FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Note: this is a currently unrevised machine translation of the corresponding page in portuguese. Please consult the coordination of the program if you have any doubts or if anything in this document is not clear.
I would like to know more about the course.
We suggest that you read all the information available on this portal, including official documents and secondary pages.
If you still have questions, write to the e-mail ppgnc@ufabc.edu.br
When will the next regular selection process begin?
The master's and doctoral selection notices for admission are made available on the Program's portal on the days provided for in the academic calendar of the Dean of Graduate Studies - https://propg.ufabc.edu.br/calendario-academico/ (suggestion search for the phrase 'SELECTION PROCESS'). In this document you can also find the start dates of the four-month period - admission always takes place in the four-month period right after the final result is announced.
Here are some key dates specifically for the year 2024.
23 Jan Deadline for publication of selection notices for admission in 2024.2
01 Feb to 01 Mar Registration for the selection process for the 2024.2 Graduate Program
4 Mar to 17 Apr Stages of the 2024.2 selection process (disclosure of applications, resources and academic evaluation)
3 Jun Start of graduate classes for the quarter of 2024.2
7 May Deadline for publication of selection notices for admission in 2024.3
15 May to 15 Jun Registration for the 2024 Graduate selection process.3
17 Jun to 14 Aug Stages of the 2024.3 selection process (disclosure of applications, resources and academic evaluation)
16 Sep Start of graduate classes for the quarter 2024.3
27 Aug Deadline for publication of selection notices for admission in 2025.1
2 Sep to 2 Oct Registration for the 2025 Graduate Selection Process.1
Oct 3 to Nov 27 Stages of the 2025.1 selection process (disclosure of applications, resources and academic evaluation)
3 Feb 2025 (forecast) Start of graduate classes for the quarter 2025.1
What do I need to apply for the regular selection process?
it is necessary to present an acceptance from a member of the permanent faculty or collaborator of the Program and a research project with the written consent of that professor, in addition to having completed a course at the undergraduate level in any area, or having expected to complete it by the date of enrollment.
Can I join other periods?
Yes, through the selection process in continuous flow. In this case, it is mandatory to have the consent of a professor of the Program who would agree to guide the candidate. It is also mandatory to have the prior approval of a scholarship from an external funding agency, such as FAPESP. For more details, talk to the faculty member who accepted your guidance.
When can I apply for the selection process for special students (to take courses separately)?
The dates for the year 2024 are as follows.
Dec 5-7 Special Student Enrollment for 2024.1
May 7-9 Special Student Enrollment for 2024.2
Dec 3-5 Special Student Enrollment for 2025.1
GENERAL
What is the CAPES grade for the program?
The score of the 2017-2020 quadrennial evaluation was 5 for the Academic Master's and Doctoral courses.
How long is the course?
Ideally, two and four years for the master's and doctoral degrees, respectively.
Can non-Brazilians enter?
Yes, for both master's and doctoral degrees. They compete with Brazilian candidates on equal terms.
DISCIPLINES
Where can I find the syllabus of the courses?
From the portal menu, choose Teaching/Classes/Year-Term and click "Search". Next, click on the name of the course. Let the coordination know if the menu is missing.
Where can I find the list of courses (and their schedules) that will be offered in the next four months?
The Dean of Graduate Studies publishes the rooms and schedules at this address: https://propg.ufabc.edu.br/salas-horarios/ . To find the subjects of the Neuroscience and Cognition course, search for the acronym 'NCG'. Note. Not all subjects are available to special students.
Are the courses taught remotely or face-to-face?
The course is face-to-face.
Which days of the week and at what times are the courses taught?
Courses are taught on weekdays (not Saturdays), usually in the afternoon. Some courses are taught twice a week, others only once a week, depending on workload and logistical issues. Most of the subjects are taught in the format of classes of 2 to 4 hours.
What are the compulsory subjects for the master's and doctoral degrees?
There are three sets of compulsory subjects, each consisting of a main subject and two to three more advanced subjects.
All students are required to take at least one subject from each set, either the main or one of the most advanced.
SET OF FUNDAMENTAL DISCIPLINES IN BIOLOGICAL NEUROSCIENCE
Major: Neuroscience
Cellular communication in the nervous system and psychopharmacology
Neuroanatomy
Excitable membranes
SET OF FUNDAMENTAL DISCIPLINES IN COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE
Major: Cognitive Sciences
Higher Cognitive Functions
Psychopathology and neuropsychology
Psychophysical and psychophysiological methods
SET OF FUNDAMENTAL DISCIPLINES IN THEORETICAL NEUROSCIENCE
Major: Introduction to Theoretical and Computational Modeling in Neuroscience
Theoretical and computational neuroscience
Dynamics of neural populations
SPECIAL STUDENTS
When does the selection of special students take place?
The selection of special students takes place one to two months before the beginning of the four-month period. To find out the dates of the year, consult the ProPG Portal (in the calendar of the current year; look for 'Deadline for publication of selection notices for admission'" or for "Registration of special students'").
How should I proceed to participate in a course as a special student?
Those who wish to enroll as a special student must follow the procedures available at this link and participate in a specific selection process for this purpose.
Where will the Notice of the selection process for special students be published?
On the Program Portal, in the selection processes menu.
I don't have a degree-level coursework. Can I participate in the selection process?
No.
Are all subjects open to special students?
No, only those that are part of the list published every four months.
Can I participate in the course Seminars in Neuroscience and Cognition?
Not as a special student.
The seminars take place on Wednesdays from 1 to 2 p.m., and are streamed online. External interested parties can follow as long as they make a simple registration.
For more information, please contact the coordination.
I was approved to participate as a special student. How do I register?
Information regarding enrollment is available on the ProPG portal. Further clarification can be obtained by email matricula.propg@ufabc.edu.br .
I was not approved to participate as a special student. Can I participate in a course as a listening student?
At UFABC there is no official status of "hearing student". If you want to participate in a course, you should contact the teacher responsible for the course directly and talk to him/her. In any case, participation in the discipline will not be recorded in the academic transcript or assignment of a concept.
I enrolled in a course as a special student and now I want to cancel my enrollment. What should I do?
There is no possibility to cancel registration. In this case, only notify the teacher responsible for the subject.
ADMISSION OF REGULAR STUDENTS
When does the selection process take place?
This takes place twice a year, usually starting in the months of May and August with an expected entry in February and June, respectively. For more details, see the ProPG Portal.
Where can I find the selection notice?
The notices are published on the Program Portal, menu Selection processes.
Can I take all the tests remotely?
Yes.
Are the exams in Portuguese?
The knowledge test, the questioning and the interview are given in Portuguese, but can also be in English, if this option is indicated by the candidate at the time of registration. Proof of knowledge of English is in English.
What is the content of the entrance exam?
You can find the indicated bibliography in the Documents/Other section
What is the first step to participate in the selection process and join as a regular student?
The most important requirements are the consent of one of the supervisors and the elaboration of a research project. Therefore, the first thing to do is to contact one of the professors listed here, where you will find a link that leads to the respective CV Lattes.
What are the requirements to join as a regular student?
Each selection process is regulated by means of a public notice published a few months before the date of admission, including the list of requirements. In general, the requirements are similar to those presented in selection notices of the past. To see two examples, go to the Program Portal, Documents/Others menu.
I'm not Brazilian or I didn't graduate in Brazil. Can I participate in the selection process?
Yes.
Can the documents and tests of the selection process (written tests and interviews) be carried out in English or Spanish?
Yes.
GUIDING
Who are the program's advisors and what are their lines of research and how can I get in touch with them:
The list of faculty is available here, where you will find a link that leads to the respective Lattes CVs.
How can I get in touch with one of the advisors?
The list of faculty is available here, where there is a link to the email.
I tried to contact several advisors, but none of them got back to me. What should I do?
Contact between candidates and faculty is an important interaction, but sometimes not a simple one. Advisors may be very busy, away from work abroad or even on vacation. In order to maximize the chances of getting a response from the advisors, when you contact them, send along with your message your academic transcript, your CV (preferably the link in the Lattes system) and a description of your interests, and ideally a draft of a research project.
BAGS
Does the program offer scholarships?
The program offers institutional scholarships (UFABC and CAPES, for the most part). The number of scholarships is limited and depends on several factors. No scholarships are offered prior to entry. Only regularly enrolled students are eligible. When a scholarship is available, it is awarded to one of the students according to pre-established criteria in a specific selection process.
Are there other ways to get scholarships?
Yes. Students and their advisors are encouraged to apply for scholarships from external funding agencies, such as FAPESP.
Is it possible to apply for a scholarship from FAPESP before being selected and joining the course?
Yes. However, the scholarship is only awarded to the student after he or she is selected and enrolled. In this situation, most choose to enter through the continuous flow notice.
How the selection process for a scholarship in the postgraduate course in Neuroscience works.
The program has fixed quotas of scholarships in the program, of two main modalities. When a scholarship is released by a student who has graduated, or gets a scholarship from an agency (e.g. FAPESP), or who is no longer entitled for other reasons, the scholarship is distributed among the candidates based on criteria that are generally meritocratic. We have no way of guaranteeing when and also not if a scholarship will be released to those who join the program. One way to be more certain about this is to apply, together with an advisor and project, for a scholarship from FAPESP before joining the program. In the case of approval, entry into the program takes place in a simplified and faster way (it is the modality that we call continuous flow).
There are some caveats as well - scholarships are primarily distributed to people with exclusive dedication - that is, without paid employment.
LINES OF RESEARCH
The program has three lines of research: Systems Neuroscience, Cognitive Sciences, and Computational Neuroscience. All three are home to projects by the program's faculty members, which may even overlap this division into three major areas. The teachers in the first two lines have a background and method of empirical sciences: they collect samples either by experiments (in cultures of neurons, e.g., tissues, animal models, or human volunteers) or by surveys of a sample of the population. In the line of computational neuroscience they generally use mathematical modeling and computer simulation, often still in combination with empirical methods of the other two lines of the program. In this way, we hope to solve open questions in neuroscience and cognition, of a fundamental or applied nature.
Do you want to prepare a research project for the selection process? Study the CVs of the professors, contact those whose specialty is of interest to you and, if they accept, work with them on your research project. It is also a good idea to study the material of the bibliography of the knowledge test from the beginning.
DEADLINES FOR QUALIFYING EXAMINATIONS, DEFENSE AND ANNUAL REPORTS
I have doubts regarding the deadlines for qualification and thesis defense due to the changes in the rules during the pandemic. The documents I found were published before the pandemic.
The resolutions to make deadlines more flexible due to the pandemic are available on the ProPG website, see here: https://propg.ufabc.edu.br/legislacao/ - under CPG, Resolution 68 (direct link: https://propg.ufabc.edu.br/wp-content/uploads/resolucao-cpg-68-2020.pdf). For doctorates, it is the maximum regimental term (60 months) + 3 months. The exact deadline for each student is shown on their transcripts. The qualifying exam no longer has a deadline, but must be scheduled at least 45 days before the date of the defense (at the limit). Of course, we don't recommend planning ahead of time, and the qualification exam is best conducted when your project data and plans are at a stage where feedback would be welcome, which probably isn't that close to the end.
What is the deadline for submitting the annual student report?
The report must be submitted in the month preceding the month of admission.