Secretaria de Relações Internacionais | Office of International Relations

The Graduate Studies Council (CPG) of UFSC approved the Normative Resolution that regulates the equivalence and conversion of credits between the University’s graduate system and the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), an important milestone for advancing academic internationalization at UFSC.

The proposal, presented by the Office of International Relations (SINTER) in the Official Letter No. 40/2025/SINTER, was analyzed and approved by the CPG on 3 December 2025, with a favorable opinion from the rapporteur.

The technical drafting of the resolution was carried out by SINTER staff members – most notably Bruno Wanderley Farias, from the Information Management Division – and also involved the participation of the Prorectorate for Graduate Studies (PROPG). The collective effort included regulatory analysis, alignment with international best practices, and coordination among administrative and academic units.

According to the explanatory memorandum submitted by SINTER, the regulation fills a longstanding gap. Although UFSC maintains strong ties European institutions — which account for more than 40% of academic mobility and approximately 39% of the University’s joint international scientific production — there was no specific regulation governing the conversion and formal recognition of credits between the two systems. This lack of a regulatory framework hindered cooperation agreements, double-degree programs, co-supervision, and the transfer of credits for students participating in mobility programs.

The new resolution establishes conversion criteria based on course workloads in both systems. The rules include the following:

• 3 ECTS credits = 1 UFSC credit for courses;
• 6 ECTS credits = 1 UFSC credit for complementary activities;
• Specific equivalencies for master’s theses and doctoral dissertations, with defined limits.

In its opinion, the CPG highlights the direct benefits of the resolution: increased academic security, streamlined mobility processes, greater international recognition of UFSC diplomas, and enhanced institutional attractiveness for foreign students and researchers.

The Secretary for International Relations, Dr. Fernanda Leal, stated: “The resolution on credit equivalence in graduate studies represents an important advance in credit recognition for master’s and doctoral students in international mobility. This is a relevant need, and we are pleased with this achievement, which aligns with other internationalization regulations implemented at UFSC.”

The resolution will be available soon on the page: https://sinter.ufsc.br/legislacao/.