The Graduate Program on Geodynamics and Geophysics (PPGG) of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) has as general goals the development of scientific research and the training of new researchers at the Master's and Doctoral levels, with a multidisciplinary profile, who act and meet the scientific, economic and social demands inherent to the Geosciences field of research, with a focus on Geodynamics and Geophysics, at regional, national and international levels, within research and teaching institutions, as well as public or private companies.

The research developed in the PPGG investigates the history and the internal and external dynamics of the planet Earth, including its evolutionary and transformative processes throughout the geological time and in the various terrestrial emersed and submerged environments. Additionally, PPGG seeks to develop and/or improve geological-geophysical methods.

Research Lines:

The topics addressed in the various research projects, as well as in the products generated (theses, dissertations, scientific articles, books and book chapters, abstracts and communications) by the PPGG researchers and graduate students are grouped into an area of concentration (Geodynamics and Geophysics) that is divided into four research lines:

Lithospheric Evolution and Geodynamic Processes;

Petroleum Geology and Geophysics;

Sedimentary and Marine Geology;

Applied Geology and Geophysics;

Research infrastructure:

The development of basic and applied research at the PPGG relies on its physical and laboratory infrastructure. The program has a total of 6 research complexes with their associated sub-laboratories and equipment:

- Petroleum Geology and Geophysics Laboratories I and II (LGGP-I and LGGP-II/DG)

- Laboratory of Applied Geophysics (LaGAp/DGEF)

- Laboratory of Stratigraphic Analysis (LAE/DG)

- Laboratory for Seismological Studies (LABSIS/DGEF)

- Laboratory of Marine Geology and Geophysics and Environmental Monitoring (GGEMMA/DG)

- Sample Preparation Laboratory (LPA/DG)

- Microscopy Laboratory

The physical infrastructure to support the research and teaching activities includes an administrative coordination office, office for visiting professor, classrooms and four graduate student offices. Computer resources, library, vehicles, and equipment for field activities complete the infrastructure.

Curricular Structure and Admission Requirements:

Completion of a minimum of 24 (Master's) or 40 (Doctoral) credit units and the preparation of a Master's Dissertation or Doctoral Thesis are required, along with a qualifying exam and proficiency in one (Master's) and two (Doctoral) foreign language(s). The courses are defined according to the needs of the student’s research topic. The Dissertation/Thesis involves practical and/or theoretical work on a specific theme. For the deposit of the final volume and public defense of the work, it is necessary to submit one (Master's) and two (Doctoral) scientific articles to indexed journals. The deadline for completion is 24 or 48 months, respectively for the Master's and Doctoral degrees. Students with a CAPES scholarship must do a Teaching Internship (15 hours in the Master's program and 30 hours in the PhD program).

Enrollment for the Master's and Doctorate courses opens every semester via the Selection Process Announcement published in the SIGAA-UFRN platform (https://sigaa.ufrn.br/sigaa/public/processo_seletivo/lista.jsf?aba=p-processo&nivel=S).

Funding:

Researches related to graduate studies are funded through FINEP projects, CNPq, CAPES, PETROBRAS, ANP and private companies especially those from the oil and gas sector. The research also receives support from cooperation projects with several national and international institutions, such as CPRM/SGB, CAPES/IODP, CAPES/DAAD, NSF.

Being part of a Federal University, all PPGG courses are provided to the student free of charge. There is no enrollment fee or monthly fee charged to any student, whether Brazilian or not. The PPGG offers CAPES/DS, CNPq, ANP/PRH and individual projects scholarships, granted to students in exclusive dedication, conditioned to the concession and availability of scholarship resources to the program by the development agencies.