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Portuguese Language, Literature and Culture Minor

The Portuguese minor is designed to give students intermediate to advanced language skills, as well as critical thinking tools necessary to understand culturally diverse societies.

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The minor consists of 15 credits of coursework beyond the prerequisite courses (PORT103 and PORT203). Students complete intermediate to advanced immersive language courses that prepare them to communicate, understand, read and write in Portuguese. In addition, students also complete coursework focused on several aspects of the culture, literature and cinema of the Portuguese-speaking countries. The interdisciplinary nature of our minor allows students to explore their interests while deepening their capacity to communicate across cultures. 

Why Portuguese?

There are several reasons to learn Portuguese and delve into the Portuguese-speaking cultures:

  • Portuguese is the 6th most spoken language in the world!
  • It is the official language of 9 countries located in South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia.
  • The U.S Department of State classified it as a critical language. ​
  • Brazil is the 9th largest economy in the world.
  • Easy to learn for Romance Language speakers (Spanish, French, Italian)
  • Our classes are small, dynamic and fun.

What to do with a Portuguese Minor?

In addition to rigorous training in Portuguese-speaking language and cultures, our students also develop essential skills on critical thinking, written and verbal expression, cross-cultural awareness and communication. Here are some potential places where these skills can be applied:

The U.S. Department of State; The IMF; The IDB (Inter-American Development Bank); The World Bank; International Non-Profits working with Latin America or African countries; The embassies and Consulates of the 8 Portuguese-Speaking countries in DC. 

Undergraduate students can pursue a minor in Portuguese. We offer special opportunities to:

Becoming a Portuguese Minor

To explore or declare a minor, please fill out and submit the online contact form.

Program Requirements

Foreign Language Placement Assessment (FLPA)

All students new to SLLC courses must take the online Foreign Language Placement Assessment (FLPA) before registering for classes.

Prequisite Courses

  • PORT 104 - Intensive Elementary Portuguese - 4 credits 
    • Prerequisites - None
  • PORT 204 - Intensive Intermediate Portuguese - 4 credits
    • Prerequisites - PORT 104

Notes:

  • Students with prior experience in Portuguese may satisfy these prerequisites with an appropriate Foreign Language Placement Assessment (FLPA) score.
  • Students who took PORT 405 – Portuguese for Spanish Speakers are exempt from pre-requisite courses.

Course Requirements

Language Acquisition (beyond PORT204) -  3 to 6 credits
Literature and Cultural Studies - 9 to 12 credits
 
Sample Courses

  • Intermediate Reading and Conversation in Portuguese
  • Brazilian Cinema
  • Environmental Crisis in Latin America
  • Race, Class and Gender in Brazil
  • See Testudo for Current List of Portuguese Courses

Notes:

  • At least nine of the 15 hours required for the minor must be at the 300-level or above
  • A maximum of 6 credits toward the minor may be applied from a University of Maryland Study Abroad program.

Program Advisor

Thayse Lima

Associate Professor, School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
Associate Professor and Advisor, Spanish and Portuguese
Affiliate Faculty, Latin American and Caribbean Studies Center
Faculty Fellow for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, College of Arts and Humanities

2210 Jiménez Hall
College Park MD, 20742