UFF was established in 1960, with the name Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. The university began with the merger of five existing federal institutions in Niterói, three state institutions and two private colleges, becoming a part of the federal government and being renamed Universidade Federal Fluminense. After a rough start, with a power struggle due to the institutions’ different administrations, the military government ruling at that time imposed a model structure for the University to its units and departments. Following the country's tradition in other institutions at the time, the main aim of the university was academic training, focusing on resources to qualify citizens for professional development. Research had a more formal role, and extension programs had different functions, with the main aim to offer services to the community. Today, these remain the three pillars of the university. In the 1990s, UFF expanded and began to offer new programs in campuses in different towns in regional areas if Rio de Janeiro state. From these programs, new departments and colleges were established. In the 2000s, these regional units were known as University Centers.
The University
Location (campuses)
Its headquarters and the major number of UFF unities are located in the city of Niterói. Besides Niterói, the university has academic unities in other cities inside the Rio de Janeiro state, being the Federal University present in the highest number of municipalities in the country. UFF is also part of the CEDERJ Consortium, which teaches distance learning undergraduation courses through centers located in the Rio de Janeiro state.
In the city of Niterói (its headquarters)
There are three big campuses in the city: Gragoatá Campus, Praia Vermelha Campus and Valonguinho Campus, beyond other locations at the same city.
Gragoatá Campus hosts the History, Anthropology, Social Sciences, Public Policies, Philosophy, Sociology, Psychology, Pedagogy, Letters, Social Service, Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, Hotel Management, Public Administration, Social Service, International Relations, Tourism and Physical Education courses. The Gragoatá Campus has contributed to a change in the neighbourhood where it is located, once strictly residential, to an area that has restaurants, bookstores and cultural areas.
Praia Vermelha Campus hosts the all the Engineering courses of the University and the courses of Architecture and Urbanism, Industrial Design, Public Safety, Computational Mathematics, Computational Physics, Computer Systems, Computing Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Geophysics and Physics.
Valonguinho Campus is the closest to the ferryboat station that goes to Rio de Janeiro city and hosts the courses of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Industrial Chemistry, Dentistry, Nutrition, Business Administration, Accounting Sciences, Management Processes, Speech Therapy and Veterinary Medicine.
Some schools and institutes are located outside campuses, such as the
Institute of Art and Social Communication: Advertising and Propaganda, Arts, Archival Science, Cinema and Audiovisual Studies, Cultural Production, Journalism, Library Science and Documentation and Media Studies.
Along with teaching facilities, UFF is also in charge for the Antônio Pedro University Hospital, Veterinary Hospital, Geraldo Reis University School, UFF Arts Center, University Pharmacy, Accessibility and Inclusion Office, University Restaurant, Shuttle bus and Kindergarten School.
In other cities
Campos dos Goytacazes: Economics, Social Sciences, Geography, History, Psychology and Social Service;
Angra dos Reis: Public Policies, Geography and Pedagogy;
Nova Friburgo: Biomedicine, Dentistry and Speech Therapy;
Rio das Ostras: Computing Sciences, Nursing, Production Engineering, Cultural Production, Psychology and Social Service;
Volta Redonda: Engineering, Business Administration, Public Administration, Accounting Sciences, Law, Psychology, Computational Physics, Mathematics and Chemistry;
Santo Antônio de Pádua: Natural Sciences, Computing Sciences, Physics, Interdisciplinary Education in the Field, Mathematics and Pedagogy;
