The Programa de Estudantes-Convênio de Pós-Graduação (PEC-PG) is the graduate-level sibling to the PEC-G. Managed jointly by CAPES, CNPq, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it is a fully funded scholarship designed to bring academics and researchers from the Global South to Brazil for Master's and Doctoral degrees.
Quick Overview
Full Requirements & Details
Academic Requirements
- Min. CGPA
- No Minimum Requirement
- Offer Degrees
- Masters, PhD
- Subjects
- Agriculture, Arts, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Engineering, History, Law, Mathematics, Medicine, Physics, Psychology
- Seats Available
- Hundreds annually
- Study Gap Allowed
- No Restrictions (Gap Allowed)
- Research Publication
- Optional
- Work Experience
- No
- Age Range
- No Age Limit
Language Requirements
- IELTS
- No
- TOEFL
- No
- GRE
- Not Required
- Local Language
- Portuguese
- Local Lang Test
- Yes (Celpe-Bras)
- Study Languages
- Portuguese
Financial Details
- Type
- Full
- Fund Details
- Tuition waiver + R$ 2,100 (Master's) or R$ 3,100 (PhD) + R$ 400 Health Insurance
- Monthly Stipend
- BRL 2100/mo
- Tuition
- Full
- Living Costs
- Full
- Travel & Health
- Yes / None
- Application Fee
- Free (No Application Fee)
- Spouse Allowed
- No
What Matters Most
Required Documents
Why You Should Apply
Unlike the undergraduate PEC-G program, the PEC-PG actually pays you to live in Brazil. It is a comprehensive financial package. Because public universities in Brazil are constitutionally free, the scholarship focuses on your living costs.
It provides a monthly stipend of 2,100 BRL for Master's students and 3,100 BRL for PhD candidates. It also adds a 400 BRL monthly allowance explicitly for private health insurance, and the government covers your return airfare to your home country upon graduation. The Brazilian academic system is highly robust, particularly in tropical medicine, agriculture, engineering, and social sciences.
Studying here integrates you into the Lattes system (the massive Brazilian academic CV network), connecting you to researchers across Latin America.
Application Process
The process requires you to secure a university supervisor first. You must be accepted into a Brazilian graduate program that is officially evaluated by CAPES with a score of 3 or higher (you can check program scores on the CAPES 'Sucupira' platform). Once accepted by the university, you submit the official scholarship application via the CAPES online portal during the annual call (usually mid-year).
You must submit a detailed research proposal, recommendation letters, and crucially, you must create and update a 'Currículo Lattes' (the standard Brazilian academic CV format).
How to Win This Scholarship
Your Portuguese must be certified. You cannot apply with a promise to learn the language; you must hold the Celpe-Bras certificate. Your research proposal is the deciding factor.
It must not only be academically rigorous but also explicitly address how the research will solve a developmental problem in your home country. The Brazilian government funds this to build capacity in partner nations; if your proposal lacks a clear bilateral or developmental impact, it will be rejected. Additionally, your Lattes CV must be meticulously organized—list every publication, conference, and academic milestone, as Brazilian evaluators use this platform religiously.
Benefits After Completing Study
There is a strict return clause. You must return to your home country immediately after completing your degree and you are barred from receiving another Brazilian government scholarship for at least two years. However, returning with a Brazilian Master's or PhD often fast-tracks you into professorships or government advisory roles in your home nation.
The stipend of 2,100 BRL is sufficient for a single student living modestly in a mid-sized Brazilian city, but it can be very tight in expensive metropolises like São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro. You will likely need to live with roommates or in student housing (Repúblicas). The scholarship does not provide dependent allowances.
You cannot hold dual citizenship with Brazil, and you cannot be residing in Brazil at the time of application. The application requires an ORCID ID.
Official Source
For complete details and to verify all requirements, please refer to the scholarship provider's official website.
Visit Official Source