II, Ethics I and II, Aesthetics, Philosophy of Science, Political Philosophy I and II and Philosophy of Language. In addition to these required courses, students should also take elective courses in philosophy and other academic subjects.

The program offers two degree options: a research-focused degree, which requires the writing of a final thesis (TCC) about a chosen philosophical issue, and a teaching degree, which gives graduates a teaching license for upper secondary school education. To obtain this degree, students must take pedagogical courses and a teaching internship. Both degree options allow students to pursue graduate studies.

However, earning a degree alone does not make one a philosophy scholar or an original philosopher. To be considered as such, a philosophy practitioner must publish the results of their investigations and reflections in the form of articles and books, as well as participate in conferences.

Several research groups within the Department of Philosophy encourage students in this direction, such as the Epistemology and Logic Center (NEL), dedicated to studies on human reasoning and the fundamentals of sciences; the Ethics and Political Philosophy Center (NEFIPO), which seeks to justify moral and political decisions; the Ancient Philosophy and Medieval Studies Center, which promotes knowledge of the medieval and classical Greco-Roman thought, encouraging Greek and Latin language learning; the Metaphysical Investigations Center (NIM), concerned with transcendental issues; and the Center for Philosophical Studies and Activities in Secondary School, which gives support to secondary school philosophy teachers.

Because of the experience in these and other research activities, Philosophy graduates can also work for publishing houses and other cultural institutions, as well as translate philosophical works.

The UFSC Pharmacy Program equips students with a comprehensive, humanistic, critical, and reflective education, enabling them to work effectively at all levels of health care with scientific and intellectual rigor. Graduates are prepared to engage in activities related to drugs, medicines, and pharmaceutical care, as well as clinical and toxicological analysis, cosmetics, and food, all aimed at improving the health of individuals, families, and communities.

The pharmacist graduated from UFSC should have a qualification that considers the societal health needs, the comprehensive health care in the regionalized and hierarchical system of reference and counter-reference, and collaborative teamwork, with emphasis on the Unified Health System (SUS).

The program’s curriculum is structured around four major areas: exact sciences; biological and health science; human and social sciences; and pharmaceutical sciences. It also incorporates health care, technology and innovation in health, and health management. The goal is to develop the necessary skills, knowledge, and values required to train pharmacists who are committed to the health of the Brazilian population and to an ethical, science-based professional practice.

The UFSC Physical Education program aims to qualify professionals for a humanist and ethically responsible practice, with the goal of promoting health and quality of life for all people.

Graduates  are  equipped  to  work  in various  settings,  including  gyms, community  associations,  companies, and as personal trainers. The program also offers an option for a teaching degree, qualifying graduates to teach in basic education schools (early childhood, primary  and  secondary education) and in professional education settings.

The program curriculum is based on four major areas: natural and biological sciences; humanities; theoretical and practical knowledge of the culture of movement; and pedagogical education. In the last two years, students take supervised internships gaining hands-on experience in the professional practice of physical education teaching.

UFSC School of Sports offers outreach projects in more than thirty types of sports, such as tennis, volleyball, soccer, gymnastics, dance, capoeira and judo. There are also a number of scholarship opportunities for students in research, teaching, student tutoring, children’s activities and in the Tutorial Education Program (PET).

Among the facilities of the School of Sports are an indoor thermal pool, tennis courts, a soccer field, a running track, three gymnasiums, multipurpose courts, and dance, gymnastics, fitness and dojo rooms. Students also have access to laboratories in Physical Effort, Physiology, Anatomy, Foreign Languages, Computer, Pedagogical Studies, Biomechanics and Media.

Learn more about the Physical Education program by watching this video (in Portuguese):