Federal University of Minas Gerais


Federal University of Minas Gerais is a federal university located in Belo Horizonte, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. UFMG is one of Brazil's five largest universities, being the largest federal university. It offers 75 undergraduate degrees, including a Medicine degree, Law and Economics, plus Engineering and Science and Art degrees, 57 PhD programs, 66 MSc programs, 79 Post-Baccalaureate programs and 41 medical residency programs. UFMG has a population of 49,254 students. UFMG has been ranked among the best universities in Brazil and in Latin America.
The university also has campi in Tiradentes and Montes Claros. Most courses, however, are taught at the main campus, located in the Pampulha neighborhood of Belo Horizonte. It receives the second highest amount of federal resources among other federal universities, and registered over 1060 national and international patents in 2016 the biggest amount among other Brazilian higher education institutions. In 2014, according to Scopus, UFMG published over three thousand articles in influential international newspapers and magazines. In addition, 784 of their teachers are researchers for Brazil's National Council for Scientific and Technological Development.
Past students include former Brazilian presidents Dilma Rousseff, Juscelino Kubitschek and Tancredo Neves; former Governor of Minas Gerais Rondon Pacheco; writer, medical doctor and diplomat João Guimarães Rosa, writers Fernando Sabino, Pedro Nava and Cyro dos Anjos; plastic surgeon Ivo Pitanguy, poet Carlos Drummond de Andrade and musicians Fernando Brant, Samuel Rosa of Skank and Fernanda Takai of Pato Fu.
The undergraduate students are admitted through the national annual exams called Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio. Its undergraduate courses were ranked 1st place in the 2007 results of the Student's National Performance Exam. UFMG is the ninth best university in Latin America, according to the 2019 Times Higher Education ranking.. In 2018, it was elected by Folha de S.Paulo as the 3rd best university in Brazil. UFMG's communication, psychology and management degrees, among others, were also elected as the best in the country and almost all undergraduate courses offered by the institution rank in the top 5 when compared to their counterparts in other Brazilian universities. Furthermore, the university is the highest ranking Brazilian university in terms of quality of education and second place when it comes to recognition in the job market.

Location

The UFMG total campus area is 8.769.690 square meters, with built area reaching 639.777 square meters. UFMG has four campi: Pampulha Campus in the neighborhood of Pampulha, Health Sciences Campus in Belo Horizonte downtown, Rural Sciences Campus in Montes Claros and Cultural Campus in Tiradentes. UFMG has also few buildings in Belo Horizonte, such as the School of Architecture and the Law School and Casa da Glória in Diamantina. Inside the Pampulha Campus there is the CDTN, a Federal Institute for Nuclear Sciences Research; it includes 38 buildings, dozens of scientific research laboratories and a 250 kW TRIGA nuclear reactor from General Atomics. There is also an extensive area of secondary forest known as the Estação Ecológica, where some university scientists - mainly ecologists and zoologists - carry out research; this is the largest "green" area within the city boundaries, and is home to endemic insect species.

History

The origins of the university go back to the 19th century, when it first appeared in the Republic as a continuation of a process that began during the Empire, with the opening of the first institutions of higher education.
In 1898, the Ouro Preto Faculty of Law was transferred to Belo Horizonte, which at the time was set to be the new state capital.
A few new unconnected faculties would be founded later: in 1907, the Free School of Dentistry; in 1911, the Faculty of Medicine, the School of Engineering, and a course in pharmacy attached to the Free School of Dentistry.
In 1927, these four schools merged to found UMG, University of Minas Gerais, a private institution subsidized by the state government.
The UMG remained funded by Minas Gerais government until 1949, when funding had been delegated to Brazilian Government. Even though, the name UFMG was not adopted until 1965.
In the 1940s, a large area in the Pampulha region became the site for the construction of University City. The first structures erected were the Institute of Mechanics and the Main Building. The effective occupation of the campus by the university community started only in the 1960s, when the construction of the buildings that today house most of the academic units was started.
At the time of federalization, the schools of architecture, philosophy and economics were already integrated in the university. As its expansion carried on, the School of Nursing , Veterinary Science, Information Science, Music and Physical Education were founded.
In 1968, a university reform altered profoundly the structure of UFMG. The College of Philosophy spawned multiple institutions: the College of Philosophy and Human Sciences, the Institute of Biological Sciences, the Institute of Exact Sciences, the Institute of Geosciences and the Colleges of Literature and Education.
Additional courses have been established, among them agronomy, archival science, theater, museology, control engineering, computational mathematics, and speech therapy/audiology.

Teaching Units

Schools

School of Architecture

The UFMG School of Architecture is in the central region of Belo Horizonte, more precisely at the intersection of Gonçalves Dias and Paraíba streets in the Savassi region. Founded in 1939, UFMG School of Architecture was the first course of architecture in Brazil released from engineering or fine arts. The building was designed by architect Shakespeare Gomes, one of the most representative works of modernism in Belo Horizonte. Currently, the school has the architecture courses, Architecture and Design.

School of Fine Arts

The School of Fine Arts of the Federal University of Minas Gerais is an institution located within the Pampulha campus of the university. It is taught the course in visual arts and performing arts course materials.

School of Information Science

The School of Information Science is an institution of the UFMG. Its foundation date of March 25, 1950 and its incorporation into the Federal University of Minas Gerais took place in 1963. The ECI is dedicated to the training of people dealing with information science. The School currently offers undergraduate courses in Library, Archival and Museology. The building has one of the most peculiar architectures between units of UFMG. The various palm trees in the central part, the hanging gardens over the four floors, balconies and floor details create an interesting aesthetic effect.

School of Music

Formerly located at the Conservatory building in the center of the city, it migrated to Pampulha in the early 1990s. It teaches musical performance, composition, conducting, music education and music therapy. It comprises the departments of Instruments & Voice and Music Theory. The school has a library, two recording studios, two sonology laboratories ans an annexe for teaching music to young children.

School of Physical Education, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy

The School of Physical Education, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais is an institution located within the Pampulha campus of the university. It is taught the course of physical education, physical therapy and occupational therapy.

Nursing School

The UFMG School of Nursing was established on July 7, 1933. It currently holds a prominent position on the national scene for its undergraduate courses and Graduate Studies, and its research and extension projects. Currently, the School of Nursing is organized by the Departments of Applied Nursing, Basic Nursing and Maternal Child Nursing and Public Health. Undergraduate courses in Nursing, Nutrition Course and System Analysis Course and health services are offered.

School of Engineering

Research

The Office of the Dean of Research advises the university administration on scientific and technological research, as well as encouraging research. The Center for Technology Innovation and Transfer promotes activities that apply technology development and transfer knowledge between UFMG and the community, via the creation of partnerships between researchers and business.

Applied Social Sciences

Information Science

The School of Information Science has a full-time academic staff that explores research topics in the areas of Scientific and Technological, Managerial, and Social and Historical Information. In addition, using the Lab of Information Treatment, the unit works on topics related to information storage and diffusion.

Law

The Law School of UFMG has four main departments, which are devoted to the following areas: General Theory of Law, Legal History, Private Law and Civil Procedural Law, Criminal Law and Criminal Procedural Law, International Law, Conflict of Laws, Public Law, Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, Economic Law, Tax Law, Labour Law amongst others. On 20 December 2012, the School of Law will celebrate its 120th anniversary, being one of the oldest Law Schools in Brazil after University of São Paulo and Universities of Pernambuco and Rio de Janeiro.
Between 1892 - year of its foundation - and 1927 the Law School was an autonomous institution and congregated several important lawyers and politicians in national context. In the year of 1927, the Free Law Faculty of Minas Gerais joined the administrative framework of the Federal University of Minas Gerais. Since then, it is one of UFMG's main Schools and Research Centres.

Architecture

One of the research centers at the School of Architecture, which is divided into four departments, is the Graphic Laboratory for the Teaching of Architecture, equipped with computer-assisted design programs. Among the research topics are Computer-Assisted Photogrametry, Computer-Assisted Photo-Documentation, Photorealistic Representations, as well as studies on accessibility.

Economics

Most research topics explored at the School of Economics are related to work done at the Center for Regional Development and Planning, at the Center for Research and Graduate Studies in Business Administration, and at the Research Institute in Economics, Business Administration, and Accounting.
At Cedeplar, where 25 teachers have a doctoral degree and 10 have a master's degree, there is research on Demographics and on Economics, with projects on Fecundity, Historical Demographics and Labor, Agricultural and Industrial Economics, Economic History, Economics and Environment, and Privatizations. At Cepead, 11 teachers have a doctoral degree and eight have a master's. They study Sectors of Support for Decision Making, Human Behavior in Organizations, Performance and Financial Strategy in Organizations. With four teachers holding a doctoral degree and two holding a master's, the Ipead provides consultancy and calculates monthly rates of indices, such as price and rent variation.

Biological Sciences

Six graduate programs and around 300 topics of research occupy 290 teachers at the Institute of Biological Sciences, 90% of whom holding doctoral, master's or post-baccalaureate degrees.
The laboratories of the institute's ten departments conduct research in Biology, some of them being national standards, such as the Center of Electronic Microscopy. ICB has developed a simple non-radioactive methodology for the study of DNA impressions and the American visceral leishmaniasis vaccine. Among the ICB topics of research responsible for the largest number of publications are those related to the development of new vaccines and medications – Biochemistry, Immunology, and Microbiology – to Genetics and to Ecology. The unit makes contributions to Botany, Zoology, Morphology, and Parasitology.
To assist researchers and teachers, ICB has four laboratory animal facilities with hundreds of guinea pigs kept in accordance to international principles of animal experimentation.
The university operates the Federal University of Minas Gerais Ecological Station on the Pampulha campus, used for various research projects including a Master's course in Ecology Conservation and Wildlife Management.

College of Veterinary Medicine

Founded in 1932, the College of Veterinary Medicine completed 80 years in 2012, and has trained over 5,000 veterinarians. CVM conducts animal science and veterinary medicine education and research. In addition to Veterinary Medicine, CVM offers an undergraduate degree in Aquaculture. MSc and PhD degrees in Animal Science and Animal Husbandry, Veterinary Medical Residency, and Professional MSc are available in 19 areas of knowledge. The college is located in the Pampulha Campus and has four departments: Veterinary Clinic and Surgery, Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Technology and Inspection of Animal Products and Animal Science. Two experimental farms and the Veterinary Hospital are available.
The five-year Veterinary Medicine course takes 120 students per year and over 95% of undergraduate students complete the course. Most faculty at teaching are full-time, permanent and have PhD degrees. About 1/3 of undergraduate students participate in research activities in 112 laboratories and produce around 250 academic research abstracts per year. More than 140 scientific papers are produced per year by faculty members.

Engineering

Around 70% of the 280 teachers at the School of Engineering work on 60 topics of research.
Most research work done in Engineering is related to technological development, with application in industry, funded by national and international agencies. By means of agreements and service contracts signed through the Christiano Otonni Foundation, the school makes contact with companies from the public and private sectors.
In Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, an Environmental Monitoring and Water Treatment Project has been run in collaboration with the German agency TGZ.
Three topics of research are pursued in Electric Engineering, monitored by the department's Research Center: High Tension, which includes studies on protection against atmospheric discharges, Power Electronics, and Control of Industrial Processes.
In the Department of Civil Engineering, research is carried out at the Laboratory of Structural Analysis, where structures submitted to very high pressure are evaluated. Work is being done on Energy Alternatives, mainly on Photovoltaic Energy and Solar Collectors. The projects are supported by the Minas Gerais Energy Company and Eletrobrás.
At the Department of Chemical Engineering, there is research on Liquid/Liquid Separation and on Heat Sensitive Substances. At the Department of Mining Engineering, two of the most important research topics are Mineral Treatment and Prospecting. The School of Engineering's largest department is Metallurgic Engineering, which has an X-Ray Lab and an Electronic Microscopy Lab, among others. Research involves Extractive Metallurgy, Physical Metallurgy, which deals with material molding, and "Trefilação".
Still at the School of Engineering, there is the Center for Electronic Computation, linked to the Scientific Computation Lab.

Human Sciences

Fafich

Six academic units conduct research in Human Sciences and Applied Social Sciences. At the Faculty of Philosophy and Human Science, 90% of its near 220 teachers from the six departments have master's or doctoral degrees and are doing research. At the Department of Sociology, researches focus mainly on Urban and Industrial Sociology and Sociology of Culture. At the Department of History, the characteristic topics are Oral, Political, and Economic History. The Department of Political Sciences works mostly with Public and Administrative Policies, Brazilian and International Politics, and Political Theory. At the Department of Philosophy, most works focus on the relationship between Philosophy and Psychoanalysis, Marxism, Social and Political Philosophy, Esthetics, Art Philosophy, and Logic. Also linked to Fafich, the Esthetics Laboratory does research and documentation work on Esthetics and Art and Civilization History.

Education

The School of Education has three departments, which carry out interdisciplinary activities with other university sectors. The Center for Literacy, Reading, and Writing, which develops projects on child and adult literacy, has been the major source of publication at FAE. The Center for Mathematics and Science Teaching in Minas Gerais studies the learning processes in the area and offers permanent courses for primary and secondary teachers.

Health Sciences

Medicine

The UFMG School of Medicine's ten departments research more than 100 topics, using the infrastructure of the Hospital das Clínicas and its 14 labs. Around 60% of the unit's more than 470 teachers hold a master's or a doctoral degree, and most of them take part in scientific production.
A large part of the research stems from the 12 Medicine post graduate programs offered by UFMG. Among the topics are Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Hematology and Oncology, Gastroenterology and Digestive Tract Surgery, Ophthalmology, and Endocrinology.
There also publications on Pathology, Surgery, Ambulatory Surgery, Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Spider and Snake Poisons, Transplants, Toxicology, Tropical Medicine, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, AIDS, Fetal Medicine, Neurosurgery, Oncology, Gynecology and Obstetrics, and Preventive and Social Medicine.

Nursing

More than half the 82 teachers of the School of Nursing, most of whom have master's and doctoral degrees, are involved in projects that are largely interdisciplinary.
Distributed among the unit's three departments, they work at the university hospitals and in the public health system. Some of their research topics are Education and the Nursing Curriculum, Transmitted Diseases, Work Force, Workers’ Health Quality, and Rites of Death in Senior Citizens’ Memories.

Dentistry

Many of the School of Dentistry's 100 teachers, one-fifth of whom hold a master's or doctoral degree, does research. Research includes Bio-Safety in Dental Practice, Dental Trauma, Social Representation of Health and Mouth Disease, Orthodontics for Deciduous and Permanent Teeth, Surgery, Peridental Disease and Cyst, and Prevention and Epidemiology of Cavities and other Diseases.

Pharmacy

The School of Pharmacy, which has four departments, does mostly experimental research. Of the unit's more than 70 teachers, about 35% hold a doctoral degree and approximately the same percentage have a master's degree. Research includes the development of new substances and medicines at the school's laboratories, mainly the Labs of Medicines and of Pharmacognosis and Plant Chemistry.
The Department of Food does research on Biotechnology. The Department of Clinical Analyses has work on Parasitology and Applied Toxicology, as well as on Clinical Bio-Chemistry.

Physical Education

The School of Physical Education investigates about 20 research topics. At the two departments linked to the Physical Education program, nearly half the 35 teachers do research, most of which is done in the Labs of Exercise Physiology and of Sport Psychology. Research includes studies of the behavior of the human organism, athlete conditioning, prevention of temperature accidents during exercises, effects of caffeine on the body, and neuroendocrinologic response to exercise. In the Department of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy, there are projects related to Neuropediatrics and to Physiotherapy in Geriatrics. The department's researchers work at the Hospital das Clínicas and at the Lab of Therapeutic Gymnastics, which belongs to the school.

UFMG information

Undergraduate entrance examination
Teaching programs
University population
Research
Degree held by Professors
International Affairs
Territory
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UFMG's annual budget

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