About PPgMAE:

UFRN's Postgraduate Program in Applied Mathematics and Statistics (PPgMAE) was created and started in 2006 and its objectives are (1) the training and qualification of human resources and (2) the development of scientific research in Applied Mathematics and Statistics. The PPgMAE occupies a prominent place with regard, mainly, to the first objective. More specifically, PPgMAE is among the only two postgraduate programs in Applied Mathematics in the North and Northeast regions of the country. In addition, in the Statistics area, these two regions have only two more programs, one of them in Mathematics (Pura ) and Statistics. The combination of the Applied Mathematics and Statistics areas in a single program, in the North and Northeast regions, is a characteristic that distinguishes the PPgMAE.  

Currently, PPgMAE offers a stricto sensu Master's degree with concept 3 in the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes). The scarcity of graduate programs in Applied Mathematics and Statistics in the north and northeast of the country means that the PPgMAE receives students from several states in the two regions, in addition to, of course, serving as a reference program for the qualification of human resources. in Applied Mathematics and Statistics in Rio Grande do Norte. The importance of PPgMAE in the regional and national scenarios becomes even more evident when one takes into account that basic mathematics education in Rio Grande do Norte is among the worst in Brazil, according to reports from IDEB. On the other hand, most PPgMAE graduates work in educational institutions in Rio Grande do Norte, especially in the interior of the state, which shows that PPgMAE has a fundamental role in any attempt to improve the rates of RN in IDEB.

PPgMAE has also offered to master students opportunities to work on research projects aimed at applying statistical methods to improving basic education and climate problems in our region, as well as applying computational methods to characterize aquifers. The expected results of these projects, among many others, have a huge social, economic and environmental impact for Rio Grande do Norte. More details about projects can be found on the teachers' pages. By October 2019, PPgMAE had trained 87 (eighty-seven) masters.

PPgMAE/UFRN was homologated by the National Education Concil - CNE (Ordinance MEC 1077 of 08/31/2012, published in the Union's Official Diary - D.O.U. of 09/13/2012, section 1, page 25).

Research Areas and Faculty:

PPgMAE operates in the areas of Statistics and Applied Mathematics. The Statistics area has 4 (four) lines of research: Survival Analysis (AS), Statistical Engineering (EE), Regression Models (MR) and Stochastic Processes (PE). The area of Applied Mathematics has 4 (four) lines of research: Algebra (AL), Analysis (AN), Computational Mathematics (MC) and Mathematical Modeling (MM). When enrolling in the PPgMAE Master's selection process, the candidate must choose at least one line and can choose more than one, and even all of them, provided that he/she provides a linear order of preference. The page that PPgMAE maintains to assist candidates who enroll in the Master's selection process has a detailed description of the Program's research lines.

Currently, PPgMAE's faculty has 13 (thirteen) permanent professors, 6 (six) collaborating professors, 1 (one) visiting professor, 1 (one) scholarship holder from the National Post-Doctorate Program (PNPD) and 24 (twenty four) students regularly enrolled in the master's course. Of the total of permanent professors, 6 (six) of them work in the Applied Mathematics area and 7 (seven) of them work in the Probability and Statistics area, with 1 (one) of them Research Fellowship Level 2 (PQ2) from the National Development Council Scientific and Technological (CNPq). All permanent professors and two collaborating professors are assigned to two departments at UFRN, namely: the Department of Mathematics (DMAT) and the Department of Statistics (DEST) of the Center for Exact and Earth Sciences (CCET) at UFRN. The other collaborating professors are from the University of Brasília (UnB) and the University of São Paulo (USP). PPgMAE professors lead 3 (three) research groups registered with CNPq (Statistical Methods, Markov Chains and Applied Mathematics) and carry out research that has resulted in very good quality scientific publications in international journals and conferences. The professors have several cooperations with researchers from Brazil and abroad; among them, we highlight those involving research professors from LNCC, USP, UNICAMP, UnB, UFMG, UFPB, PUC-Rio, Rutgers University, University of Calgary, Virginia Tech, INRIA-Saclay, TU-Wien, Université Paris Diderot and University College London.

Each PPgMAE student has an Advisor designated by the PPgMAE Collegiate (which consists of all permanent teachers in the Program). The Advisor, who is a teacher of the program's faculty, will assist the student in the enrollment in subjects, in the organization of his study program, in the monitoring of his academic performance, in his preparation for the Qualification Exam and master's dissertation.

Requirements for obtaining the Master’s Degree:

The curriculum structure of PPgMAE is composed of 3 (three) groups of subjects: I, II and III. Group I is formed by priority subjects for the Program's areas of concentration, while Group II consists of optional subjects, but considered necessary for the student's training. Finally, Group III is made up of subjects for teacher training.

Each course has an hourly load expressed in credits, where each credit is equivalent to 15 (fifteen) hours-classes of a theoretical or practical nature.

The student must take at least 10 (ten) credits in Group I subjects and 6 (six) credits in Group II subjects. In Group I, the student must attend two of the subjects MAE0001 - Probability, MAE0039 - Analysis in R^n, MAE0003 - Inference and MAE0038 - Measure and Integration. In Group II, MAE0021 - Seminar is mandatory. In addition to the requirements related to the subjects, the student must pass the English Proficiency Exam and the Qualification Exam, characterized by an oral defense of the student's dissertation project.

The MAE1000 - Master's Dissertation is offered in all academic periods. The student can only enroll in this discipline when, in addition to fulfilling the minimum number of credits and reaching a minimum income coefficient in the other subjects taken, he has passed the Qualification Exam. The performance coefficient is a weighted average of the final concepts that the student obtained in all subjects taken. The final concept of the subjects is expressed by a letter (A, B, C, D, E and F), where A, B, C, D and E are equivalent to the numbers 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1, respectively, and F denotes failure for absences. To be approved in a discipline, the student must obtain a C, B or A grade. The student's performance coefficient is equal to the weighted average of the numbers equivalent to the final concepts, in which the weights associated with the numbers are the credit amounts of the subjects . The minimum value of the performance coefficient for the student to enroll in MAE1000 is equal to 3.5 (three and a half). Please note that this is not the only requirement for enrolling in MAE1000. The deadline for completion of credits and defense of the master's dissertation is 24 (twenty four) months. It is allowed to the student, as long as he obtains a favorable opinion from his advisor, to request a maximum of 2 (two) extensions of one semester each to be judged by the Board.

About Natal

Taking a graduate program in a city other than that in which the candidate resides is an even greater challenge. On the other hand, there is a huge advantage: the candidates will be able to dedicate themselves more to the studies, because they will be distant from all the distractions that surround them. In addition, the experience of residing outside their hometown for at least two years will be unique and enriching for them in many ways. At the very least, it makes the candidates more responsible, more independent, and more aware of certain household chores that they never had to do. It is also a great opportunity to make new friends and be informed about new customs and traditions of a country as big as a continent.

Natal is located on the northeastern coast of Brazil. It is a sunny city for long periods of the year, but with mild temperatures due to the permanent breeze coming from the Atlantic. There are good beaches, with warm water, bathing some neighborhoods of the city and the surroundings. In the last two decades, Natal received a large number of immigrants, mainly Europeans, who were responsible for various developments in the city. Natal has around one 1 (one) million inhabitants and has several leisure options. In particular, it stands out for the great variety of restaurants, which includes the cuisine of the Northeast, the dishes based on seafood, typical Brazilian food, Japanese and Italian cuisine, as well as tropical fruit juices and ice cream. More information about Natal can be found on the wiki page dedicated to the city.