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Portuguese Major

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Undergraduate Major in Portuguese

The Portuguese major program provides students with the opportunity to continue developing their Portuguese language skills while also studying the literature and culture of Portugal and Brazil as well as Portuguese linguistics. Students majoring in Portuguese may go on to graduate study in areas such as Luso-Brazilian literature, comparative literature, Latin American studies or linguistics.

They may also combine their Portuguese studies with other areas to prepare for career opportunities in international business, government, travel or communications, where knowledge of a foreign language and of foreign cultures is essential. A Portuguese major is a good complement to a major in another foreign language or to certicate programs such as the International Business Certificate and the Latin American Studies Certificate.

All major-level courses require that the student have completed the equivalent of second-year college level study of Portuguese (Accelerated Intermediate Portuguese). If you would like more information, please contact Prof. Maria José Barbosa or Prof. Maria A. Duarte.

The major in Portuguese requires a total of 30 semester hours, 15 of them in specific “required” courses and 15 in “electives”.  (All courses are 3 s.h.)

Required Courses                      15 s.h.

       ONE of these:
38:103  Composition and Conversation
38:122  Topics in Portuguese Language

       ALL of these:
38:105 Brazilian Literature Before 1900
38:106 Brazilian Literature After 1900
38:107 Introduction to Portuguese Literature
38:120 Topics in Luso-Brazilian Culture

Elective Courses                      15 s.h.

Portuguese courses numbered above 38:102

6 s.h. of the 15 s.h. in elective courses may be in approved courses in related areas which focus on Luso-Brazilian topics (e.g., anthropology, history, linguistics)

Honors in Portuguese

Admission to the honors program in Portuguese requires a g.p.a. of at least 3.33 overall and 3.5 in Portuguese.  Graduation with honors in Portuguese requires 3 s.h. in 38:198 Honors: Research and Thesis, plus another 3 s.h. course chosen in consultation with the departmental honors adviser.  These 6 s.h. count toward the total 30 s.h. required for the Portuguese major.  Students must write a thesis and present it orally to a committee consisting of three faculty members.

A minor in Portuguese requires 15 semester hours of course work in Portuguese, 12 s.h. of which must be taken at the University of Iowa in courses numbered above 38:103; this would include all the courses for the Portuguese major.  A maximum of 3 semester hours may be transfer credit and/or coursework taken in Portuguese at the University of Iowa below 38:103. For example, 3 of the 5 semester hours awarded for 38:101 may be applied toward the minor. All students who are planning to complete a minor in Portuguese are strongly encouraged to consult with faculty advisors in Portuguese.