Access to higher education has grown significantly in Brazil. According to research by the federal government, published in 2016, the number of university graduates has grown by 80% in recent years.
Many factors contributed to the increase in rates, but programs that facilitate entry into higher education courses, such as Sisu, Prouni and Fies, account for a large share of this jump.
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As a result, the number of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) open in the country continues to rise. According to research published by the Higher Education magazine, at the end of 2017 they already exceeded 2,400, 88% of which are private.
When planning to enroll in a course, first of all, it is important to check if it is recognized by the Ministry of Education (MEC). This question causes many doubts among students, so in this article we clarify all the questions on the subject.
In summary, MEC recognition is a necessary condition for the national validity of a diploma issued by an HEI. That is, the agency's endorsement is the certainty that the document will be accepted throughout the national territory.
This mechanism is used to monitor the supply of courses throughout the country. In summary, one of the ways, among many, for the responsible bodies to guarantee the quality of higher education offered in Brazil.
First of all, the Higher Education Institution, to be considered legal, needs to be accredited by the MEC. After accreditation, it may request authorization to offer courses, as well as the recognition of diplomas.
To be offered by the IES, every course must first be authorized by the MEC. This means that even before the institution offers it, it needs to ask for approval from the agency.
However, at this stage, it will still not be recognized. Face-to-face or Distance Education (EaD) courses, before issuing the first diplomas, must apply for recognition.
Generally, this occurs when the first group completes 50% of the total graduation workload. Then, a commission from the National Institute of Educational Studies and Research Anísio Teixeira Legislation and Documents (Inep), visits the institution with in order to verify if it fulfills all the necessary requirements and if it is complying with the pedagogical project presented in the application for authorization.
At this stage, all aspects related to the course are verified. This includes physical structure, curriculum, faculty, among others. Once the inspection is over, the commission issues an opinion, which can recognize, request adjustments or even deny the request.
Even if the MEC gives the endorsement, the recognition is not definitive. It has an expiry date and needs to be renewed in accordance with current legislation. Generally, the assessment is repeated every 3 years, according to the cycle of the National Higher Education Assessment System (Sinaes).
In summary, institution and course need to go through three stages: accreditation, authorization and recognition.
Basically because of the issue of validity and acceptance of the diploma. But that's not all. The student who is concerned with his professional training and, in fact, prepares himself for the job market, needs to be attentive not only to recognition, but also to the evaluation of the HEI.
In addition, for anyone thinking of taking part in any public tender, important information is that when the notice requires complete higher education, as one of the essential requirements, the diploma must be issued by a recognized institution by MEC.
Another important point is that only with an official diploma can a professional file a request with the professional registry or with the respective Professional Council.
Most institutions, when recognized, make the information available on their portals. However, the way to get a more reliable opinion is by following the steps below:
The query result will be displayed below. Click on the magnifying glass design and check all the details of the IES.
Using this same process, it is possible to consult the authorization of a specific course. To do so, when checking the “Search for” field, choose “Undergraduate Course”.
In the search, it is possible to consult some evaluation indices, such as the grade assigned by the MEC to the IES or to the course. This grade ranges from 1 to 5, with 3 being the lowest expected grade.
Courses or institutions that have a score of 4 or 5 are above average and exceed expectations. Those with a score of 1 or 2 are below expectations, and do not meet the quality criteria established by the Ministry.
