Semester Hour Credits (crédito aula): Semester Hour Credits are contact-hour based credits that correspond to the number of hours one is expected to attend classes on campus, i.e. classes that meet in a formally scheduled face-to-face format. A standard classroom period corresponds to one hour (at least 45 and most typically 50 minutes).
One semester credit unit based on contact time equals fifteen 50-minute instructional sessions spent by students on activities guided by teaching staff. Learning and teaching sessions include theoretical and practical contents and workshops.
Coursework credits (crédito trabalho): hours of coursework are regarded as the time spent by students on activities that may or may not be based on formally scheduled contact hours.
One semester coursework credit equals thirty hours of coursework spent on learning sessions guided by the faculty such as research (its planning, accomplishment and assessment), fieldwork, supervised internships that belong to the curriculum of a subject or the equivalent, recommended or required reading, special activities, depending on the nature of the courses, and study tours organized by the single departments. Courses consisting exclusively of coursework credits are rare and may be restricted to degree-seeking students.
Note 1: The analysis for converting USP credits to the credit system used by the foreign institution is performed by the student's home institution. We only provide the information for this analysis.
Note 2: We recommend that architecture students enroll in at least 12 "crédito aula" per semester, as Project disciplines are 8 credits each (exemple).
USP Grading
Student performance is graded from 0 to 10, with 0 being the lowest grade and 10 being the highest.
To pass a discipline, a student must obtain a grade between 5 and 10.
Grades below 5 (from 0 to 4.99) result in the student failing that discipline.
USP Attendance Rate
In addition to the grade, the student must also have a minimum attendance rate.
Students who do not have an attendance rate above 70% will fail the discipline.
Absences due to health issues are not excused, but the student may present to professor the medical certificate so that the professor can evaluate the best way to handle the absence.
FAU-USP offers two courses:
- Architecture and Urbanism (course program)
- Design (course program)
Note 1: It is important to clarify that FAU's undergraduate programs are five-year programs. Therefore, students pursuing a master's degree within the 3+2 program are considered undergraduate students, as they have not completed the full five years of study.
Note 2: When applying, we ask that students select only courses that are on the "mandatory" list of the program. The offering of "elective" courses is determined later, and students may discover that their elective course will not be offered upon arrival at FAU.
Note 3: Information about FAU's graduate programs can be accessed on the FAU graduate website.
Classes at FAU are taught in Portuguese. Therefore, it is recommended that students come to Brazil with an intermediate level of Portuguese to fully enjoy the exchange experience.
To assist international students, USP offers several options to help them improve their Portuguese:
VIVA USP - Comprising 10 chapters, the course includes 30 hours of self-instruction and is recommended for learners with an A1 level of Portuguese. Upon completion, participants receive a certificate.
Brazilian culture and language for exchange students - This course will provide international exchange students with linguistic knowledge to help them understand and use the Portuguese language both inside and outside the academic context.
Centro de Línguas FFLCH - These are regular courses, with different levels, offered to both USP and non-USP students. These courses are not included in the student's academic record.
Enrollment in FAU disciplines occurs after classes begin.
Students typically have two weeks of classes to "test out" the classes and interact with professors and their classmates.
After these two weeks, students can enroll.
Enrollment is completed in person at the FAU Undergraduate Office.
Note: Students can visit our webpage for more information about registration procedures. Our office will forward the necessary information about enrollment to students.
Currently, USP does not offer student housing for exchange students.
Therefore, we recommend that students rent a space for the first month of their exchange. Then, once they arrive, they can use that month to get to know the city better and decide on the best place to live for the rest of their exchange period.
For this first month, we recommend that students rent a space in the Butantã, Pinheiros, or Vila Sônia areas, which currently have subway lines that will facilitate transportation around the city.