CERS College

What CERS College does

Faculdade CERS (legally Complexo de Ensino Renato Saraiva Ltda) is a Brazilian private distance learning institution founded in 2009 in Recife, Pernambuco, specializing exclusively in legal education. The company targets practicing legal professionals, law graduates, and young lawyers seeking postgraduate specialization, and operates a portfolio of 12 lato sensu postgraduate courses covering public procurement, civil procedure, public law, family and succession law, labor law, social security, criminal law, medical law, and real estate law, alongside an MEC-authorized undergraduate Law degree accessed through an annual vestibular process. A Professional Master's program (Mestrado Profissional) holds MEC authorization but currently runs no active cohorts.

The core delivery infrastructure is a proprietary EAD platform called Área do Aluno, which combines asynchronous video lessons, scheduled live interactive classes via Zoom, and a WhatsApp-based Central de Apoio Pedagógico for doubt resolution and academic support. Supplementary offerings include a Kit de Documentos Jurídicos containing over 200 practical legal document templates, an Atualização Jurídica content library with legislative updates and jurisprudence, and a digital certification system delivering completion certificates within 30 days. The technology stack is conventional rather than differentiated: WhatsApp for sales and support, Zoom for live instruction, and integration with Brazil's ITI infrastructure for digital signature validation.

The business model is direct-to-consumer subscription tuition, with courses priced at R$3,525-R$7,700 full price (discounted to R$1,586-R$3,465 via boleto/PIX) and structured as either 4-month intensive or 10-month regular formats billed in monthly installments. Physical distribution is achieved through directly operated study centers (polos) in 10+ Brazilian cities and franchise locations in Americana/SP, Imperatriz/MA, and São Luís/MA. Customer acquisition is driven by WhatsApp-led inside sales and the company website, with sales conversion anchored by aggressive discount pricing (45-60% off). Multiple MEC accreditations (EAD 2018/2019, Law undergrad 2018, Master's 2020, full re-accreditation 2020) constitute the regulatory foundation enabling national operations.

Name

CERS College

Legal name

Complexo de Ensino Renato Saraiva Ltda

Website

https://faculdade.cers.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Faculdade CERS is a Brazilian distance learning institution offering 12 postgraduate law specializations via a proprietary EAD platform. It serves legal professionals nationwide through direct enrollment, WhatsApp-based support, and a network of study centers and franchises across Brazil.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Education Services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal & Compliance (CLE, Paralegal CE) (EDAAALAB)

Keywords

• Distance legal education
• Postgraduate law courses
• Online legal training
• Law specialization programs
• Brazilian legal education

Headquarters

HQ city

Recife

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Postgraduate Course Tuition (Lato Sensu): Subscription-based tuition payments for postgraduate specialization courses in law. Students pay monthly installments or full course fees upfront with discounts. Duration ranges from 4 to 10 months depending on the course format.
2. Graduation Course Tuition: Tuition fees for undergraduate law degree programs offered through vestibular (entrance exam) process.
3. Digital Certificate (2nd via): Physical certificate issuance upon request (R$200.00 fee for 2nd via after digital certification).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CERS College (Faculdade CERS) is a Brazilian distance learning (EAD) educational institution that offers 12 postgraduate specialization (lato sensu) courses in areas of law including Public Law, Civil Procedure, Labor Law, Family Law, Criminal Law, Medical Law, and Real Estate Law. Courses are delivered through a proprietary e-learning platform featuring video lessons, live interactive classes via Zoom, WhatsApp-based pedagogical support, and provide MEC-recognized certifications within 30 days of completion.

Product overview

Faculdade CERS is a distance learning institution specializing in online legal education with a portfolio of 12 postgraduate (lato sensu) specializations in various areas of Brazilian law, plus an authorized but currently unavailable Professional Master's degree (Mestrado). The core offering consists of the proprietary e-learning platform (Área do Aluno) delivering video-based courses in 4-month intensive or 10-month regular formats, supplemented by the Central de Apoio Pedagógico (WhatsApp-based academic support), a Kit of 200+ practical legal documents, the Atualização Jurídica legislative update library, and digital certification services. All postgraduate programs are MEC-regulated and include optional thesis/monograph components. The institution targets practicing legal professionals seeking career advancement through specialized legal knowledge.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pós-Graduação em Licitações e Contratações Públicas A 10-month online postgraduate specialization in Public Procurement and Contracts covering the new procurement law, bidding procedures, administrative contracts, and concessions. Course includes 360 hours of instruction across three modules. Designed for legal professionals, public servants, and procurement specialists needing updated knowledge on Law 14.133/2021.
• Pós-Graduação em Direito e Prática Previdenciária e Trabalhista A 4-month intensive online postgraduate course covering social security law and labor law practice, including retirement benefits, workers' rights, labor litigation, and marketing for legal practice. Targeted at legal professionals seeking dual specialization.
• Pós-Graduação em Direito Processual Civil A 10-month online specialization in Civil Procedure covering contemporary civil process fundamentals, enforcement proceedings, provisional remedies, and special procedures. Taught by prominent legal scholars including PhDs from USP and PUC.
• Pós-Graduação em Direito Médico e da Saúde A 4-month online specialization addressing medical law, health law, civil liability, bioethics, medical ethics codes, and the intersection of labor law with healthcare professions. Designed for lawyers working in healthcare-related practice.
• Pós-Graduação em Direito e Prática Previdenciária A 10-month comprehensive online specialization covering social security constitutional framework, social security benefits, contribution costs, and public pension schemes with practical petition writing.
• Pós-Graduação em Direito da Família e Sucessões A 10-month online specialization in Family Law and Succession covering constitutional family profiles, marriage, property regimes, parentage, support obligations, and inheritance law including estate planning.
• Pós-Graduação em Novo Direito e Processo do Trabalho A 10-month online specialization in Labor Law and Process covering collective labor rights, employment contracts, occupational health, labor litigation, and enforcement procedures before labor courts.
• Pós-Graduação em Direito Público A 10-month online specialization in Public Law covering administrative law, constitutional law, tax law, constitutional control, public procurement, and government contracts, designed for legal professionals and public servants.
• Pós-Graduação em Direito Público - 4 meses An intensive 4-month online version of the Public Law specialization covering administrative law, constitutional principles, tax law, and constitutional control mechanisms with condensed content for time-constrained professionals.
• Pós-Graduação em Direito Imobiliário A 10-month online specialization in Real Estate Law covering property rights, real estate registration, urban law, land parceling, condominium law, tax implications, and alternative dispute resolution for property matters.
• Pós-Graduação em Direito e Prática Penal e Processual Penal A 4-month intensive online specialization in Criminal Law and Procedure covering police station advocacy, special criminal courts, domestic violence legislation, appellate practice, and legal marketing.
• Mestrado (Professional Master's Degree) Professional master's degree program in Law, authorized by MEC. Currently suspended with no programs available; research groups and extension projects remain open for community participation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Digital certificate issued within 30 days of course completion
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

32 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MEC - Ministério da EducaçãocoreOthers · 2 September 2020Recredenciamento authorized by Portaria Nº 726, de 02 de setembro de 2020. Institutional accreditation by Brazilian Ministry of Education.
• MEC - Mestrado ProfissionalcoreOthers · 7 July 2020Professional Master's program authorization by Portaria Nº 576, de 7 de julho de 2020.
• MEC - EAD CredenciamentocoreOthers · 20 May 2019EAD accreditation authorized by Portaria Nº 1.010, de 20 de maio de 2019 for distance learning operations.
• MEC - Graduação em DireitocoreOthers · 18 October 2018Law undergraduate program authorization by Portaria Nº 697, de 18 de outubro de 2018.
• MEC - EAD CredenciamentocoreOthers · 20 April 2018Initial EAD accreditation by Portaria Nº 370, de 20 de abril de 2018.
• ABRE - Vitória/ESminorOthersInternship convention partnership for student placement in Vitória, Espírito Santo.
• ANIE - Agente Nacional de Integração de EstágiominorOthersNational internship integration agency partnership for student placements.
• Calado & Souza AdvogadosminorOthersInternship convention with law firm for student placement.
• CIEE/ParanáminorOthersPartnership with CIEE (Centro de Integração Empresa-Escola) in Paraná for internship placements.
• CIEE/RSminorOthersPartnership with CIEE (Centro de Integração Empresa-Escola) in Rio Grande do Sul for internship placements.
• COREN/MGDPE/SC - Defensoria Pública do Estado de Santa CatarinaminorOthersInternship convention with public defender's office for legal student placements.
• DPSCminorOthersInternship convention partnership for student placement.
• Frutuoso AdvocaciaminorOthersInternship convention with law firm for student placement.
• Moccelin Júnior Sociedade Individual - SCminorOthersInternship convention partnership for student placement in Santa Catarina.
• MPPBminorOthersPartnership with Ministério Público da Paraíba for internship placements.
• MPCE/PGJminorOthersPartnership with Ministério Público do Ceará for internship placements.
• MPMminorOthersPartnership with Ministério Público Militar for internship placements.
• MPMGminorOthersPartnership with Ministério Público de Minas Gerais for internship placements.
• MPMSminorOthersPartnership with Ministério Público do Mato Grosso do Sul for internship placements.
• MPPminorOthersPartnership with Ministério Público for internship placements.
• MPPIminorOthersPartnership with Ministério Público do Piauí for internship placements.
• MPSCminorOthersPartnership with Ministério Público de Santa Catarina for internship placements.
• PRCEminorOthersPartnership with Regional Electoral Court for internship placements.
• PRMGminorOthersPartnership with Regional Electoral Court of Minas Gerais for internship placements.
• PRSminorOthersPartnership with Regional Electoral Court for internship placements.
• Serur, Câmara, Mac Dowell, Meira Lins e Moura AdvogadosminorOthersInternship convention with major law firm for student placement.
• Siqueira Castro AdvogadosminorOthersInternship convention with law firm for student placement.
• TJPRminorOthersPartnership with Tribunal de Justiça do Paraná for internship placements.
• TJRNminorOthersPartnership with Tribunal de Justiça do Rio Grande do Norte for internship placements.
• TJRSminorOthersPartnership with Tribunal de Justiça do Rio Grande do Sul for internship placements.
• SUPA - Universidade Patativa do AssaréminorOthersPartnership with Universidade Patativa do Assaré for student exchanges and placements.
• Viana & Penante AdvogadosminorOthersInternship convention with law firm for student placement.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• UNIVERITAS / Univeritas Brasil: Brazilian EAD institution with postgraduate Law offerings comparable to CERS in delivery model (fully online, MEC-accredited, multiple legal specializations). Direct head-to-head competitor in the same niche of online legal postgraduate education.
• Gran Cursos Online: Major Brazilian online preparatory course platform covering concursos, OAB and professional exams, with an expanding postgraduate catalog. Competes with CERS for postgraduate legal students and uses a similar online self-serve plus WhatsApp funnel model.
• Estratégia Concursos: Digital-native Brazilian prep company with strong content library and video lesson model targeting concursos and professional exams. Comparable in delivery model (proprietary platform, recorded video, recurring subscriptions) and increasingly in postgraduate legal education.
• Escola Superior de Advocacia (ESA): OAB-affiliated continuing legal education provider offering postgraduate courses and OAB prep programs. Comparable as a legal-specialist education provider with recognized institutional brand, though tied to the OAB rather than to a private founder.
• Ibmec: Brazilian higher-education institution offering undergraduate and graduate programs in Law and Business, including online postgraduate tracks. Comparable as a postgraduate legal education provider targeting working professionals.
• Damásio Educacional: Brazilian institution historically specialized in OAB exam preparation and legal continuing education, with a comparable mix of preparatory courses and postgraduate offerings. Closest direct competitor to CERS in legal EAD for the legal professional segment.

Broad incumbents

• Estácio: Large listed Brazilian education group with broad undergraduate and graduate catalog including Law programs, both on-campus and distance learning. Overlaps with CERS in legal EAD but offers a much wider portfolio across many disciplines.
• Anhanguera (Kroton/Cogna): Major Brazilian education group under Cogna with extensive EAD offerings including Law undergraduate and postgraduate. Competes on scale, marketing budget, and price — relevant comparison given CERS's aggressive discounting.
• Unicesumar: Brazilian institution with strong EAD presence across multiple disciplines including Law. Comparable delivery model (distance learning, MEC-accredited) and similar reliance on online postgraduate tuition for working professionals.
• PUC Minas (EAD): Established Brazilian university with a strong EAD postgraduate portfolio including Law specializations. Comparable for postgraduate legal education targeting working professionals, with brand advantages of a traditional university.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/faculdade-cers

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CERS College