Institute of International Relations
University of São Paulo
Master’s dissertations must be written in the form of an article resulting from original research, whether theoretical or empirical in nature.
All dissertations must include an abstract in both Portuguese and English, along with keywords in both languages. If this requirement is met, a third abstract in any other language may be added. With the supervisor’s approval, dissertations may also be written in English or Spanish.
In accordance with CAPES Ordinance No. 206, of September 4, 2018 (Article 3), any work funded by CAPES must include an acknowledgment of the financial support received. The following text must be included in the acknowledgments section, in the language of the dissertation:
In Portuguese:
"O presente trabalho foi realizado com apoio da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brasil (CAPES) - Código de Financiamento 001.”
In English:
"This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brasil (CAPES) - Finance Code 001."
For works that received funding from FAPESP, in accordance with the specific clause of the Terms of Grant and Fellowship Agreement, the acknowledgment must include the following phrase:
Access the cover page and title page template: [ORIGINAL VERSION]
Master’s Dissertation Examining Committees shall be composed of three members, including the Supervisor, who serves as a voting member and Chair of the Committee.
The Judging Committee shall include two faculty members from outside the Programme, at least one of whom must be from outside the Institute.
For each of the three members, a possible substitute of the same category must be appointed (i.e., one faculty member may be accredited in the Programme and the other two must necessarily be from outside the Programme, with at least one from outside the Institute).
(a) Supervisor’s approval for submission;
(b) Suggested composition of the Examining Committee for the defense;
(c) Word file containing the abstract in Portuguese and English, including the author's name, the title of the work, and five (5) keywords in both languages;
(d) PDF file of the full dissertation or thesis;
(e) Statement of originality;
(f) Annual activity report.
- Click here to generate your Cataloging-in-Publication (CIP) Data Sheet.
- The version submitted to the Graduate Program Office (SPG) at the time of deposit cannot be replaced under any circumstances and will be the only valid and acceptable document for the defense.
- The oral examination, following a presentation of up to 60 minutes by the candidate, will take place in a public session and must not exceed three hours for the Master’s defense.
- Resolution CoPGr No. 7569: If the student wishes to request a two-year embargo on the publication of their thesis or dissertation, a specific request must be submitted at the time of deposit.
A student who fails the Qualifying Exam may register to retake it only once. The student must submit a new registration within 30 days after the first exam. The second exam must take place within 90 days of the second registration. If the student fails again, they will be dismissed from the program and will receive a certificate for the completed courses.
For Master’s students, the Qualifying Exam consists of presenting a report that should reflect the progress of the research work and outline the planned steps for its completion.
For PhD and Direct PhD students, the Qualifying Exam consists of presenting a report that should reflect the progress of the research work and include a structured summary of the dissertation chapters, as well as a work plan detailing the tasks planned for its completion.
The oral presentation, held in a public session, must not exceed 30 minutes. The presentation will be followed by a questioning session conducted by the Examination Board.
If a student is unable to attend the exam in person, they may take it via videoconference, provided that at least one member of the Examination Board is physically present at the institution.
During the Qualifying Exam, students may receive either a pass or fail result—no grades are assigned. The Examination Board may also suggest a program transfer if deemed appropriate.
The student is responsible for registering for the Qualifying Exam, following the rules established by the program.
The maximum deadline for Qualifying Exam registration can be checked by the student in their academic record via the Janus system. Graduate students who fail to complete the Qualifying Exam within the required period will be dismissed from the program, in accordance with the USP Graduate Program Bylaws.
To request the Qualifying Exam, in addition to meeting the minimum credit requirements, the student must submit the following documents to the Graduate Program Office:
Important: The digital file (PDF format) does not need to be submitted on the day of registration. It must be sent via email at least 30 days before the exam date and cannot be replaced under any circumstances. This will be the only valid document for the exam.
The registration date will be considered the date of the official submission of the registration form, from which the 90-day deadline for holding the exam begins.
After the Examination Board is approved, the supervisor is responsible for scheduling the date and time of the exam. Once scheduled, the supervisor must inform the Program Office for administrative arrangements.
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Institute of International Relations - 2025
