An X-ray of Affirmative Action Policies in Graduate Education at Federal Universities in Brazil

Abstract

This article peforms an x-ray image of the adoption of affirmative action policies in graduate education by Brazilian federal universities through the decisions of their boards of trustees. To this end, we surveyed Brazilian graduate programs by examining data from the Sucupira Platform (2017-2020) and the resolutions of the boards of trustees of the country’s 69 federal universities. Of all federal universities in the country, 33 already adopt affirmative action policies. Our results relate to beneficiaries’ profile, patterns of application calls, models and processes for cross-checking self-declaration statements, retention policies, etc. This study, allied to others, can be used as a parameter for the adoption of affirmative action by new universities and also as an urge for the evaluation and expansion of such policies in institutions where they already exist.