Graduate Program in Plant Pathology (PPGF)
The PPGF (https://www.instagram.com/fitopatologia.ufrpe/) at the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE) originated from the Master’s Program in Plant Health, launched in 1975, with focus areas in Plant Pathology and Agricultural Entomology. In March 1999, following the recommendation of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), the Doctoral Program in Plant Pathology began its teaching activities, marking an important milestone for the consolidation of Plant Pathology in the Northeast and Northern regions of Brazil.
In February 2004, the concentration area in Agricultural Entomology became an independent Graduate Program, establishing the Graduate Program in Plant Pathology, which comprises the Master’s and Doctoral programs in Plant Pathology. The program aims to train and qualify highly skilled professionals for technical-scientific activities, research, and higher education teaching in the field of Plant Pathology.
Currently, the program offers two annual admissions for Master’s and Doctoral students, with selection based on performance evaluation and curriculum analysis (criteria described on the Admission – General Information page).
According to the CAPES evaluation conducted in 2021 (Quadrennium 2017–2020), the Graduate Program in Plant Pathology was rated 5 (five). Functionally, the program conducts most of its activities in the Plant Health area of the Department of Agronomy at UFRPE, located in Recife.
The state of Pernambuco has a strong agricultural tradition, evidenced by the more than 100-year history of the Agronomy course at UFRPE. Additionally, Pernambuco is distinguished by its cultural diversity and the natural beauty of its various physiographic regions.
The specific objectives of the program include:
a) training and qualifying Master’s and Doctoral graduates in Plant Pathology with emphasis on the biology, ecology, and taxonomy of plant pathogens, and the management of plant diseases, enabling them to utilize, establish, and preserve productive and sustainable agricultural systems;
b) training and qualifying Master’s and Doctoral graduates in Plant Pathology with consideration of the particularities of the Northeast and Northern regions of Brazil, as well as national-level challenges;
c) generating scientific knowledge in plant pathology and disseminating technologies to reduce losses caused by plant diseases.
EMPLOYABILITY OF GRADUATES (1999–2024)
The PPGF at UFRPE began in 1999, with the first doctoral thesis defended in 2002 by Professor Dr. Elineide Barbosa de Souza. To date, 160 Ph.D. graduates have completed the program, with the most recent defense in September 2024 by Dr. David Ferreira Duarte.
More than one-third of PPGF Ph.D. alumni (42.5%) work as university professors at federal, state, and private universities, as well as at federal institutes of education and technology. The second most common occupation among graduates is research, with 16.9% employed as researchers in federal, state, and private agricultural research institutions. Agricultural inspectors (federal and state) represent 2.6% of graduates, while 10.0% work in private companies. Among all graduates, 15.6% are currently postdoctoral fellows, most of whom have completed their Ph.D. within the last year.
Approximately 11.9% of graduates reported having no formal employment or fellowship; however, this figure may be inaccurate due to the rapid absorption of PPGF-trained professionals into the job market. Overall, the employability rate of PPGF Ph.D. alumni is 88.1%, considering those with formal employment or active positions.
Since its creation, the Graduate Program in Plant Pathology (PPGF) has graduated 267 Master’s students, with 134 of them graduating between 2010 and 2024. During 2010–2014 (Period I), 55 Master’s students graduated; during 2015–2019 (Period II), 39 graduated; and during 2020–2024 (Period III), 40 graduated. Among the graduates of Period I, 67.3% (37) enrolled in the PPGF Doctoral Program, 29.1% (16) enrolled in Doctoral Programs in Plant Pathology at the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV), Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture – University of São Paulo (ESALQ-USP), Federal University of Lavras (UFLA), and the University of Brasília (UnB), 1.8% (1) became an employee of the Ministry of Health, and 1.8% (1) works in a private agricultural company. In Period II, 66.7% (26) enrolled in the PPGF Doctoral Program, and 33.3% (13) pursued Doctoral studies at UnB, UFV, and the Federal University of Pará (UFPA). In Period III, 60% (24) enrolled in the PPGF Doctoral Program, 32.5% (13) enrolled in Doctoral Programs at UnB, ESALQ, and UFV, 5% (2) became public servants, and 2.5% (1) works in a private agricultural company.
Since its creation, the PPGF has graduated 160 Ph.D. students, 120 of whom graduated between 2010 and 2024. During 2010–2014 (Period I), 40 Ph.D. students graduated; during 2015–2019 (Period II), 43 graduated; and during 2020–2024 (Period III), 36 graduated. Among the graduates of Period I, 61.0% are public servants in federal institutes and universities, 22.0% work in private teaching and research institutions, 9.8% are postdoctoral fellows, and 7.2% have no formal employment. In Period II, 37.2% are public servants in research companies, agricultural inspection institutes, and federal institutes and universities, 18.6% work in private research institutions, 32.6% are postdoctoral fellows, and 11.6% are without employment. In Period III, 33.3% are public servants in research companies, agricultural inspection institutes, and federal institutes and universities, 19.5% work in private teaching and research institutions, 13.9% are postdoctoral fellows, and 33.3% are unemployed.