The goal of this article is to look for subsidies for a better understanding of the current situation of little academic status of teachers' education courses in the Brazilian Universities. It also aims to undestand the difficulty to bring about significant changes in such courses. Results of a socio-historic research in the Biological Sciences Course at the "Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais" - UFMG - are analysed in this work. The history of this field, used here as a case study, reveals significant points that can contribute to a better understanding of such little academic prestige of teachers' education courses in the Brazilian Universities.