The Graduate Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering (PPGECAM) was created in 2002 under the Graduate Program in Urban Engineering. Initially, it only offered a master's degree and involved professors from the Civil Engineering, Architecture, and Geography courses. The program had 20 available positions.

In 2007, the program changed its name to the Graduate Program in Urban and Environmental Engineering, expanding its scope to include the Environmental area, emphasizing Sanitation and Water Resources. At this point, it still only offered the master's degree.

In 2012, another significant modification to the program's structure occurred, and it became known as the Graduate Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering (PPGECAM). This change divided the program into four distinct areas: Urban Engineering, Environmental Sanitation, Structures & Materials, and Water Resources.

In 2013, the program obtained approval from CAPES to offer a doctorate in Structures & Materials and Water Resources. Subsequently, with the course reformulation in 2018, the Sanitation and Urban Engineering areas were included in the doctorate offering, leading to the merger of the Water Resources and Sanitation areas. Therefore, currently, the program offers master's and doctoral degrees in three main areas: Urban Engineering, Structures and Materials, and Water Resources and Sanitation.

PPGECAM has an infrastructure composed of several laboratories that support the development of theses and dissertations. These laboratories cover various areas, such as Structural Analysis and Performance Evaluation, Urban and Built Environment, Materials and Structures Testing, Environmental Comfort, Geoprocessing, Transportation Planning, Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, Sanitation, Energy and Hydraulic Efficiency, Building Information Modeling, etc. Additionally, the program has an experimental hydrographic basin for the Guaraíra stream, located 60 km from João Pessoa. In this area, hydrological cycle variables are monitored, enabling theoretical-experimental studies related to hydrology.

The main objectives of PPGECAM are: to train professionals with a deep and integrated understanding of the various systems of urban and environmental dynamics, including engineers, architects, urban planners, and other stakeholders interested in urban issues; to provide specialized training in classical areas of Civil Engineering; to develop scientific research that deepens technological studies; and to promote the use of methods and tools that make the engineer's work more efficient, focusing on the sustainable development of the region.

CAPES (CAPES (www.gov.br)) evaluates the program and holds a grade 5 in the quadrennial evaluation from 2017 to 2020. The rigorous evaluation process involves a thorough review of the program's faculty, curriculum, resources, and outcomes. Achieving a grade 5 rating is a significant accomplishment and speaks to the program's commitment to providing a top-tier civil and environmental engineering education.

To contact PPGECAM, interested parties can call (083) 3216.7393 or email ppgecam@ct.ufpb.br.