The main purpose of this work is to evaluate the social insertion of professional programs in the field of Urban and Regional Planning. The discussion investigates concerns about the contributions of academic activity for improving public management and meeting the demands of Brazilian society. The authors’ intention was to analyze the social insertion of the programs with respect to the evaluation criteria adopted by the Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES). The methodology used was quali-quantitative, based on bibliographic and documental research and on the technical reading of the scientific production (dissertations) of the selected programs. The purpose of this research was to verify if the dissertations produced by the selected professional master’s degree programs contribute to the understanding of the regions in which they are situated, thereby turning themselves into resources of science and knowledge to improve public management and to reduce social injustice. The inferences drawn support the value of the defended dissertations and of strengthening the actions of the CAPES with respect to requiring social insertion as a delimiter for research and technical-scientific interventions.