In a natural sciences academic program, many branches of the field might be explored in depth with the goal of observing and learning about nature. Some of these branches may include astronomy, biology, physics, ecology and chemistry.

Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in both South America and the Latin American region. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population, with over 193 million people.

The PhD is a doctoral degree, specifically called a "doctor of philosophy" degree. This is misleading because PhD holders are not necessarily philosophers (unless they earned their degree in philosophy!). That said, PhD recipients are able to engage in thought experiments, reason about problems, and solve problems in sophisticated ways.