International Unifor online

WELCOME TO UNIFOR

Aerial photo of University of Fortaleza’s campus with emphasis on rectorial building.

 

Welcome to the University of Fortaleza. Located in Brazil´s Northeast, Fortaleza is the Brazilian coastal city with most sunny days throughout the year. Unifor, one of Brazil´s top institution for education and scientific production, has been offering the best conditions for teaching and learning since its foundation. With a modern infrastructure, we gladly host students from all over the world.

Unifor offers some courses taught in English. Most of them, so far, are located in the Business field. They may vary from semester to semester so it is important to contact International Office for an updated list.

International students may choose a mix of courses taught in Portuguese and English. They can also attend Portuguese courses as a Foreign Language I and II along the semesters.

 

 

The academic exchange program brings together students from the University of Fortaleza and other universities all around the world. They get to know each other, study together and exchange experiences. Unifor also offers some courses in English which facilitates the first semester of study in Brazil.

 

To become an enrolled student at Unifor, the international student must submit the following documents:

  • Unifor's application form - CLICK HERE

  • A letter of intent

  • An updated transcript outlining the completed studies at your university

  • Curriculum Vitae

  • Photocopy of your passport: with your photo and passport number

  • Photocopy of your Health Insurance Policy*

  • 3 photos 3x4 with a WHITE background

*You must apply for a private one in your home country. This health insurance has to have coverage within Brazil and repatriation to the country of origin.

Once Unifor receives your required documents, the International Office will issue the official acceptance letter and send it to you by email and by regular mail to your university.

The admission of the student is covered by the academic exchange agreement between Unifor and the student's home university.

Students should be nominated by their home institution. Partner universities must send their nomination sheet (find it attached) via email to international@unifor.br with the information of each student.

After nominating the students, the university has to send, the required documentation to international@unifor.br, as ONE PDF, with regular quality. The partner university should not send the student’s documentation by mail.

Students from non-partner institutions who wish to enroll at Unifor may also submit their applications. Academic fees, however, will be charged for the period of the exchange.

For further information, please contact us: international@unifor.br

If your institution does not currently hold an agreement with Unifor, but would like to, Unifor is open to discuss possibilities of new partnerships, including student and faculty members exchange, double-degree and research programs.

Grading System

At Unifor, each student’s academic performance will be measured in grades, according to the following scale:

The grade scale: 0 – 10

10 - Excellent

9 - Very Good

8 - Good / Average

7 – 4 - Below average / Insufficient

Course offerings

Foreign exchange students are free to choose most of the courses, regardless of their study fields after consultation with academic advisors at home university. Course availability is subject to its demand. Therefore, the International Office cannot guarantee a spot in the student preferred course. Student must choose and state his preferences in the application form.

Unifor also offers some courses taught in English. Most of them, so far, are located in the Business field. They may vary from semester to semester. (Please contact International Office for an updated list).

The student should attend a minimum of 12 credits and a maximum of 24 credits per semester. International students may choose a mix of courses taught in Portuguese and English. They can also attend Portuguese courses as a Foreign Language I and II along the semester.

Course Credit (Unit): “crédito”

Lecture hours per Credit: 1 “crédito” = 18 hours/class

Number of Credits per Course: It varies, but usually courses tend to be 4 to 6 credits.

Orientation Sessions

Unifor offers welcome and orientation sessions for new international students. The sessions cover themes such as the University´s online system, student and library cards, public transportation and safety tips, among others. It usually happens between 2 to 4 days prior to the beginning of classes. Students and Partner Universities are informed the exact date by e-mail.

Academic Calendar & Application Deadlines

First Semester: (Early February - Late June) - Application Deadline: December15*

Second Semester: (Early August – Early December) - Application Deadline: May 31*

*Exceptions may apply. Please contact International Office at international@unifor.br for a detailed academic calendar.

Accomodation & Living

Housing: Unfortunately, Unifor does not have housing on campus. However, it is offered to international students a list of apartments for rent. (Please Contact International Office for an updated list). Estimated cost of living: R$ 1.500 to R$ 2.000 per month.

Buddy Program

Arriving in a new country can be very exciting and somehow kind of frustrating. Thinking about that, the International Office organizes the Buddy Program as a service for exchange students. Buddies are students at Unifor who volunteer to introduce you to the Brazilian way of life and help you adapt. If you would like to participate, there is a section on your application form dedicated to the program. It’s such an enriching opportunity and it’s only a few steps away.

The RNE (Registro Nacional de Estrangeiros) is the equivalent to a Brazilian citizen's identity card and is considered as such whenever a person is asked for proof of identity in Brazil. It testifies the identity of the foreign citizens with a temporary or permanent residence in Brazil. It allows them, for example, to open a bank account, buy a scholar pass or perform any activity that requires the confirmation of prolonged stay in the country.

Who needs a RNE?

Any foreigner admitted in the country on condition of temporary, permanent, under asylum or refugee must be registered in the country and recognized by the justice ministry. This also applies to exchange students.

After arriving in Brazil, the student has thirty (30) days to register themselves with the federal police, requesting their RNE. If this time pass and the person do not start the process, the bureaucracy of getting an RNE becomes a very costly and time consuming process.

CLICK HERE for a complete guide of how to get your RNE.

 

STRUCTURE OF EXCELLENCE

Spread out in an extensive campus of 720 thousand square meters, the University of Fortaleza has auditoriums, library, theater, audio-video rooms, laboratories, sports park, healthcare center, cultural space, student center, legal practice office, research centers and different university extension centers. 

 

One of the State´s largest libraries can be found at the University of Fortaleza campus, well known for its rich collection and modern infrastructure. The library is equipped with more than 250 thousand books and resources in human, law, technology, health and administration sciences.

Meet some friends for a snack, print assignments or maybe buy that last minute gift? A great idea is the Student Center. Besides the food court, shops and quick printing press, the Student Center has a travel agency, bank, pharmacy, book shop and an audio-visual projection room. Cultural and academic events are always taking place in this special and unique space.

Entertainment tips always include Celina Queiroz Theater´s diversified program, which is located in Block T of the campus. You will quickly notice that Unifor takes art production very seriously, including shows and theater plays with local and international artists. Students, professors and staff always check out the program full of major theatrical productions.

How is Miró, Rembrandt, Rubens and other great names of the fine arts made available to the general public at the Unifor campus? Drop by and visit our Cultural Space, which is located in the second floor of the President's Office Building. A team of students specially trained in art history receives visitors and provides a guided tour of the works of art and share wonderful stories of the artists.

Unifor has a one of the country´s most modern and complete structure for sports. At the Sports Park you may find the MultiSports Court, a 5 thousand m² sports complex with a pool, beach volley ball court, tennis court, an official football field, football society field and a track and field stadium, one of the few in Brazil to receive certification from the International Association of Athletics Federations.

The Unifor Gym not only provides students with a special discount, but also provides wellbeing and a healthy lifestyle or at least helps those who want to keep in shape. The Unifor Gym offers weight lifting, gymnastics, swimming, water gymnastics and physical assessments.

 

WHERE PROJECTS TAKE SHAPE

Once admitted to Unifor, students are faced with many options which vary from research programs and monitoring program to arts, sports and social activities. Unifor encourages students to discover their different talents. Here are just some of our activities.

 

Since the first semester, it is possible to participate in research groups in fields related to undergraduate studies as well as postgraduate courses. In order to support the students, Unifor has Five Research Centers, one for each field of science: Administration, Human, Legal, Health and Technology. Moreover, the Institution has research professors who are always willing to guide and advise the young researchers.

Monitoring is the first step toward being faculty, and those who one day, desire to enter a classroom as a professor, can choose to be a monitor, expanding their knowledge and facilitating the learning of others. There are two monitoring programs available at the University: institutional and voluntary. Unifor students have the opportunity to receive annual research scholarships.

For those who have the spirit of collaboration and enjoy helping others, the University develops many social projects, such as Young Volunteers, Retail Agents, Center of Professional Training, Education and Health in the Discovery of Learning and Capacity Building for the Disabled. Besides contributing to the wellbeing of the community, the social projects are an excellent opportunity to acquire more knowledge.

The Distance Learning Center is an integral part of the University, where it is possible to take online courses, such as: Methodology for Writing Scientific Papers, Introduction to Economy, Consumer Rights, Production of Technical Texts, Introduction to Computer Science and many other stimulating courses. Extension, undergraduate and postgraduate virtual courses are also available. The Center also provides chat rooms, discussion forums and some on site sessions for students to clarify course material among themselves and with professors, where students get to interact in a dynamic learning environment without losing any of the content.

Art lovers will also discover on the Unifor campus a great opportunity to develop their talent by taking part in the Art Groups: Music, Choir, Theater Troupe and Dance Company. With folk and classic performances, the groups enchant the university community as well as outside audiences and constantly receive support from the Institution´s Division of Arts and Culture.

 

HOMEWORK INVOLVES DOING SPORTS

The University of Fortaleza encourages sport activities and healthy competition. At the campus, students have access to sports, an element that complements intellectual development. Qualified professionals regularly coach the athletes in different university sport modalities: volleyball, basketball, handball, swimming, track and field, futsal and football are just some activities. Unifor also has in its campus a branch of the National Center for Athletics Training, working to promote major events focused on the dissemination of sports and the development of new talents. This is a great example of the University´s vocation in promoting national sporting events, such as the International Track and Field Grand Prix.

The University´s sports projects are fully backed by a complete infrastructure. Part of this structure is the Unifor Track and Field Stadium, one of the few in Brazil to be certified by the International Association of Athletics Federations, the multisports court, a 5 thousand m² sports complex, equipped with three courts, three grand stands with a seating capacity for 850 fans, besides the multi-purpose room with facilities for martial arts, lockers and classrooms and the office of the Sports Activity Division. The Unifor Gym is also a great place to exercise, such as for Unifor Physical Education students who take different classes and have supervised internships.

 

 

THE BEST FOR YOUR EDUCATION

Centers designed for the practice of professional activities in different fields which facilitates the insertion of students into the job market.

 

Serving the general community, the Integrated Healthcare Center (Nami) serves as a great place to work as an intern and is a rich environment for research conducted by the students of the Health Sciences Center as well as the Psychology course. Healthcare services are provided to the local community by students under the supervision and guidance of professors. The Center is a reference for the Northeast of Brazil, and has received certification in different areas of healthcare.

The Integrated Dental Clinic is another space where theory is put into practice. One hundred dental offices are distributed in two clinics: one which is multi-disciplinary, with 64 dental offices, and another which is integrated, with 36 offices, as well as an advanced surgical center, where everything functions within the University campus and services are provided free of charge to the community.

If the practice of healthcare services has its own unique space, other fields also have theirs. The Legal Practice Office (EPJ) for example, offers not only legal council to the local community, but is also the perfect internship environment for Law students. Students are also provided with a complete Law Office and laboratory as well as a space reserved for the construction of citizenship and civic values.

Students studying Tourism and Hotel Management, Psychology, International Business and Administration have the opportunity to learn and experience the marketplace with Junior Companies. In these companies, students receive clients, learn management skills and have real life contact with the marketplace. The professors are always monitoring and advising the students in all the activities.

Communication and new media occupy two academic practice environments: the Integrated Communication Center (Nic) and TV Unifor. The Nic is comprised of Production Stations for Radio, TV, Photography, a Multi-Media Center, an Advertising Agency and a Journalism Laboratory. In the works since 2005 and with cable TV broadcasting to the entire State, TV Unifor is a capacity building space for students who actively participate in the production of the programs.

How can we not mention technology structures in a time when technology innovation is the name of the game? The Applied Information Technology Center (Nati) is a space reserved for the research and development of innovative technology with the participation of students as well as an environment for professional development and training. The students develop research and skills by actively taking part in real life projects.

 

ACTION RECOGNIZED IN ALL OF BRAZIL

The best private higher learning institution of the North and Northeast of Brazil, a reference in teaching and research for the entire country, is also widely recognized for its social responsibility projects. The University of Fortaleza, maintained by the Edson Queiroz Foundation, takes pride in being a responsible institution since 1971, for its educational, social and cultural development in the State of Ceará in the Northeast region.

This action is recognized not only for the positive outcome achieved but also because of the various awards received. Examples of such honors is the Professional Education Center, which offers professional vocational courses for both youth and adults of needy communities, the Active Citizenship Program which raises awareness of legal rights and concepts of citizenship in different neighborhoods of Fortaleza.

Students and professors participate in the projects which have recently received national awards. Students from different courses also take part in the Education and Health in the Discovery of Learning Project, which offers daily free classes to children, adolescents and adults which are held in the health institutes where they receive treatment. Up and running since 2000, the Project has inspired plenty of action and has received many tributes and honors.

There are many other social responsibility projects that the Edson Queiroz Foundation, through the University of Fortaleza, maintains and supports in the fields of education, health, arts and culture, sports, environmental responsibility and professional training. Perhaps what is more important than the awards received is the real meaning of this action that is being developed as well as providing the means to improve the quality of life of our society.

 

ART AND EDUCATION

While disseminating arts and culture as effective educational tools, the University of Fortaleza and the Edson Queiroz Foundation contributes to the comprehensive education of different audiences. Unifor promotes different arts and culture initiatives in its Cultural Space which reflects in the learning and human growth of thousands of people.

For over 40 years, Unifor´s Cultural Space has been organizing exhibits and shows of internationally renowned artists such as Miró, Rembrandt, Rubens, Vik Muniz, and has successfully developed the Arts-Education Project. It is through this important project that the University disseminates, renews and democratizes knowledge of art, history and culture from different countries, something which could only be accessed by a small part of the population in the past.

 

Informações para contato

International Office

  • E-mail de contato: international@unifor.br
  • Fone de contato: + 55 85 34773127