Program Overview and General Objectives
The Graduate Program in Food Science and Technology at the Federal University of São João del-Rei (PROFIALI/UFSJ), at the Professional Master’s Program level, aims to train graduates capable of diagnosing and proposing applied solutions for the demands of the food and beverage sector, by developing projects focused on processes, products, and quality management. PROFIALI is grounded in the integration between university and industry, as well as in the promotion of sustainability, circular economy, healthfulness, and food and nutritional safety, while maintaining the scientific rigor inherent to graduate education in the stricto sensu system.
Area of Concentration and Research Lines
The area of concentration in PROFIALI is Food Science and Technology, with two research lines that guide the projects developed: Technology, processes, and product development; and Quality management and food and nutritional safety. The program comprises a total workload of 360 hours, distributed into 18 required credits and a minimum of 6 elective credits. The final requirement is a master’s dissertation, always linked to applied challenges in the student’s professional field, consistent with the applied nature of the program.
Target Audience: PROFIALI is designed for professionals working in companies and institutions within the field of Food Science and Technology, who seek qualification and continuing education through the development of applied research. Ideally, candidates are expected to establish an institutional or corporate partnership to conduct their research project; however, applicants without a previously formalized partnership are also eligible.
The program welcomes professionals engaged in production management, quality management, and food and beverage processing, as well as those working in research, development, and quality control laboratories or in consulting companies. The program is also open to nutritionists, production engineers, biologists, agricultural scientists, and related professionals, especially those linked to Food Science and Technology. Candidates may come from private companies, public institutions, Federal Institutes, universities, and other organizations connected to the food and beverage sector.
The guiding principles of PROFIALI are: integration between university and industry; valuing regionalism and local knowledge, particularly those linked to the Cerrado biome; promotion of sustainability and circular economy; and encouragement of healthfulness and food and nutritional safety. These commitments ensure a solid and applied training, oriented toward strengthening the field of Food Science and Technology and addressing the needs of society.
PROFIALI is offered by the Federal University of São João del-Rei (UFSJ) at its Sete Lagoas Campus, in collaboration with Embrapa Maize and Sorghum, reinforcing its connection with agribusiness and regional development. UFSJ is nationally recognized among the leading public universities in Brazil and ranks prominently in academic and scientific impact indicators. With multiple campuses, the university plays a key role in educational inclusion and in advancing research, contributing to the social and economic development of Minas Gerais and Brazil.
The Sete Lagoas Campus, established in 2009, has the mission of fostering scientific and technological development in a strategic region with more than 500,000 inhabitants across 38 municipalities. The local economy, strongly tied to agriculture, the food industry, and metallurgy, makes UFSJ’s presence fundamental for training professionals, promoting technological innovation, and enhancing regional vocations.
With a strong focus on the Agricultural Sciences, the campus offers robust training that combines theory and practice, while also carrying out scientific research, extension activities, and partnerships with institutions and companies. This work strengthens UFSJ’s mission to generate knowledge, transfer technology, and expand social and economic impact.
Founded in 1987 as the Foundation for Higher Education of São João del-Rei (FUNREI) and granted university status in 2002, UFSJ is now present in five municipalities, offering courses across six academic units. This structure consolidates its role as a strategic institution for the development of Minas Gerais and for advancing research and innovation in Brazil. Watch below the UFSJ institutional video:
Última atualização: 24/09/2025
