Can someone please clarify the affilition, if any, between FIA and the Universidade de São Paulo (USP)? I have noticed that several FIA International MBA graduates list "MBA, Universidade de São Paulo" on their LinkedIn profiles. However, I do not see any mention of a formal link between FIA and USP on either institution's website.

A Portuguese-speaking friend will be able to help you understand the connection after reviewing the many mentions of the FIA MBA revealed by a search on the FEA-USP website.

Thank you, Stuart, for the response. I must say that I found it strange that there was no mention of USP in the 'About' section of FIA's website, as a formal link to the university would seem to be an important point to highlight to prospective students. Per your suggestion, I have reviewed the FEA-USP website and found additional information about FIA.  

It appears that, while USP is a public university, FIA is a separate, private institution that has a history of collaboration with FEA. There is no ambiguity regarding the status of FEA or the medical school as USP entities, but I do not see any acknowledgement of FIA as a formal constituent of the university. My conclusion is that FIA is perhaps considered by some as the de facto business school for USP, but it would be slightly misleading to outright label the FIA International MBA as a degree from USP (particularly if the FIA name is omitted) on a resume or professional profile.

I don't understand why you think this is misleading. It's very common for 

- non-university business schools to not be able to issue state-recognised degrees [e.g. most grandes ecoles in France can issue diplomas but only state bodies can issue degrees to their students] 

- for business schools to separate from state universities in order to be able to charge higher fees and  this deliver an MBA-type experience [e.g. many German business schools are separate foundations linked to state universities, such as Mannheim and the Ohm school, and grant degrees from their parents. Gisma used to have the same arrangement with Hannover].

- Universities often accredit the degrees of stand-alone or early  stage business schools, so here in the UK for example the Henley MBA used to be awarded by City University, Lancaster awards degrees to students of Sunway University. 

This is not at all unusual and, in fact, many universities in Britain and the Commonwealth started in this way, issuing degrees of the University of London. 

[Edited by Duncan on Nov 22, 2020]

[quote
This is not at all unusual and, in fact, many universities in Britain and the Commonwealth started in this way, issuing degrees of the University of London. 
Wasn't (isn't?) LBS a consistent member of the University of London? If so they don't really promote it. 

Yes, my LBS MBA is awarded by the University of London. Google the phrase "London Business School is a graduate school of the University of London" for context. But, yes, LBS is a big enough brand that it doesn't need the UoL name to attract students. 

Duncan, thank you for sharing that perspective.

I see things differently with respect to two points:

1) FIA has a more opaque and tenuous affiliation with USP in comparison to the other MBA/university examples that you reference above.
-Unlike the LBS/UofL relationship, FIA is not a formal constituent of USP nor does USP itself grant a degree to FIA grads.
-In most of the other examples that you cite, the business schools explicitly acknowledge a formal connection to their respective universities. For instance, the description on Mannheim's English-languge homepage unambiguously reads "As part of the prestigious University of Mannheim, we offer world-class management education," while the Lancaster-Sunway site clearly explains that graduates "will be alumni of both universities." There is no such description on FIA's site, but rather almost no reference at all to USP (and appropriately so given that FIA is not a constituent of USP nor are FIA grads actually USP alumni).
-I would not characterize the FIA/USP relationship as a necessary byproduct of local regulations or the only model for operating a business school in Brazil. An example to the contrary is that COPPEAD at UFRJ is officially part of the public university in Rio de Janeiro.

2) Specifically, what I find to be misleading is the labelling of an FIA MBA by alums as "MBA, Universidade de São Paulo" with no clarification or caveat, when in fact USP does not grant the degree. As a prospective applicant to MBA programs, it concerns me that a number of FIA alumni appear hesitant to describe their degrees in the most transparent manner. In fact, it appears common for FIA alumni to omit altogether the acronym "FIA" from biographies and LinkedIn profiles, preferring to only use the USP label. 

My apologies if my posts are coming across as nit-picking or overly pedantic, but this trend strikes me as odd and does not inspire confidence in the program.

I think you are mistaken because FIA alumni do appear to be USP graduates.