About PPGERN
The Graduate Program in Ecology and Natural Resources (PPGERN) at Federal University of Ceará (UFC) aims to prepare students to meet the growing demands for professionals acting on the research on the ecology and sustainable management of natural resources in Brazilian semi-arid ecosystems, contributing to the production of scientific knowledge for the region and for the country, based on the current trends of the ecological vision.
As a result of the growing ecological knowledge in the last decades, studies on natural resources (biodiversity, soils and water) have been improved by means of:
• Greater precision in spatial and temporal analyzes;
• Integration of data from different sources and levels of organization, thus facilitating studies on the structure, dynamics and functioning of populations, communities and ecosystems and;
• Knowledge on the management of natural resources.
The need for professionals with the ability of establish links between these advances and new ecological research proposals, agriculture, public management and environmental planning imposes a new challenge in the education of modern ecologists. The professional training proposed by PPGERN/UFC seeks to stimulate students to develop an investigative and creative spirit, referenced by a strong theoretical basis, offering them the opportunity to master the modernest techniques and methodological resources available. By making students acquire these skills, PPGERN/UFC intends to make them able to teach, research and develop technologies for the best use and conservation of natural resources.
The PPGERN/UFC students develop basic and applied research projects on topics relevant to the region and the country, as well as of academic relevance, contributing to the sustainable development of the Brazilian Northeast region. The program hasa diverse body of advisors with scientific production in various fields of basic and applied ecology, offering students multiple thematic options to develop their specific projects. It is expected that students became able to solve environmental problems, develop scientific research and transmit their acquired knowledge.
Aligned to this vision, PPGERN offers an interdisciplinary set of corses covering Ecology of Populations and Communities, Ecosystem Ecology and Biogeochemistry, Agroecology, Philosophy of Science, Methodology and Scientific Writing, Statistics and Experimentation, Field Methodology, Pollution and Water Resource Management and Soil Management and Conservation.
With this diverse body of disciplines and research advisors, PPGERN intends to attract graduate students from a diverse set of undergraduate courses such as Biological Sciences (trained in Ecology, Zoology or Botany), Chemistry, Zootechnics, Agronomy, Forestry and Geography, thus stimulating new ideas and fostering interdisciplinarity.
CAPES Concept: 4
Total credits for obtaining a degree:
Master
Mandory and ellective courses: 24.0
Dissertation: 6.0
Doctor
Mandory and ellective courses: 48.0
Thesis: 12.0
