Graduate Program in Law

Introduction

The program promotes systematic studies and deeper insights into Law science, intended to:

  • Develop personnel for higher education teaching;
  • Qualify professionals for conducting research into the several fields of Legal Sciences;
  • Foster a critical reflection, thus encouraging scientific production geared towards the areas of concentration;
  • Encourage graduate students to build knowledge in accordance with the fundamental constitutional principles and capable of equip them with the necessary legal knowledge to apply theory into practice;
  • Encourage graduate students to build knowledge based both on legal practice and on the active role played by jurists as designers of this experience, in view of the instruction formed on critical reflection and research;
  • Foster the investigation and construction of the several forms of influence of Constitutional Law, especially of the fundamental principles and rights on Public and Private Law, from a perspective that enables the interface between the public and the private laws.

In order to achieve its purposes, the program will look at:

a) an investigation on the role of the State and of political-philosophical and sociological trends underlying it, including the assessment of the profound changes experienced by the contemporary society;

b) a systematic and deep analysis of the theory of fundamental rights from a legal and constitutional perspective, especially regarding their efficiency and effectiveness;

c) a study of the main theories of Justice and Law, aiming at the understanding and a comprehensive administration of major issues related to Constitutional Theory and fundamental rights;

d) an analysis of the theory of jurisdiction, especially from the perspective of instrumentality and effectiveness of the process, aiming at achieving the foundational values and fundamental rights stated in the constitution.

The Graduate Program in Law offers Master’s and Doctoral degrees and is structured in two areas of concentration:

1) Constitutional Foundations of Public and Private Law, with two lines of research dealing, respectively, with Efficiency and Effective Enforcement of the Constitution and Fundamental Rights in Public and Private Law and Hermeneutics, Justice and Constitutional State, Science, Technology & Innovation;

2) General Theory of Jurisdiction and Procedural Law, with emphasis on the line of research of Jurisdiction, Effectiveness and Instrumentality of Judicial Proceedings.

In this context, the program’s courses address rigorous and critical studies in Law, Justice, the public policies and the relations between State, Law and Society, as well as instruments and procedures necessary for inclusive citizenship, represented by the effective enforcement of human and fundamental rights and Democracy.

Capes Grade: 6
Master’s: 30 credits
Doctorate: 36 credits
Master’s: minimum of 12 and maximum of 30 months
Doctorate: minimum of 24 and maximum of 48 months