Graduate and Research Central Coordination Office (CCPG)

Graduate Program in Chemistry

General Information

The Graduate Program in Chemistry at PUC-Rio (PPG-Qui) was created in 1969 with master’s course, and in 1971 gave the beginning to Doctorate course. Since its creation until 2015, the PPG-Qui has already formed 374 masters and 178 doctors. According to the last triennial evaluation (2010 – 2012) from CAPES, the program obtained 5 in a scale that goes to 7.

The PPG-Qui faculty is formed today by 18 permanent professors and 1 collaborator. This total, 68% were incorporated in the program in the last years, due to exchange for retirement and new vacancies creation. This process of transformation and amplification of the faculty staff derived from a Strengthening policy of the Chemistry Department implemented by University administration. The new faculty profile was thought to merge experienced teachers and new professionals and to strength the chemistry program’s acting in four great areas, incorporating the Organic and Physical – Chemistry to the already traditional areas of Analytical and Inorganic of the program. As reflecting the professionals mix in different phases of professional life, today the faculty is composed of 50% from CNPq productivity scholarship, thus  divided: 1A(1), 1B(1), 1C(1), 1D(3) and 2(4). Other 5 faculties who do not have CNPq scholarships were contracted in the last 3 years. In addition, recognizing the increasing inter and transdisciplinary action of chemistry, the faculty renovation included professionals who act interfaced with other area such as Geochemistry, oceanography, Biology, Engineering, medicine, among others.

Research at PPG-Qui developed through the collaboration and synergy with other universities and research centers in Rio de Janeiro as well as in several other states. The Program has always prioritized interaction with researchers and institutions abroad. The international insertion of PPO-Qui has been fostered by collaborative projects that ensure the international mobility of students and faculty members. On the other hand, one should highlight PPG-Qui’s strong interaction with the productive sector. This is done through the execution of a series of research and development projects, particularly with companies linked to the oil industry and the pharmaceutical industry.

The research infrastructure that PPG-Qui offers students includes functional laboratories and small, medium and large sized modern equipments that guarantee the training of students and the execution of dissertations and thesis within PUC-Rio. Collaborative projects and/or agreements with development agencies and collaboration with the productive sector guarantee resources for the acquisition and maintenance of equipment, as well as the hiring of technical personnel and related researches.

Objectives

The objective of PUC-Rio’s PPG-Qui is to form human resources at the Master's and Doctoral levels that are qualified and posses critical view in order to develop innovative and multidisciplinary scientific research in the Chemistry field and its multiple interfaces, attending to technical demands and the industry innovation, as well as to teach at the higher education level. The Program seeks the scientific, technical and cultural qualification of the student by putting him or her in contact with the theory and practice of modern preparatory and instrumental techniques in which, and is based on ethics and social and environmental responsibility.

As specific objectives, one can list:

• Academic forming of human resources qualified to develop innovative and independent scientific research, focusing on the multi-and trans-disciplinarity;
• To seek in innovation in chemistry (one understands innovation as a means of developing something new or a new approach that functions and makes a difference in relation to what already exists);
• To seek interaction with the industry, environmental organs and of quality control to solve real problems;
• To contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the several areas of chemistry;
• To seek interaction with other basic and applied sciences in the search for solutions to complex problems that affect society;
• To promote interaction and exchange of information with other universities and research institutes seeking synergy to solve problems that require complementary knowledge and expertise;
• To contribute to the welfare of the Brazilian population, in particular to that of Rio de Janeiro State, through interaction with other basic and applied sciences in search for solutions to complex problems, as well as in the rendering of consulting services and activities demanded by the Organized civil society, companies and representatives of the public power;
• To foster new talents by hosting activities aimed at high school students.

History

In the early 1970s, the Graduate Program of the Chemistry Department(DQ) at PUC-Rio began in the field of Inorganic Analytical Chemistry under the coordination of Pe. Leopoldo Hainberger S.J., who was the founder of the DQ of PUC-Rio. There was a significant contribution from professors coming mainly from Germany, such as professor Erich Ludwing Minzl, who was responsible for the Advanced Analytical Chemistry discipline both in the theory and the experimental parts; professor Nobert Fritz Miekeley in the Radionalytic discipline, with professor Klaus Paul Wagener as a visitor, a radiosotopes specialist at the Center for Nuclear Research(KFA) in Juelich and Professor of Biophysics at the Technological University of Aachen, and with the Brazilian Professor Armi Wanderlei da Nobrega in the Electromagnetic Chemistry discipline.

In its beginning, PPG-QUI was strongly involved in Inorganic Analytical Chemistry due to the collaboration of professors coming mainly from Germany, focusing on the sub-areas of nuclear chemistry, spectroscopy and environmental chemistry. After that, other professors from different parts of the country and doctors qualified by the Program itself were included in the Program's faculty. The Program was a pioneer of its kind in Brazil and became a reference during the 1970s to the 1990s in several branches of analytical chemistry (inorganic and organic), environmental chemistry and oceanographic chemistry. In the 1980s and the 1990s the EANA (Atomic and Applied Nuclear Spectroscopy) group formed several analytical spectroscopists in Brazil. In the 2000s the group expanded with electronic molecular spectroanalytics. In the1980s the Master’s program offered an emphasis on Sea Chemistry, with resources form SECIRM (Secretariat for the Inter-ministerial Commission Secretary for Resources of the Sea). In 1987 the area of Inorganic Chemistry was implemented with the hiring of specialists in such a way as to have two or three professor in the area. At PUC was formed the pioneer group of bio-inorganic at Rio de Janeiro and the study of inorganic chemistry of petroleum, which helped the Department to achieve prominence on a regional and national scale.

Concentration areas and lines of research

In 2012, a profound reformulation was made in order to meet the new Chemistry Graduate Program guidelines established by CAPES. The Program then started to only have the concentration area in Chemistry, and four (4) lines of research were organized, as follows:

Concentration area: Analytical and Inorganic Chemistry

Concentration Area: Analytical and Inorganic Chemistry

Course Recognition

Master’s and Doctoral degrees

CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Eduction Personnel; from Brazilian Ministry of Education) evaluation: grade 5 (in a 3 to 7 scale) for the 2010-2012 period.
Approved by the CNE/CES MEC n.288/2015 of July 08, 2015.
Granted degrees: Master and/or Doctor in Chemistry

Requirements for obtaining the Master’s and Doctoral degrees

Master

1. Obtain at least 24 credits, thus distributed :
• 16 credits in compulsory disciplines of the Department, at the graduate level;
• 8 credits in elective disciplines of the Department, at the graduate level, 03 these  credits may be obtained from other Departments, highlighting the possibilities foreseen in the Regulations of Master Programs and Doctoral Programs of PUC-Rio
2. Be approved in the English language Exam (LET 3101, reading comprehension).
3. Present, defend and be approved in the Master’s Dissertation (QUI 3000) and deliver to the Chemistry Department secretary the necessary exemplars of the definitive version.

Doctor

1. Obtain a minimum of 47 credits , thus distributed:
   • 16 credits in compulsory disciplines of the Department, at the graduate level
   • 31 credits in elective disciplines (theoretical and practical) at the Graduate level with the advisor's approval. Up to 06 credits can be obtained in research disciplines conducted by the candidates under the advisor’s guidance. Six (6) credits can be obtained in disciplines from other Departments, at the graduate level.
2. Be approved in two language exams, English, French or German. The language already tested in the Master’s course will be validated in the Doctoral course.
3. Be approved in the Qualifying Exam (QUI 3004)
4. Present, defend and be approved in the Doctoral thesis (QUI 3001) and deliver, to the Chemistry Department secretary the necessary exemplars of definitive version.

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Admission and Enrollment

Master

• Diploma or Certificate of Completion of the Undergraduate Course issued by the official body of the Higher Education Institution (IES) of courses duly recognized by the MEC. Degrees obtained abroad must comply with the requirements of Resolution 18/22 of 02/20/2002.  OBS.: The applicant must submit the Undergraduate Diploma to the D.A.R upon the enrollment, for without it, he or she will not be able to do so.
• Be approved according to the norms established by Graduation committee, which will contained Specific Selection Notice
• The undergraduate student in Chemistry could take disciplines studied at the graduate, respected the rules and imposed conditions by the undergraduate coordination course.

Doctor

• Diploma or Master courses conclusion Certificate emitted by Official organ of University Education Institution (IES), properly recognized courses by MEC. The candidate for Doctorate, who has not already defended your Master’s dissertation, must attach to documentation, a program coordination declaration, informing predicted date of defense of its Master’s dissertation. This defense should take place before enrollment course.
• In exceptional cases, the students who obtains excellent performance in obtaining Master’s courses credits may request passage for Doctorate course, listened to committee of the graduate Department
• Satisfy admission requirements according to Internal Regulation of Graduate Committee, approved by Possess Master’s title department in chemistry or related areas.

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