Credentialization Without Socialization: Professional Military Education and Civil–Military Relations in Brazil

Does integrating military officers into civilian universities strengthen civilian control? Conventional wisdom holds that exposure to civilian academic environments fosters normative socialization and narrows the gap between soldiers and society. This article challenges that assumption. Drawing on a qualitative case study of a partnership between the Brazilian Army and a federal university graduate program, it argues that such participation operates primarily as credentialization—enhancing professional status and career advancement—rather than normative transformation or institutional oversight. Distinguishing three analytical logics (credentialization, normative socialization, institutional control) and drawing on Janowitz, Feaver, Cohen, and Avant, the article assesses which prevails in practice. Based on survey data ( N = 37) and semi-structured interviews, the findings show that classroom interaction generates dialogue but does not produce normative convergence or alter authority structures. In polarized democracies with entrenched military autonomy, academic integration is more likely to coexist with than to transform prevailing civil–military relations.