When you decide to pursue a Master's or Doctorate degree as the next step in your academic or professional career, some questions that often follow are: "Which program?" and "Which city?".
These are very valid questions. This is because, depending on the program, you will have different opportunities for support and guidance. The programs have different research lines, with distinct approaches, and faculty with varying degrees of specialization in their research area.
Depending on the program and the higher education institution (HEI), you will also have access to libraries with comprehensive or outdated collections for your research. Another important factor is the presence or absence of research groups for in-depth study and discussion of your work.
However, the focus of our conversation today is the second question: where? Choosing the state and city is an important step because it involves a series of circumstances that can impact not only your research, but also your future as a professional.
In the following lines, we will explain how the Federal District is the perfect place for those who want to excel as academics. Our tips will be geared towards helping you make the most of the structure and advantages that the legal, political, and cultural landscape of the federal capital can offer.
In front!
A bit of history and organization of the Federal District.
The Federal District is the only Federative Unit of Brazil that is not divided into cities or municipalities, but into administrative regions, by constitutional mandate (article 32 of the CRFB/88). There are 33 in total, and the seat of government is Brasília, the federal capital, founded on April 21, 1960.
Source: Federal Revenue Service
There are some unique characteristics specific to the Federal District, also of a constitutional nature. One of them is its hybrid character of competencies between State and Municipality.
Although it is not a state, it has a Governor, the head of the district's Executive Branch, and its headquarters are located in the Palácio do Buriti, in Brasília. However, the Federal District is governed by an Organic Law, typical of municipalities, and not by its own Constitution, as states do.
Source: Metrópoles
In the district legislature, there is a Legislative Chamber , a hybrid between a Municipal Chamber (like those in municipalities) and a Legislative Assembly (like those in states). There are 24 elected district deputies in office.
Source: Congresso em Foco – UOL
The Court of Justice, called the Court of Justice of the Federal District and Territories (TJDFT), has jurisdiction over the entire Federal District and the Territories, should they eventually be created.
Source: CorreioWeb
Similarly, the Public Prosecutor's Office of the Federal District and Territories (MPDFT) acts in defense of the interests of society and the rights of citizens in the Federal District and any territories thereof.
Source: Metrópoles
Brasilia is home to some of the most important bodies of the Brazilian Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches.
We can start with the Palácio do Planalto, located in the Praça dos Três Poderes (Three Powers Square) in Brasília, along with the National Congress and the Supreme Federal Court.
Source: Casa Vogue – Globo
The Palácio do Planalto is where the Presidential Office of Brazil, the Civil House , the General Secretariat , and the Institutional Security Office of the Presidency of the Republic are located . It was one of the first buildings constructed in the Federal District and symbolizes the transfer of the capital from Rio de Janeiro to the center of the country.
A few steps away is the National Congress , composed of the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate.
Source: Poder 360
The Chamber of Deputies is located in the larger, upward-facing dome, while the smaller, downward-facing dome houses the Federal Senate. Between the two are two 28-story towers: one belonging to the Chamber and the other to the Senate.
The Federal Senate is composed of 81 senators, representing the 27 Federative Units of Brazil. The Chamber of Deputies, on the other hand, is composed of 513 federal deputies, representing the people.
In the judicial sphere, the national Superior Courts are located in Brasília.
The Superior Court of Justice (STJ) judges, in the last instance, all non-specialized infraconstitutional matters that fall outside the jurisdiction of the Labor, Electoral, and Military Courts, and are not addressed in the Federal Constitution. An example is the judgment of issues related to the application of federal law or divergences in jurisprudential interpretation.
Source: STJ
The Superior Labor Court (TST), in turn, is part of the specialized labor court system. It reviews judicial appeals against which no further appeals are possible in lower courts, and generally only matters of law, not allowing the re-examination of facts and evidence.
Source: TST
The Superior Military Court (STM) also deals with specialized justice, in this case military justice. It is responsible for overseeing and investigating military crimes as defined in the Military Penal Code, which can be committed by members of the Armed Forces, but also by civilians under certain provisions.
Source: CNJ
Also within the realm of specialized justice is the Superior Electoral Court (TSE). It can be considered the electoral administrator, since it assumes all executive, managerial, and operational administration, as well as a large part of the regulation of the electoral process in the national territory.
Source: TSE
Finally, located in the Praça dos Três Poderes (Three Powers Square) is the Supreme Federal Court (STF). This is the Brazilian Constitutional Court, the highest court in the Judiciary, and its decisions are final and cannot be appealed.
It combines the typical powers of a court of last resort with those of a constitutional court. Also known as the guardian of the 1988 Federal Constitution, it hears cases involving injury to or threat against its provisions.
Source: STF
Also worthy of mention are some legal and political institutions headquartered in Brasília:
- Federal Public Ministry (MPF);
- Controllership-General of the Union (CGU):
- court Union accounts (TCU); and
- National Council of Justice (CNJ).
In the cultural sphere, we focus on the Banco do Brasil Cultural Center for its communal spaces, galleries, central plaza for open events, and cinema and theater halls. From November to December 2022, it housed the Transition Government between the Bolsonaro and Lula administrations.
Each of these institutions and the people who work, pass through, or represent them can translate into research opportunities and professional recognition if you choose to pursue your Master's or Doctorate degree in the Federal District.
Let's understand this better.
The Federal District is where things happen.
The Federal District is the heart of major judicial, legislative, and administrative decisions in the country, also enabling connections with those who shape public opinion.
It is a direct stage for citizen democracy, where countless social movements from all over the country come together in marches seeking the guarantee and effectiveness of rights.
If the topic you intend to develop relates to document analysis, studying in Brasília provides a unique opportunity.
You can have physical access to the STF's judicial archive, which holds judicial documents from the late 18th century, and to the administrative archive, which covers personnel management, materials, assets, budget, and finance.
Other important documents are found in on-site research at the libraries of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, with access to stenographic notes dating from the Imperial Period to the present day.
This resource will provide you with an excellent corpus for developing your Master's or Doctoral thesis.
Research on topics involving judicial or administrative decisions, and even parliamentary debates, is also gaining greater importance.
In Brasília, you can attend the Supreme Federal Court's plenary sessions and follow in person the decisions on important issues such as the starting date of maternity leave and maternity pay, and the temporal effectiveness of the new Administrative Improbity Law.
Other sessions worth following are those of the Federal Court of Accounts, Brazil's main external audit body. The plenary and chamber sessions offer you the opportunity to witness oral arguments and votes from the Justices.
In the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, you have in-person access to voting on legislative proposals and discussions about how they impact the lives of the country's citizens.
Participating in trials, collegial discussions, and voting provides a broader perspective on the specific case than simply reading the judgment, the final decision, or the approved law.
Brasilia also allows for dialogue with the offices of Ministers for assistance with advisory services, for example, or to participate in public hearings.
Within the sphere of the Presidency of the Republic, you can follow presidential speeches and pronouncements, and have direct contact with the Palace's staff.
In the Legislative branch, it is possible to speak with parliamentary advisors or even schedule a meeting with the representative who worked on the legislative proposal you are interested in.
Studying in the Federal District opens up continuous and ever-growing networking opportunities for your research and future professional development, adding value to your Master's and Doctoral degrees and your learning.
All of this takes place against the backdrop of a region of profound historical and cultural value, designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Did you find this perspective interesting? Come and learn about IDP's Master's and Doctoral programs ! Here you will have classes with authorities such as Gilmar Mendes (Minister of the STF), Nefi Cordeiro (former Minister of the STJ), Mariana Barbosa Cirne (Federal Prosecutor), Roberto Freitas Filho (Judge of the TJDFT), Atalá Correia (Judge of the TJDFT), Vinícius Vasconcellos (Advisor to a Minister of the STF) and Victor Oliveira (Councilor of CADE).
To the next!
References:
Banco do Brasil. Banco do Brasil Cultural Center . Available at: <https://ccbb.com.br/brasilia/>.
BRAZIL. Chamber of Deputies . Available at: <https://www.camara.leg.br/>.
BRAZIL. Legislative Chamber . Available at: <https://www.cl.df.gov.br/>.
BRAZIL. Civil House . Available at: <https://www.gov.br/casacivil/pt-br>.
BRAZIL. National Congress . Available at: <https://www.congressonacional.leg.br/>.
BRAZIL. National Council of Justice . Available at: <https://www.cnj.jus.br/>.
BRAZIL. Federal Constitution of the Federative Republic of Brazil. 1988. Available at: <https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/constituicao/constituicaocompilado.htm>.
BRAZIL. Office of the Comptroller General of the Union . Available at: <https://www.gov.br/cgu/pt-br>.
BRAZIL. Federal District . Available at: <https://www.df.gov.br/>.
BRAZIL. Institutional Security Office of the Presidency of the Republic . Available at: <https://www.gov.br/gsi/pt-br>.
BRAZIL. Public Prosecutor's Office of the Federal District and Territories . Available at: <https://www.mpdft.mp.br/portal/>.
BRAZIL. Federal Public Prosecutor's Office . Available at: <https://www.mpf.mp.br/>.
BRAZIL. Palácio do Planalto . Available at: <https://www.gov.br/planalto/pt-br>.
BRAZIL. General Secretariat . Available at: <https://www.gov.br/secretariageral/pt-br>.
BRAZIL. Federal Senate . Available at: <https://www12.senado.leg.br>.
BRAZIL. Superior Court of Justice . Available at: <https://www.stj.jus.br/sites/portalp/Inicio>.
BRAZIL. Superior Military Court . Available at: <https://www.stm.jus.br/>.
BRAZIL. Supreme Federal Court . Available at: <https://portal.stf.jus.br/>.
BRAZIL. Federal Court of Accounts . Available at: <https://portal.tcu.gov.br/inicio/>.
BRAZIL. Court of Justice of the Federal District and Territories . Available at: <http://www.tjdft.jus.br/>.
BRAZIL. Superior Labor Court . Available at: <https://www.tst.jus.br/>. BRAZIL. Superior Electoral Court . Available at: <https://www.tse.jus.br/>.
