Since 1996, it is necessary for those aspiring to leadership positions in the Military Brigade of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, to have a Bachelor's degree in Law and Social Sciences. Thus, the military brigade is the first in the country to require a bachelor's degree from its training officers. Through focal groups with students and interviews with officers, soldiers, deputies and teachers involved with the new proposal, the article intends to comprehend the reality concerning the training of the military brigade's new officers, known as "data venia". The text examines the advantages and disadvantages of this requirement to join the corporation, the problems observed during the implementation of this model, the officers' opinions about the courses and the possibility of maintaining this requirement, as well as its consequences for the future of the Military Brigade.
Sociology; Sociology of violence; Military police; Officers' training; Data venia