Located in Porto Alegre, capital city of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA) is a Federal Institute of Higher Education, in operation since March 1961, when it was founded under the title of Catholic College of Medicine of Porto Alegre. Federalized in 1980, it was named Federal College Foundation of Medical Sciences of Porto Alegre (FFFCMPA). In January 2008, it obtained the status of university, being re-named as Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA). UFCSPA holds undergraduate programs, stricto (master and doctorate) and lato sensu (specialization) graduate programs, as well as medical residency programs. Example of excellence in education, 97% of the university's faculty staff hold master's and doctorate degrees. Highly evaluated in the educational quality assessment indexes of the Ministry of Education, it has been obtaining outstanding grades at the Exame Nacional de Desempenho dos Estudantes – Enade (Brazilian Students' Performance Exam) and in the Índice Geral de Cursos – IGC (General Course Index).