The Federal University of São Carlos (Portuguese: Universidade Federal de São Carlos, UFSCar) is a public research university located in São Carlos, state of São Paulo, Brazil. Once the presidential decree's signature created the university on December 1, 1968, a commission formed to coordinate the project. UFSCar was the first Federal University in the interior of São Paulo state. In March 1970, it received its first 96 students for the courses of science and materials engineering. Thancham's farm, localized on the border of Washington Luís highway, was chosen as the initial site. Farm buildings were adapted to provide administration, classrooms, and laboratories. The university started with a strong emphasis on natural sciences. This profile changed during the 1990s, when UFSCar created more courses, departments, and added graduate programs in the humanities.