The University of Sao Paulo School of Dentistry (FOUSP) welcomes international students!

There are 3 Postgraduate Programs offered at both Master’s Degree (MSc) and/or Doctoral Degree (PhD) levels that provide training in multiple areas of research:

General Information

• Admission to Postgraduate programs is competitive and students are selected based on their academic background and skills
• The programs accept candidates with undergraduate degrees on Dental Medicine/Surgery, Medicine, Biology, Pharmacy, Engineering, Bioinformatics, Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology
• The postgraduate programs do not have a tuition fee and some candidates may be eligible for a scholarship offered by the Brazilian government

Obligations of the students during the Postgraduate course

• Master’s and Doctorate students shall devote full-time to the Program. The duration of the programs are 24 months (Master’s) and 40 months (Doctorate, PhD).
• The course subjects (mandatory and elective) will be defined together with the advisor. There are some courses available in English.
• The student shall finish at least one research project, and a Dissertation (for Master’s Degree) or Thesis (for Master’s Degree and Doctoral Degree – PhD) shall be elaborated, defended in a public jury session and approved by an expert board. The dissertation or thesis can be written and defended in Portuguese, English or Spanish.
• The student shall attend national or international scientific events in his/her respective area, and shall also submit assignments throughout the course.
• The student shall undergo qualifying tests during the course, which can result in the termination of the Program or in the student’s upgrading from the Master’s Degree to the Doctoral Degree (PhD), according to the performance.

Before the application:

• It is recommended that the students get in contact with potential advisor (s) to define the possible research topics, which compose the research lines of the different Postgraduate Programs.
• If you do not speak Portuguese yet, click here to read a list of advisors that accept English- and/or Spanish-speaking students.
• To learn more about the research lines of the programs, go to one of the programs.
• The student will be responsible for travel expenses, maintenance costs, including housing, and health insurance while studying here.
• The student is responsible for visa arrangements and application.

Documents required for application

• A legible copy of the Passport.
• Recent ID-size photo (30 x 40 mm).
• A legible copy of the undergraduate certificate (front and back). If you do not have this document, submit a statement written by the Institution when you got your degree.
• A copy of your undergraduate academic records.
• Candidates applying for the Doctoral Degree (PhD) Program of Studies that obtained their Master’s Degree elsewhere shall submit a copy of the Master’s Degree certificate and academic records, as well as revalidate the certificate. If the student is applying for the Doctorate course directly (i.e., does not have a Master’s degree), the Master’s Degree certificate revalidation will not be necessary.
• All international applicants which English is not the primary language must demonstrate proficiency in the English language by submitting official test scores from TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), ITP or TOEFL IBT (Internet)
• The payment receipt of the application fee – R$ 50.00 (fifty Reais) that is paid at the Dental School.
• One recommendation letter, written by a faculty member from your University. The recommendation letter must be an original document with detailed contact information.
• One copy of the research project.
• Curriculum Vitae.

The selection process

The foreign student shall take part of the same selection process that the local applicants. However, it can be conducted in English or Spanish. If the candidate is unable to attend in person, the process can be conducted via video-conference, on a date agreed by the Program’s Coordinator and the candidate. If that is the case, the applicant shall undergo the selection in an academic environment, preferentially at his/her origin University/Institute, with the presence of a faculty member.

When you become an USP Graduation student

You must apply for the National Foreigner Registry or Registro Nacional de Estrangeiros (RNE). The RNE is a document required for the temporary residence of foreign individuals in Brazil.

You must apply for the Brazilian CPF (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number), which is necessary to open a bank account, to pay less for public transportation or to perform any activity who demands a confirmation of its long-term residence in the country.

The foreign individual must go to a Federal Police unit next to its residence with his/her personal documents within 30 (thirty) days from its entrance in the Country. It is necessary to have the Visto Temporário, i.e, the Temporary/Student Visa referring to the article 13 of the Law 6.815/80 to be able to study at USP. Without this document, the enrollment will not be possible.

For further information, click here

Students duly enrolled in the USP strictu sensu Programs become part of the Comunidade USP (USP Community), which means that they can have their meals at the Campus canteen, and they can also use the sports club and pay less for the City’s public transportation. There is also the possibility to live in the Campus, but the number of requests is higher than the places available.

Your advisor can help you with the application for the Master’s and Doctoral (PhD) scholarships in Brazil, but if you want to know about such possibilities in advance, check out the following link: http://www.usp.br/internationaloffice/index.php/programas-e-redes/programas/pec-pg/