Institutional
The Graduate Program in Philosophy at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), established as a program of excellence since its creation in 1977, has the mission of providing critical and specialized training in different fields of philosophy, capable of combining rigorous analysis of the history of philosophical thought with reflection on issues of the present time. Throughout its almost fifty years of existence, the program offered qualified formation for a significant number of researchers and professors in philosophy at Brazilian public and private universities and has worked intensively to consolidate the area of philosophy in the country. The program aims to train researchers and professors of excellence who work primarily in higher education institutions. Internationalization is one of its vocations: the legacy of major translations of philosophical works, the requirement for students to be proficient in different languages, and the strong international presence of its professors in national and international research groups and networks are the hallmarks of the program. The program aims to foster intellectual and cultural production of reference, with social impact and national and international insertion.
Currently the program has four lines of research: I) History of Philosophy, differentiated into its four canonical eras (Ancient, Medieval, Modern and Contemporary), II) Logic, III) Ethical-Political Thought and IV) Theory of Knowledge and Philosophy of Science and Language. With this profile, in addition to the backbone of the History of Philosophy, the program covers different fields of modern Logic in many of its implications with new scientific disciplines; in the field of ethical-political thought, the emphasis is on investigating, through different philosophical perspectives, theories of democracy, law and the state, feminist theories and critical race theory; and finally, it includes an approach to classic themes in the theory of knowledge, philosophical, methodological and historical reflection on the different sciences (especially physics, mathematics, psychoanalysis and the social sciences) and philosophy of language.
CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
An important characteristic of the Master's and PhD programs in Philosophy at Unicamp is the flexibility of their curricular structure, which aims at making the faculty's freedom of research – institutionalized in its various Lines of Research – compatible with the minimum requirements of a basic academic formation of the students through the study of classical themes and authors, in order to allow the student's work to be concentrated on the writing of the Master’s dissertation or the PhD thesis. Considering the nature of philosophical activity, which does not lend itself to rigid definitions of theme, nor is it expressed in a predetermined set of disciplines or fundamental statements, the Graduate Program in Philosophy has an extremely simple and open academic-curricular structure, defined mainly on the basis of the Research Projects of the supervising professors. There is no provision for mandatory courses, linked to certain Lines of Research, except for the prerogative, attributed to the supervisor, of indicating courses or sequences of courses to be taken by the candidate for his/her adequate academic formation.
The curricular structure of the program is suited to its four lines of research. Approximately 40 courses are offered annually, including two Teaching Internship courses, one Master's Dissertation course, one PhD Thesis course, and the Orientation/Supervision Seminars, which are courses in which the students of the graduate program in Philosophy present partial results of their research for critique and discussion, before not only their supervisor, but also other students and even other professors of the program.
The objectives of the Orientation/Supervision Seminars are to (i) contribute to the improvement of the student's research work, (ii) foster their capacity for specialized and public discussion of arguments and interpretations. The configuration of these courses is flexible and is adapted, in each offering, to the circumstances of the research and to the preferences of the professor-supervisor. Thus, the student's work may be completely concentrated on the discussion of parts (preliminary or not) of the dissertation and/or thesis, or may, at the discretion of the supervisor, involve a further development of more specific issues that are of fundamental importance for the academic formation of the researcher in philosophy.
Despite the flexibility of our curricular structure, some common axes characterize it. Firstly, we aim to consolidate in the students’ work the ability to argue articulately, both in written texts and in oral presentations and discussions, according to criteria of logical-formal correction that are relevant to academic discourse in Philosophy. Secondly, we seek to instill in the student's work objectivity in the discernment and formulation of problems and resolutions, with the aim of avoiding, in the dissertations and/or theses, a lack of cohesion or even digressions in relation to the thematic nucleus proposed in them. In more specific cases, we try to perfect the student's work of interpretation of primary sources, that is, the reading and interpretation of classical texts in their original language, with the discussion of philological problems that have a great impact on the formulation of philosophical arguments.
Regarding this last objective, it is worth highlighting the seminars in History of Ancient, Medieval and Modern Philosophy. Frequently, the backbone of these seminars is constituted by collective reading and interpretation (supervisor and supervisees) of texts in the original language (Greek or Latin), with in-depth discussion of philological problems and meticulous analysis of the argumentative and conceptual entanglement present in each text.
MASTER
Requirements for obtaining the title.
To obtain the title of Master's in Philosophy, the student must
a) have been approved in the selection process;
b) be a student regularly enrolled in the Master's in Philosophy program at UNICAMP;
c) prove, on the occasion of the selection process, proficiency in at least one foreign language. Modern German, French, English and Italian languages are eligible. In the case of PhD projects in History of Ancient Philosophy, History of Medieval Philosophy and, History of Modern Philosophy, Classical Greek (for History of Ancient Philosophy) and Latin (for History of Medieval and Modern Philosophy) are added as eligible languages for proficiency demonstration;
d) have fulfilled all the credits in courses, according to the catalog of the year of admission;
e) be approved in the qualifying exam, which should only occur after the conclusion of all the credits in the courses;
f) be approved in a public defense of the Master's Dissertation, observing the dispositions of the General Rules for Postgraduate Courses (Deliberation CONSU-A-010/2015 and Deliberação CONSU-A/2008).
https://www.pg.unicamp.br/norma/3862/0
Selection Exam (for more information see Selection Process)
The selection exam is annual and will be conducted in three stages: 1) analysis of projects, transcripts, and curricula; 2) interviews and specific tests; 3) modern languages exam (eliminatory).
Analysis of Projects, Transcripts, and Curricula – the following criteria will be considered:
(a) level of conceptual elaboration of the project and feasibility of its execution within the planned deadlines;
b) adequacy of the project to the Program's Lines of Research;
c) adequacy of the curriculum to the project presented, as well as to the Program's Lines of Research;
d) experience in research (scientific initiation or equivalent);
e) availability of supervision by professors of the Program.
Interviews and Specific Tests – the candidates approved in the previous phase may be
submitted to an interview and/or specific test, at the discretion of the Sub-Committee for Graduate Studies in Philosophy.
Modern Languages Exam – the candidates approved in the previous phases must take a
proficiency test in a modern language, being eligible the German, French, English and Italian languages.
Credits
To obtain the Master's title in Philosophy, the student must fulfill the total number of credits specified in the catalog for the year of admission, available on the Pro-Rectory of Graduate Studies at Unicamp’s website (www.prpg.unicamp.br).
Foreign Language Aptitude
Prove, at the time of the selection process, proficiency in at least one foreign language, for the Master's, being eligible the modern German, French, English and Italian languages.
Qualifying Exam
The qualifying exam must take place by the end of the third semester for the Master's, and by the end of the sixth or seventh semester for the PhD. The examination can only take place after the completion of all course credits.
The qualification text should consist of an activity report (including transcripts), an activity plan, a detailed exposition of the project, and a text corresponding to a sufficiently mature part of the dissertation.
Defense of the Dissertation
The defense of the dissertation must be scheduled on the SIGA system (DAC/UNICAMP) 40 (forty) days in advance, according to the procedures described in the Dissertation/Thesis Defense Manual, available at http://www.ifch.unicamp.br/ifch/pos/formularios
Completion
The Master's Course in Philosophy must be completed in a minimum of 12 months and a maximum of 31 months.
Leave of Absence
For exceptional reasons, with the agreement of the Advisor and at the discretion of the Sub-Committee for Graduate Studies in Philosophy, the student may leave the Course for up to two semesters, consecutive or not, not counting towards the maximum time required for completion. The remaining time at the moment of each request must be greater than or equal to the duration of the requested leave.
PhD
Requirements for obtaining the title. To obtain the title of PhD in Philosophy, the student must
a) have been approved in the selection process;
b) be a student regularly enrolled in the PhD in Philosophy program at UNICAMP;
c) prove, on the occasion of the selection process, proficiency in two foreign languages. Modern German, French, English and Italian languages are eligible. In the case of PhD projects in History of Ancient Philosophy, History of Medieval Philosophy and, History of Modern Philosophy, Classical Greek (for History of Ancient Philosophy) and Latin (for History of Medieval and Modern Philosophy) are added as eligible languages for proficiency demonstration;
d) have fulfilled all the credits in courses, according to the catalog of the year of admission;
e) be approved in the qualifying exam, which should only occur after the conclusion of all the credits in the courses;
f) be approved in a public defense of PhD Thesis, observing the dispositions of the General Rules for Postgraduate Courses (Deliberation CONSU-A-010/2015 and Deliberação CONSU-A/2008).
https://www.pg.unicamp.br/norma/3862/0
Selection Exam (for more information see Selection Process)
The selection exam is annual and will be conducted in three stages: 1) analysis of projects, transcripts, and curricula; 2) interviews and specific tests; 3) modern languages exam (eliminatory).
Analysis of Projects, Transcripts, and Curricula – the following criteria will be considered:
(a) level of conceptual elaboration of the project and feasibility of its execution within the planned deadlines;
b) adequacy of the project to the Program's Lines of Research;
c) adequacy of the curriculum to the project presented, as well as to the Program's Lines of Research;
d) experience in research (scientific initiation or equivalent);
e) availability of supervision by professors of the Program.
Interviews and Specific Tests – the candidates approved in the previous phase may be
submitted to an interview and/or specific test, at the discretion of the Sub-Committee for Graduate Studies in Philosophy.
Modern Languages Exam – the candidates approved in the previous phases must take a
proficiency test in a modern language, being eligible the German, French, English and Italian languages.
Credits
To obtain the PhD title in Philosophy, the student must fulfill the total number of credits specified in the catalog for the year of admission, available on the Pro-Rectory of Graduate Studies at Unicamp’s website (www.prpg.unicamp.br).
Foreign Language Aptitude
Prove, at the time of the selection process, proficiency in at least one foreign language, for the Master's, being eligible the modern German, French, English and Italian languages.
Qualifying Exam
The qualifying exam must take place by the end of the third semester for the Master's, and by the end of the sixth or seventh semester for the PhD. The examination can only take place after the completion of all course credits.
The qualification text should consist of an activity report (including transcripts), an activity plan, a detailed exposition of the project, and a text corresponding to a sufficiently mature part of the dissertation.
Defense of the Dissertation
The defense of the dissertation must be scheduled on the SIGA system (DAC/UNICAMP) 40 (forty) days in advance, according to the procedures described in the Dissertation/Thesis Defense Manual, available at http://www.ifch.unicamp.br/ifch/pos/formularios
Completion
In the case of PhD, the minimum and maximum deadlines for completing the Course must be obeyed, according to the catalog of the year in which the student is admitted, available on the Pro-Rectory of Graduate Studies at Unicamp’s website (www.prpg.unicamp.br).
Leave of Absence
For exceptional reasons, with the agreement of the Advisor and at the discretion of the Sub-Committee for Graduate Studies in Philosophy, the student may leave the Course for up to two semesters, consecutive or not, not counting towards the maximum time required for completion. The remaining time at the moment of each request must be greater than or equal to the duration of the requested leave.
SCHOLARSHIPS
The Graduate programs at IFCH receive, annually, quotas of scholarships for Master's and PhD students funded by CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel) and CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development), which will be assigned in order of classification in the selection process for admission to the respective Courses, according to criteria established by the Graduate Committee.
The maximum duration of the CAPES and CNPq scholarships is 24 (twenty-four) months for the Master's and 48 (forty-eight) months for the PhD. In addition, there is the possibility, with the supervisor's support, of individual requests for Master’s and PhD scholarships from FAPESP (The São Paulo Research Foundation).
GENERAL QUALIFICATION EXAM
In order to take the qualifying exam, the student must have completed all the minimum credits required in course subjects and have passed the Foreign Language Reading Training (2-doctoral and 1-master's).
The qualifying exam must be scheduled in accordance with the instructions in the Dissertation/Thesis Defense Manual:
https://www.ifch.unicamp.br/ifch/pos/procedimentos
Deadline for scheduling:
Consult the Dissertation/Thesis Defense Manual https://www.ifch.unicamp.br/ifch/pos/procedimentos
for the qualifying exam