CAPES Four-Year Evaluation Awards Grade 4 to the UFC Graduate Program in Gastronomy in Its First Assessment
Published at: January 23, 2026 Category: UncategorizedThe Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES/MEC) awarded Grade 4 to the Graduate Program in Gastronomy of the Federal University of Ceará (UFC), within the Institute of Culture and Art, in its first Four-Year Evaluation (2021–2024). This result represents a historic milestone for the institution and for the field, as it is the first Master’s degree in Gastronomy in Brazil, granting UFC national leadership in the scientific institutionalization of this field of knowledge.
Achieving Grade 4 in its first evaluation highlights the consistency of the pedagogical project, the qualifications of the faculty, the regularity of scientific production, and the social and academic relevance of Gastronomy as an interdisciplinary field, integrating science, culture, territory, sustainability, innovation, and public food policies.
In the CAPES evaluation system, Grade 4 indicates that the program performs above the minimum quality standard, with a consolidated academic structure, effective institutional integration, and proven capacity to provide high-level training of human resources at the master’s level, with regional and national impact and potential for expanding its international presence.
According to the coordination of the Graduate Program in Gastronomy, the result reflects a collective process of development involving faculty members, students, administrative staff, and institutional managers, as well as support from national and international research networks. The grade achieved strengthens the program’s position in resource acquisition processes, expansion of scholarships, promotion of internationalization, organization of scientific events, and consolidation of interinstitutional partnerships.
The positive first evaluation also reaffirms the strategic role of the Graduate Program in Gastronomy within UFC and in Brazil, especially due to its pioneering work in areas such as food and culture, sustainable food systems, social gastronomy, school feeding, food innovation, food and nutrition education, food security, and the appreciation of biodiversity and traditional knowledge, contributing to the consolidation of Gastronomy as an autonomous scientific field in the country.
The CAPES Four-Year Evaluation is the main national instrument for assessing the quality of Stricto sensu graduate programs, considering criteria such as scientific production, student training, social impact, regional integration, internationalization, and academic organization. In this context, the Grade 4 awarded to the UFC Graduate Program in Gastronomy, in its first evaluation and as a pioneering program in the country, establishes solid foundations for its growth trajectory and for advancing toward higher levels of academic excellence.
