Para quê especialização? sobre o papel da pós-graduação lato sensu na formação dos especialistas

Abstract

This article aims to know the history and legislation of postgraduate studies lato sensu, to reflect on the relevance of specialization courses in the training of graduates and to discuss the difficulties of entering the job market with only a specialist title. The literature review included legislation and academic productions on the subject. The theoretical foundation is based on Hamburger’s (1980) reflections on the purpose of graduate studies; Oliveira (1994) on the history of specialization courses in Brazil; Oliven et al. (2002) on highter education in Brazil and Souza (2001) on LDB and higher education: structure and functioning, among others. The analyzes point out that the lato sensu postgraduate course aims at technical improvement for the work and that the difficulties of entering the market only with the title of specialist are related to a persistent conceptual confusion regarding the functions and purposes of postgraduate studies lato and stricto sensu, establishing a kind of hierarchy and subordination between these educational madalities.