We have always emphasized here on the IDP Blog how legal professionals should be updating and deepening their knowledge. One of the best ways to continue the academic journey, especially for lawyers , is by applying to a Master's program.

Two questions usually follow your choice of a Master's program. The first is: where ? In this regard, we show on the Blog the advantages of studying in the Federal District , due to its unique characteristics, cultural aspects, and the political and legal institutions it houses. After all, in the field of Law, the Federal District is where things happen.

The second question is which one ? We've already briefly discussed on the blog two types of Master's degrees in Law recognized by CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel): the Academic and the Professional.

Today we will delve a little deeper into the Professionalizing modality, based on CAPES regulations, in parallel with the Academic modality.

Next, we will use two projects carried out by IDP in the Professional Master's Program in Law as examples, so you can see in practice how the products are built.

Come on!

Academic Master's Degree vs. Professional Master's Degree: Which one to choose?

With your bachelor's degree in hand, you can apply for two types of Master of Laws programs. Despite some differences, it's important to remember that, no matter which one you choose, you will ultimately be a Master of Laws.

This means that both the Academic and Professional programs provide qualifications for higher education teaching or for scoring points in public service examinations, for example.

The first distinction we have already presented is this: your decision should take into account the type of approach you choose and which disciplines are most relevant to your research.

In the Academic Master's program , research is by nature more theoretical, focusing on the principles and legal-political organization of the State. In the Professional Master's program, the work involves a practical problem faced by the researcher and seeks to impact their professional production process in some way.

This distinction is connected to another one you should keep in mind: the type of methodology that will be used. In the Academic modality, methodologies more focused on theoretical and doctrinal concerns are used. In the Professional modality, on the other hand, the methodological focuses are the job market, professional training, and innovation.

The main focus of the Professional Master's program, therefore, is to foster closer ties between academia and the productive sector.

That is exactly what Decree No. 389, of March 23, 2017 , from the MEC (Ministry of Education), states when it addresses Professional Master's and Doctoral degrees in Brazil.

According to the regulations, vocational training programs must follow certain objectives, which you should consider before applying for the selection process:

• Training qualified professionals to meet social, organizational, professional, and labor market demands;
• Transfer of knowledge to society and to national, regional or local development;
• Coordination of professional training aimed at improving the effectiveness and efficiency of public and private organizations;
• Promoting work aimed at solving problems with a focus on generating and applying innovation processes; and 
• Contributing to increased competitiveness and productivity in companies, public and private organizations.

Please note that your final project cannot be presented with purely theoretical results. It must contain practical elements that you can apply to transform the job market, according to societal demands, and with a focus on innovation.

Let's look for concrete examples to better illustrate this.

The Professional Master's Degree in Law at IDP: what have we produced so far?

The best way to take this information from the realm of ideas is to show how research is done in practice.

The first class of the Professional Master's Program in Law at IDP opened in 2019, with dissertations presented in 2020. All dissertations, from both the Academic and Professional programs, can be found in the IDP Repository.

We will take as an example the dissertation entitled "Regulation by exposure ( sunshine regulation ) in the basic sanitation sector: the experience of the Regulatory Agency for Water Supply and Sewage Services of the State of Minas Gerais (Arsae/MG)" , produced by Master Andreia Costa Feitosa, and defended in 2022.

According to the Lattes Platform , Feitosa is a lawyer and has held positions in the following institutions:

• Commission for Universal Access to Water and Basic Sanitation of the OAB/AL (2019/2021);
• National Commission on Water Resources and Sustainability of the Brazilian Bar Association (2022/2025);
• National Commission for Basic Sanitation and Water Resources of the Brazilian Bar Association (2022/2025); and
• São Miguel River Basin Committee/AL (2021/2023).

We immediately noticed the close connection between the topic explored in the Master's thesis and the legal practice that Feitosa regularly performs.

The author points out in the abstract of her work that, based on the analysis of documents and interviews, she observed and identified the most recommendable practices for regulating the basic sanitation sector. The data were obtained from a specific case study of a regulatory agency in the State of Minas Gerais.

Also in the abstract, Feitosa makes clear one of the objectives of the dissertation: to verify whether sunshine regulation is the starting point for concession contracts to be successful, with the implementation of goals and efficiency indicators for the universalization of basic sanitation public services.

Let's consider that the work involves more than just theory in its construction. Theory is important, even in a Professional Master's program, but here the core focus is on building a project based on a practical problem, seeking innovation and application in the job market.

In the conclusion of Feitosa's dissertation, she states that the use of sunshine by the Minas Gerais agency, the subject of her study, presents excellent results and should serve as a model for other regulatory agencies in the country.

This work contributes not only to the literature on basic sanitation, but also provides concrete data that will be used by other agencies to maximize the efficiency of regulatory models in the country.

Another example is the dissertation produced by Isabela Maria Ferreira dos Santos, also defended in 2022, entitled "Law 4.0 and Startups: Instruments of legal advice in the innovation market".

Santos is a lawyer, business and compliance consultant , and researcher on Law 4.0 and startups . In the abstract of her work, she immediately states her purpose:

• He studied the current landscape of innovation and technology businesses involving startups;
• He identified the main legal challenges these companies face within the scope of Business Law;
• It systematized the instruments capable of addressing an appropriate solution to the identified challenges;
• He developed a proposal outlining the knowledge and specializations needed for
• advising on business activities; and
• It produced a work logic specific to the legal profession 4.0, involving multidisciplinary knowledge and new work methods.

Once again, the work was not limited to theorizing about startups and Law 4.0, but produced a toolkit for the legal profession.

Both works contributed to the impact of public (Feitosa) or private (Santos) services. They were also designed to transform procedures in the regulatory sector (Feitosa) and in the legal profession (Santos). The dissertations certainly address social and labor market demands and contribute to development both nationally and in various specific regions.

How can I learn more?

Are you interested in the work being done? Access the IDP Professional Master's Program in Law page , download the course syllabus, and register.

There you will find information about the Program's teaching methodology, IDP's state-of-the-art infrastructure, the research areas you can join, the subjects taught, the qualifications of the faculty, and how the selection process works.

Be sure to also read the Notice, where you will find out about the registration requirements for the selection process, the stages, schedule, and step-by-step enrollment process.

Continue following us on social media and sharing the articles from the IDP Blog. 

Another tip: if you enjoyed this article, subscribe to our newsletter ! There you can find the main news from the legal world, free educational materials from IDP, and recommendations from market experts.

Good studies!

References:

BRAZIL. Ministry of Education. Ordinance No. 389, of March 23, 2017. Accessed December 11, 2022.