Admissions
Announcement of the selection process (in Portuguese) - 1st Quarter/2023
REQUIREMENTS
The normal requirements for admission into the MSc in Geophysics is a BSc degree in Geophysics, Geology or Physics, or in an equivalent degree in a related field of study (e.g., exact sciences and engineering), obtained in Brazil or abroad. For admissions into the PhD in Geophysics, a MSc degree in Geophysics, Geology or Physics, or in an equivalent degree in a related field of study (e.g., exact sciences and engineering) is required, obtained in Brazil or abroad. For both cases, international degree equivalences (official revalidations of the BSc and MSc diplomas) are not demanded.
In exceptional cases, the Graduate Program in Geophysics (GPG) allows admission directly into a PhD program based on a BSc degree. It depends on the exceptional promise and demonstration of superior academic performance and professional experience by the candidate at the admission process, which will be evaluated by the GPG committee.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
All candidates (MSc and PhD) must complete the online application form, available at:
https://sipos.on.br/modulos/geofisica/inscricaoonline/
Once you have completed the online application, it is important to ensure that the institution receives the upload of all necessary supporting documents, such as:
- BSc and/or MSc transcripts;
- Personal documents: for Brazilian citizens - CPF, R.G., or CNH; for foreigner applicants - a legible photocopy of the ID page of the passport ID pages;
- Curriculum Vitae (CV): for Brazilian citizens - CV at the Lattes/CNPq pattern; for foreigner applicants – CV in a free format.
If the applicant is about to conclude the undergraduate course by the submission of his/her application, the GPG committee will accept university records that are as complete as possible.
Letters of recommendation
Two letters of recommendation must be directly sent by the referees to the e-mail address ppggon@on.br, and following the format available at:
For admission purposes, letters of recommendation are valid for one academic year only. After this time, candidates who wish to make a future application will be required to submit updated letters of recommendation. A suitable referee is an individual who is well-acquainted with your education and academic abilities. Referees should be preferably academic in nature if possible. Professional referees will be accepted in situations where the applicant’s experience is most relevant. References from your relatives, friends and colleagues are not acceptable.
SELECTION PROCESS
For the MSc in Geophysics:
Applicants for the MSc in Geophysics will be selected on the basis of:
- a sound undergraduate record;
- evaluation of CV and BSc transcript (classificatory);
- admission exam
The admission exam consists into the four distinctive written tests, as follows:
- Basic Physics and/or General Geology (eliminatory). The candidate may partially respond to the Physics and Geology tests until completing the total number of questions in each of them, which will be unique for both tests;
- Differential and Integral Calculus (eliminatory);
- Basic notions of Geophysics (eliminatory);
- Translation and interpretation of English text (classificatory).
For the PhD in Geophysics:
Applicants for the PhD in Geophysics will be selected on the basis of:
- sound undergraduate and graduate records;
- two strong letters of recommendation;
- evaluation of CV, BSc and MSc transcripts (classificatory);
- PhD research proposal, prepared with the advisor (one of the researchers from the Graduate Program in Geophysics of National Observatory);
- research proposal oral defense.
An examination committee, pointed by the GPG, evaluates the research proposal defense, by means of an oral presentation by the candidate. The purpose of the research proposal defense is to test the validity of the PhD research proposal and the candidate's fitness to carry out the proposed research work.
For the direct PhD in Geophysics:
In addition to the evaluation steps described for the applications to the PhD program, candidates who apply for the direct PhD program will also be evaluated by a selection exam, consisting of the following three written tests:
- Physics of the Earth, Exploration Geophysics, Computational and Mathematical Methods (eliminatory);
- Writing (in Portuguese or English) about a subject related to Geophysics;
- Translation and interpretation of texts (English-Portuguese and Portuguese-English).
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Graduate Program in Geophysics (National Observatory)
Phone: +55 (21) 3504-9314 / +55 (21) 3504-9189
E-mail: ppggon@on.br