The Master’s in Administration at the Federal University of Pampa (UNIPAMPA), Campus Santana do Livramento, had its teaching activities started in 2016. The proposal to create this Master’s course was motivated, especially, by the lack of qualification at the post-graduate level. -graduation in the southern half of Rio Grande do Sul and for its alignment with the Institutional Project of UNIPAMPA.

Of the seven mesoregions of Rio Grande do Sul, the Southwest mesoregion, in which the Master’s Degree in Administration is located, is the largest region in terms of territory in the State and the one with the smallest number of graduated masters, representing only 3.6% of those with degrees in Rio Grande do Sul, according to the Data Extraction of the Lattes Curriculum Base. Also, according to data extraction, the Southwest mesoregion has the lowest number of teachers per 100,000 inhabitants in the state (41,45). This fact can be explained by the low offer of stricto sensu courses in this region and, consequently, by the lack of postgraduate qualification. It is also worth noting that, allied to low qualification, the municipalities in the region have the lowest economic and social indicators in the State, according to the Economy and Statistics Foundation of Rio Grande do Sul.

Currently, the Masters in Administration at UNIPAMPA is the only stricto sensu course in the area of ​​Applied Social Sciences in the Southwestern mesoregion of Rio Grande do Sul, showing its importance for reducing the inequality of qualification in the State and for the production of knowledge and development solutions to the region where it is inserted. This perception of the course’s relevance is in line with UNIPAMPA’s Institutional Development Plan (2019-2023), in which postgraduate courses should aim to train human resources and build knowledge aimed at regional and sustainable development .

Another reason to initiate this proposal was the interest of graduates from the Santana do Livramento Campus in the Administration, Public Management, Economic Sciences and Specialization in Border Region Development courses in following the academic trajectory through a stricto sensu course, in addition to a strong demand from the administrative technical staff of the university for qualification in the area of ​​Administration. Still, there was a demand for graduates from other courses in Applied Social Sciences from Federal Institutions and from private universities in the region.

Another relevant point for the creation of the Masters in Administration was UNIPAMPA’s geographic proximity to Mercosur countries. More specifically, because Santana do Livramento is a city in a conurbation with the municipality of Rivera – Uruguay, determining an almost unique condition in Brazil for the possibility of academic interaction between two countries in just one urban nucleus. These facts give rise to differential conditions for the Masters in Administration at the Santana do Livramento Campus, especially in relation to the potential for internationalization with MERCOSUR countries, making it possible to attract students and design cooperation agreements with foreign universities.

Based on these motivations, the work to develop a postgraduate proposal began in 2011 with the Specialization course in Development of Border Regions. This course, of an interdisciplinary nature, had the participation of part of the faculty who are now part of the Masters in Administration. With the possibility of joint work, based on teaching, research and extension projects, the interaction of this group contributed to the perception that the campus was in a position to propose and support stricto sensu graduate studies. To consolidate this proposal, the effort of the university in qualifying and expanding the teaching staff is highlighted.

Thus, in mid-2012, a group of ten professors engaged in discussing and consolidating a proposal for a Masters in Administration was formed. The proposal was developed throughout 2012 and the first half of 2013, when at the end of it it was submitted to the internal procedures of UNIPAMPA for approval, fulfilling the institutional and CAPES prerequisite for review and support by the federal institution. With positive feedback, in the first half of 2014 the group continued to work to effect the cooperation and integration of the proposal’s professors and to ensure their involvement in research groups and in teaching and extension activities.

The proposal established an Administration concentration area and two lines of research: a) Organizations and Development; b) Strategy and Systems. In August 2014 the proposal was submitted to CAPES, with 10 permanent professors and three collaborators. After its approval, in April 2015, the faculty began to focus their efforts on activities to bring academic and research closer together. In November and December of the same year, the selection process for the first group of the course was carried out. In this process were selected 10 students who started classes in the first semester of 2016.

2016 was effectively the first year of activity for the Master’s in Administration at UNIPAMPA. During this period, the main activities were around the organization of processes, construction of rules and regulations, guidance of students with regard to the conduct of academic life during the Masters and mapping the potential for growth and development of the course.

With the growth of the faculty, in 2017, 13 new students joined. This year, the course updated its curricular proposal, keeping it adequate to the CAPES requirements and updating itself to the teaching, research and extension standards of the area. The mandatory structure was maintained and the changes were due to the optional subjects that allowed greater theoretical and methodological deepening. The first class of the Masters, entering in 2016, had their dissertation projects all qualified within a period of 14 months. In December 2017, the program had its first dissertation defense, and until mid-April 2018 all students had their final papers defended.

In 2018, 13 new master’s students entered. This year, there was an advance in the academic production of the program, especially in the greater inclusion of work by professors and students in national events and periodicals in the area, reflecting the development of research within groups and disciplines.

The year 2019 had the entry of 14 students and was marked by the advancement of important structural issues for the program, such as: a) Self-evaluation process of students, professors, graduates and the external community; b) Discussion and alteration of the curriculum structure; c) Consolidation of the internationalization initiative (Cooperation Agreement PPGA – Universidad Tecnológica del Uruguay); d) Structuring the Strategic Planning process, to be completed in 2020.

In 2019, the PPGA/UNIPAMPA maintained its academic insertion through the participation of students and professors in the main scientific events of Administration in Brazil, as well as the expansion in the submission of articles to periodicals from the upper section of the Qualis system. The quality of research carried out in the program was reflected in mentions of prominent articles and awards at important events in Brazil. In these years, dissertation defenses remained within the average period of 24 months.

Also, it is worth noting that from the beginning of its activity (2016) until the year 2019, the Master in Administration developed several nucleation actions:
a) Creation and editing of the Strategy and Development Magazine (ISSN –2526-9526);
b) Realization of three editions of the International Symposium on Strategy and Development – SIED, organized by professors and students of the program. The events included lectures, short courses and scientific exhibition of articles, with the aim of bringing the PPGA closer to educational institutions, undergraduate and graduate students and the external community. The themes of the second and third edition were “Methods and Approaches to Research in Administration” and “Education for Development”.
c) 1st PPGA Academic Week in 2019. Event that allowed articulation with the undergraduate courses on the campus through short courses, workshops and lectures.
d) Constitution and development of the following Research Groups, associated with the lines of the Master’s Degree in Administration:
-Group of Studies and Research in Organizations and Development – ​​(GEODes);
-Study Group on Work, Organizations and People (GESTA);
-Nucleus for Network Studies (NERds);
-Research Group on Administration and Environmental Sustainability;
-University Management Observatory for Social Inclusion and Development of Pampa

Currently, the program has 14 permanent professors. These add extensive knowledge of the areas of Administration and its specialties, as well as Economic Sciences, Sociology, Education and Exact Sciences. The group converges on the equitable division of professors in the lines of research and commitment to the interaction initiated in the process of scientific production and study groups.

In 2019, after the completion of the first classes, the self-assessment process, the course began a process of restructuring its identity and preparing its strategic planning. Reinforcing our geographic position, located in a border region, characterized by low economic dynamism and a lack of qualified professionals, the Masters in Administration at UNIPAMPA focuses on building knowledge in administration and its interrelationship with regional and sustainable development. Based on this identity, the course will adopt as a strategy the development of teaching, research and extension actions aimed at scientific advancement, social interaction practices and internationalization – especially with Latin American countries. This purpose is in line with UNIPAMPA’s Institutional Development Plan (2019-2023).

These movements aim to consolidate the graduate program with a view to its growth and academic excellence, in addition to contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, namely:
Objective 4. Ensure inclusive, equitable and quality education, and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
Goal 5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
Objective 10. Reduce inequality within and between countries
Objective 12. Ensure sustainable production and consumption patterns.