Coordenadoria de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES) is a government agency linked to the Brazilian Ministry of Education in charge of promoting high standards for post-graduate courses in Brazil.

The agency evaluates educational establishments every two years, and grades them according to the standards of the courses provided. The grade scale is from 1 to 7, where 1 is the lowest standard — the maximum that an institution offering up to a Master's degree will gain is 5, whereas an institution offering a Ph.D. will gain up to 7.