The Graduate Program in Chemistry at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (PPGQ-UFRN) was established in 1994 with the Academic Master’s Degree course, followed by the Doctoral course in 2002. Since then, the program has consolidated itself as a national reference in chemistry education and research, maintaining continuous evaluation by the Brazilian Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), currently holding a score of 6, which indicates national excellence and international recognition.

The program offers full-time Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Chemistry, with a focus on training highly qualified professionals for careers in academia, industry, research centers, and other strategic sectors of society.

The faculty comprises 22 permanent professors, who work across diverse areas of Chemistry and lead interdisciplinary research and innovation projects. The curriculum includes core and elective courses, as well as seminars, qualification exams, teaching internships, and a strong emphasis on high-impact scientific production.

Over its 32 years of existence, the PPGQ has graduated 473 master’s students and 265 doctoral students. These figures demonstrate the program’s commitment to training qualified professionals who meet regional and national demands. More than 80% of alumni work in education, research institutions, and industries, both in Brazil and abroad.

The program’s infrastructure includes modern laboratories, well-equipped classrooms, auditoriums, computer labs, a dedicated chemistry library, and a multi-user Analytical Center, which supports advanced research with state-of-the-art equipment, such as NMR spectrometers, chromatographs, mass spectrometers, X-ray diffractometers, microscopes, and thermal and electrochemical instruments. The center serves several UFRN programs and other public and private institutions under a shared-use policy.

The program is also strongly connected to internationalization, innovation, entrepreneurship, and inclusion policies, and it actively participates in research networks, collaborative projects, international partnerships, and science outreach initiatives.