Presentation
The Graduate Program in Information Science at the Federal University of Ceará (PPGCI/UFC) aims to integrate academic and cooperative research actions among institutions primarily located in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil. It focuses on enhancing professionals committed to advancing knowledge, technological development, and strengthening societies through processes of interaction/mediation and the appreciation of information culture.
Currently, the program offers the academic master’s degree in Information Science with the objective of training qualified professionals to engage in research activities and/or perform
teaching roles in higher education. It provides theoretical, epistemological, and practical foundations that can enhance competencies for functions and/or activities within information units.
History of the PPGCI/UFC
The Academic Master’s Program in Information Science, which is part of the PPGCI/UFC, was approved by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) in December 2015, within the Area of Communication and Information. Its activities began in the first semester of 2016, with the organization of the selection process for the first cohort, aiming to meet the high demand for the field in the State of Ceará.
Thus, it is observed that the trajectory of Information Science at the Federal University of Ceará has deep roots, beginning with the creation of the undergraduate program in Library Science in 1964, which was authorized to operate in 1965. In 2002, with the departmental restructuring, the Department of Information Science (DCINF) was created, providing greater autonomy and visibility to the field.
The demand for a stricto sensu graduate program in Ceará had been a long-standing unmet need, evidenced by the fact that the undergraduate program completed 60 years of existence in 2024. With regard to the creation of the master’s program, there was a fruitful movement of proactive articulation among faculty members from the Department of Information Science and the Center for Humanities of the UFC, to which the PPGCI is affiliated.
A fundamental milestone for the consolidation of the program was the qualification of the faculty. The Interinstitutional Doctoral Program (DINTER), carried out in partnership with UNESP–Marília (2010–2014) and supported by CAPES, stands out, as it resulted in the awarding of doctoral degrees to new faculty members in the department. In parallel, there was strong investment in internationalization, with partnerships and joint research with institutions in Canada and Spain, in addition to the strengthening of local research groups.
The PPGCI/UFC is configured as a consolidated program, standing out through the performance of its faculty and students, as well as its graduates, who annually gain approval in selection processes for doctoral programs at other universities and in other states, in addition to distinguishing themselves in the job market, demonstrating the quality of the education provided by the master’s program.
Mission
To contribute to the training of researchers, educators, and information professionals with a high level of expertise, to work in institutions, companies, and other social spaces. Prioritizing the development of scientific, ethical, technological, and cultural competencies, it offers qualification with a focus on dialogue, interdisciplinarity, and the fight against discriminatory practices. To produce research that fosters excellence in stricto sensu postgraduate programs, as well as the generation of studies in the field of Information Science aligned with university guidelines and scientific, technological, sociocultural, and educational development that promotes impact on society.
Vision
To be a national reference in postgraduate education in Information Science and to be recognized as a program that contributes to addressing the demands of society, the job market, and educational and research institutions. This is achieved by training masters with high analytical, critical, scientific, technological, and social capabilities.
Values
Respect for the theoretical and methodological plurality of research; encouragement of interdisciplinary dialogue among knowledge areas that engage with Information Science; ethical commitment to the university and society in scientific, technological, sociocultural, and educational development.
Concentration Area
The Graduate Program in Information Science (PPGCI/UFC) consists of two research lines within the concentration area of Information and Knowledge Representation and Mediation. The purpose is to deepen and enhance knowledge through studies and reflections, taking into consideration the competitive and globalized environment of contemporary society.
To learn more about the program, click on research lines.
