Graduate Studies

The Department of Portuguese, in collaboration with the Departments of History, Political Science, Sociology/Anthropology, STEM Education and Teacher Development, and the Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture (CPSC), offers the MA in Portuguese Studies and the PhD in Luso-Afro-Brazilian Studies and Theory.

Both degrees give graduates an in-depth understanding of the literary and cultural history of the Portuguese-speaking world within a broad, interdisciplinary context of humanities and social sciences. Course offerings are complemented by frequent guest lectures and colloquia (check the listing of events sponsored by CPSC for more information).

The majority of core and elective courses are taught in the Department of Portuguese, in the disciplinary areas of literary and cultural studies and linguistics. These courses are mostly offered in Portuguese. Students may also take courses related to the Portuguese-speaking world that are taught in English in the departments of History, Political Science, and Sociology/Anthropology.

In addition to regular curricular offerings, students take seminar-level courses taught by a rotating pool of distinguished visiting scholars, in residence at UMass Dartmouth as holders of the Hélio and Amélia Pedroso/Luso-American Foundation Endowed Chair in Portuguese Studies.

Resources and Opportunities

Teaching Fellowships, sponsored partially by a generous grant from the Camões Institute, are available in the Department of Portuguese. Thanks to the generous support of the Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture, we are also able to offer a limited number of Doctoral Fellowships to outstanding PhD candidates.

The Graduate Program in Portuguese also benefits in part from an endowment gift from the Government of Portugal to the UMass Dartmouth Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture, awarded on March 18, 1998, and presented by Dr. Jaime Gama, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Graduate Programs

• MA in Portuguese studies
• PhD in Luso-Afro-Brazilian Studies & Theory

Sample MA theses and PhD dissertations in Luso-Afro-Brazilian Studies and Theory

Borges, Jason. "A gente fala bruto”: shifting perceptions among Portuguese language learners through critical language awareness in a mixed heritage/foreign language classroom: a dissertation in Luso-Afro-Brazilian Studies and Theory, 2025.

DaSilva Jr., Nilson. High school students in a Portuguese language class: nurturing agency through experiential learning in heritage language education in a Cape Verdean community in the United States : a dissertation in Luso-Afro-Brazilian Studies and Theory, 2025.

Holleran, Grace. "'Lés instruída é mais divertida!" Translation, community and lesbian representation in the Portuguese alternative press: a dissertation in Luso-Afro-Brazilian Studies and Theory, 2025.

Vera-Cruz Lima, Vanusa. "A Delicious amount of picturesque": are savages necessary?: asymmetrical race relations in Os Maias (1888) by Eça de Queirós: a dissertation in Luso-Afro-Brazilian Studies and Theory, 2024.

Zandomenico, Yasmin. Native foreigners of Brazil: lesbianism, literature, and nation: a dissertation in Luso-Afro-Brazilian Studies and Theory, 2024.

Felisberto, Maggie Lyn Nelson. Daytripping in the Lusosphere: Twenty-First-Century Novels, Graphic Novels, and Animations in the Portuguese Speaking World: a dissertation in Luso-Afro-Brazilian Studies and Theory, 2022. 

Branco, Maria Clotilde. Motivation among Portuguese language learners: the effects of a short-term study abroad program : a dissertation in Luso-Afro-Brazilian Studies and Theory, 2021.

Boscacci, Fausta. Mother-child interactions in a bilingual family: a case study in the use of directives : a dissertation in Luso-Afro-Brazilian Studies and Theory, 2020.

Simões, Diana. Posthumous Narration in Portuguese: Dead Storytellers in Portugal, Cabo Verde, Mozambique, and Brazil: a dissertation in Luso-Afro-Brazilian Studies and Theory, 2019. 

Tebaldi, Analia. Portuguese Learners' Behavior Regarding the Use of Communication Strategies in Online Courses: a dissertation in Luso-Afro-Brazilian Studies and Theory, 2018. 

Rivera, Serena. Of Meals and Men: Food, Masculinities and Social Change in the Literature of the Lusophone Transatlantic:  a dissertation in Luso-Afro-Brazilian Studies and Theory, 2017. 

Soares, Cristiane. The noticing and the learning of mutually intelligible languages: the acquisition of Portuguese pronunciation by Spanish speakers: a dissertation in Luso-Afro-Brazilian Studies and Theory, 2017.

luso-asio-afro-brazilian studies & theory (laabst)

luso-asio-afro-brazilian studies & theory (laabst) is a platform with hybrid works in open access that you may read online, download to your digital library, print at home, or take to your local printers to produce a low-cost paper book. Free of charge and available to all.

For more information, visit www.laabst.net.