Changes in the social sciences core curriculum of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) do not influence student evasion rate, while their insertion into research projects through scientific training programs decreases, to a great extent, the levels of undergraduate student evasion. The study at the UFRJ compared curricula and evasion for the period of 1939 to 1988 and found that changes made to the curriculum occurred, markedly, according to political and social changes. They, however, followed the "logic of accumulation", that had small influence on the curriculum structure, since more subjects and disciplines were simply added to it. Comparing this historical experience to that of the scientific training program of the Social Research Laboratory, that worked from 1988 to 1997, we find very high averages of students finishing the graduation course, with solid academic training which allowed the majority of students to go on to work with the Social Sciences in their professional lives.
Social sciences; Graduation; Curriculum; Student evasion; Scientific training