ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The Graduate Program in Public Health at the Medical School of the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (PPGSP-UFMG) was established in 1993 as a master’s program (MSc) in Epidemiology. The first dissertation defense took place in October 1995. In 2001, the program started to offer doctoral-level (PhD) training, and the first dissertation defense was held in June 2004. It is currently structured in two research concentration areas one in the MSc (Epidemiology and Public Health) and one in the PhD (Public Health).
The PPGSP-UFMG stands out among the excellence programs in the country, and has been evaluated with the concept of excellence, grade 6 by CAPES, in the field of Collective Health, since 2010.
In April 2021, the PPGSP-UFMG celebrated the completion of 307 master’s dissertations, 111 doctoral theses, and 10 post-doctoral residencies. Currently, it has 20 tenured supervising professors and four collaborating professors, who present consolidated research experience and are relevant in the national and international scene.
The research projects are developed in six research areas consistent with the concentration areas: Evaluation of health and of healthcare services Health; Work and Health Conditions; Health Economics and Health Systems Management; Epidemiology of Non-communicable Diseases and Violence; Epidemiology of Elderly Health; and Urban Health. These research areas are supported by nine research groups, which develop and carry out research projects, set forth collaborative networks, and attract research mentorship grantees, undergraduate and graduate students, representing a real and important perspective of continued education in their respective research lines and stability in collaborations.
The PPGSP-UFMG has taken on as its mission to generate and disseminate scientific, social, and technological knowledge, standing out for its excellence in the training of critical and ethical professionals, equipped with a robust scientific foundation, committed to the health of the populations, the consolidation of the Brazilian National Health System, and the reduction of health inequalities.
Throughout its 28-year history, the Program sets itself aside for the training of researchers and lecturers who play an important role in the development and consolidation of the public health field in Brazil, especially in the State of Minas Gerais. The relevant and diversified scientific contribution is in line with the country’s major health problems and their economic, social, cultural, and biological determinants. The accumulated production has been guided, above all, by the commitment to provide evidence-based contributions to subsidize public health policies and to strengthen the Brazilian National Health System. The Program has contributed to the training of researchers and lecturers, who have played an important role in the leadership of other graduate courses and research groups. Moreover, it is worth mentioning the insertion of graduates in teaching activities in several universities throughout Brazil, the representation in funding agencies, and the participation in government organizations at local, regional, and national levels.
The projects carried out use sound and innovative methodological approaches, and their results have contributed in a relevant way to production of knowledge, with emphasis on non-communicable diseases, urban health, social determinants of health, working and health conditions, and epidemiology of health of the elderly. In addition, they enhance production of knowledge to support the decision-making process and equitable allocation of resources in management of health system and health services. Each of the nine research groups of the PPGSP-UFMG carries out activities involving high-quality research projects, conducted largely in partnership with other institutions, both national and international, resulting in the development of bibliographic productions acknowledged in the national and international context. The multidisciplinary vocation of the research projects is also noteworthy.
The increased participation of foreign lecturers in teaching activities has allowed the PGSP-UFMG to consolidate itself as a bilingual program (Portuguese and English), initially, and more recently as a trilingual one, given the progress of collaborations of several professors with researchers from Spanish-speaking countries.
The graduates of the Program are prepared to act in the production of high quality and impact scientific knowledge, to teach at undergraduate and graduate levels, to lead research groups and to act in public and health management, in setting forth, proposing, and assessing public policies geared to improving the living, working, and health conditions of the population. It should be highlighted the Program’s graduates have been often employed by research centers, state, and municipal health departments, as well as the Ministry of Health. Worthwhile mentioning is their participation in several universities around the country and at the UFMG itself. The inclusion of these graduates in these universities has contributed to the establishment of new postgraduate public health programs, such as the research subject area of Nutrition and Collective Health in the Nutrition and Health Program at the University Federal de Ouro Preto, the Collective Health Program at Center of Research René Rachou at the Fundação Oswaldo Cruz in Minas Gerais, the Graduate Program in Collective Health at the Universidade da Bahia, Vitória da Conquista campus, where graduates from our DINTER participate, and the Graduate Program in Health Sciences (PPGCS) at the Universidade de São João Del Rei – Centro-Oeste Dona Lindu campus.
