:: Programs

Major in Portuguese

Students may declare a Portuguese major as incoming freshmen, upon transferring into the University, or at any time during their academic career. Majors are required to complete a minimum of 33 credits of Portuguese course work at the 300- and 400- level (see below for specific course requirements). A grade point average of 2.0 in Portuguese courses is required for graduation. Upon completing the major, students are expected to speak fluently, write effectively and read critically in Portuguese. Exciting career opportunities are available to Portuguese majors in elementary and secondary education, social services, translation, business, print and visual media, non-profit/non-governmental organizations, and politics, among other fields. The program also provides an excellent foundation for graduate work in Luso-Brazilian Studies.

Learning Outcomes

Students will acquire listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in Portuguese at the advanced level and consistent with national standards for foreign language education.

Students will develop an in-depth awareness of historical and contemporary cultural realities of the Portuguese-speaking world.

Students will become familiar with a representative selection of major texts, authors and literary periods of Portugal, Brazil and Lusophone Africa.

Students will acquire critical reading and analytical skills applicable to a wide variety of literary and non-literary discourses.

Students will learn to convey, develop and document ideas in writing in a clear and effective manner.

Degree requirements

POR 301, 302: Portuguese Composition and Conversation I and II (6 credits)

POR 310: Introduction to Literary and Cultural Analysis (3 credits)

Any three courses from among POR 331, 332, 333, 334, or 335 (Introduction to Portuguese Literature I and II, Introduction to Brazilian Literature I and II, and Introduction to Luso-African Literature) (9 credits)

Five additional courses at the 300, 400, or 500 level, two of which must be at the 400 or 500 level (15 credits)

Total: 33 Credits

Minor in Portuguese

To declare a minor in Portuguese, students must have 54 credits and a cumulative GPA of 2.0 with a 2.5 average in their major. Minors in Portuguese must complete 18 credits (see below for specific requirements). Minors in Portuguese develop a strong foundation in the language and receive a thorough introduction to the cultures of the Portuguese-speaking world that will complement any major.

Degree requirements

POR 301, 302: Portuguese Composition and Conversation I and II (6 credits)

Two additional courses at the 300 or 400 level (6 credits)

Any two courses in Portuguese ( 6 credits)

Total: 18 Credits.

Post-Baccalaureate Initial License for Teaching Portuguese

Department of Portuguese participates in the post-baccalaureate initial licensure program for teaching in Massachusetts public schools, which is administered by the Department of Education. In addition to required EDU and PSY courses, students seeking initial license in Portuguese take POR 521, Teaching Portuguese as a Foreign Language. For further information, contact the Education Department.

Master of Arts in Portuguese Studies  

Learning Outcomes

• Students will develop an in-depth understanding of literary and cultural history of the Portuguese-speaking world within a broad, interdisciplinary context of humanities and social sciences.
• Students will acquire a solid foundation in literary and cultural theory and in research methods in the humanities.
• Through regular seminar presentations and substantive research papers in the target language, students will develop sophisticated oral and writing skills in Portuguese.
• Through taking advantage of elective course offerings in the departments of Art History, History, Political Science, and Sociology/Anthropology, students will gain competence in interdisciplinary and intercultural acquisition and interpretation of knowledge.

 Outcome Assessment Plan

       I.      Alignment of the MA in Portuguese Studies Curriculum with Learning Outcomes

The MA program offers an in-depth understanding of literary and cultural history of Portugal and the Portuguese-speaking world within a broad, interdisciplinary context of humanities and social sciences. Regular rotation of four of the five core courses (POR 620, 630, 640 and 650) dedicated, respectively, to the literatures and cultures of Portugal, Brazil and Lusophone Africa, as well as to comparative studies encompassing two or more of these areas, assures comprehensive and articulated coverage. The required seminar, POR 610: Topics in Literary and Cultural Analysis, offers a necessary foundation in literary and cultural theory and in research methods in the humanities. All core courses require students to make regular oral seminar presentations and to produce substantive research papers in the target language, thus contributing to the development of advanced oral proficiency and superior writing skills in Portuguese. The approved list of additional graduate-level courses related to the Portuguese-speaking world, taught (in English) in the departments of Art History, History, Political Science, and Sociology/Anthropology, endows the curriculum with an interdisciplinary dimension, promoting innovative research, widening the scope of learning engaged in by the program graduates and increasing their competence in intercultural (as well as interdisciplinary) acquisition and interpretation of knowledge.

   

       II.      Outcome Assessment Procedures

Students working toward the MA in Portuguese Studies have the choice of two end assessment options, a Master Research Project and Master Exams. Successful completion of either option requires degree candidates to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of literary and cultural history of the Portuguese-speaking world and a mastery of the fundamentals of contemporary literary and cultural theory. Students pursuing the Research Project option further demonstrate an instrumental mastery of literary and cultural theory and an ability to deploy research methods in the humanities in producing a scholarly manuscript suitable for submission to a peer-reviewed journal. Students pursuing the Exam option further demonstrate knowledge and ability to undertake critical analysis of a comprehensive selection of representative works of Portuguese, Brazilian and Lusophone African Literatures included on the departmental MA Reading List. Each MA candidate’s faculty committee assesses his or her compliance with the academic success criteria established for each of the two options.

PhD in Luso-Afro-Brazilian Studies and Theory

Please visit the site for Graduate Studies in Portuguese at U-Mass Dartmouth

 Last Updated On: 4/20/09