Growth and present status of graduate programs, major research interests, and potential for US-Brazilian collaboration indicate the present state of rural sociology in Brazil. In contrast to US rural sociology's identity crisis of the past decade, the field in Brazil has blossomed. Graduate programs are underway at universities of Rio Grande do Sul, Sao Paulo-Piracicaba, Vicosa, Brasilia, and Paraiba-Campina Grande, with 45 professionals affiliated with them. Over half of the full-time staff has Ph.D. degrees, and though staff is small now, projections indicate adequate staffing by 1982. More than 70% of students have undergraduate degrees in one of the social sciences--only 6% in agronomy. Of 116 students who entered programs during the previous two cycles, 76 finished required credits, with failure to complete course work due primarily to poor student performance. Curriculum at the five centers is comparable to that of US programs. Most popular areas of rural research for both students and staff have been social organization (description/theory, voluntary associations, stratification, education) and social change (diffusion, technological change, agricultural development). Two types of collaboration between US and Brazilian rural sociologists are possible: personnel interchange and joint research (allowing opportunity to test sociological propositions cross culturally). (RS)