UFSJ — Our Partner University in Brazil

Intro

São João del-Rei is one of the most historically significant cities in Brazil — a beautifully preserved colonial town in the heart of Minas Gerais, just two hours from Belo Horizonte. It’s where PFP students spend their Capstone semester fully immersed in Brazilian academic and cultural life, studying alongside Brazilian peers at one of the country’s top federal universities.

About UFSJ

UGA’s overseas partner for the Capstone semester is the Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei (UFSJ) — a nationally acclaimed federal university ranked among the top institutions of higher education in Brazil. UFSJ offers over 50 graduate and undergraduate programs across six campuses, spanning Health Sciences, Engineering, Arts and Humanities, Music, Social Sciences, and Basic Sciences.

Its three São João del-Rei campuses — Santo Antônio, Dom Bosco, and Tancredo de Almeida Neves — provide PFP students with access to a full range of academic disciplines, all taught in Portuguese.

🔗 Visit UFSJ’s English website →

What You’ll Study

PFP students at UFSJ take a combination of Portuguese language and Brazilian culture courses alongside content courses in their own field of study — all in Portuguese. Available subject areas include:

Business and Economics
Journalism and Communications
History and Geography
Architecture and Urbanism
Engineering (Electrical, Mechanical, Production)
Computer Science and Physics
Biology and Chemistry
Music, Theater, and Applied Arts
Psychology and Pedagogy
Medicine and Health Sciences

This means you can continue progressing in your major while completing your Capstone — entirely in Portuguese.

🔗 View the full UGA StudyAway program listing at UFSJ →

Life in São João del-Rei

PFP students don’t live in a dorm — they live in repúblicas, shared houses and apartments with Brazilian roommates. There are no meal plans. Daily life looks exactly like that of a Brazilian university student: cooking together, navigating local markets, exploring the city on foot, and building friendships entirely in Portuguese.

It’s one of the most authentic immersion experiences in any study abroad program — and one of the most transformative parts of the Capstone year.

São João del-Rei itself is a living museum: Baroque churches, cobblestone streets, a thriving music scene, and close proximity to other Minas Gerais colonial gems like Tiradentes and Ouro Preto. The city played a pivotal role in Brazil’s independence movement and remains one of the most culturally vibrant small cities in the country.

Check out our student guide →