The Portuguese Program
Our Portuguese program offers students at the University of Chicago a solid foundation in the Portuguese language as well as the opportunity to enroll in a varied set of interdisciplinary courses focusing on the most relevant issues pertaining to the literatures and cultures of the Portuguese-speaking world. Portuguese is the world's sixth-leading language and the second most widely-spoken Romance language in the world. It is the native language of Portugal and Brazil-the largest and most populous country in Latin America and the continent's largest economy-and also the official language of five African countries and of East Timor in Asia, as well as an official language of international institutions like the European Union and the African Union. Knowledge of Portuguese can open up profession opportunities in international relations, business and finance, health care, public service, and education.
In recent years the roster of Portuguese courses has been expanded and the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures is deeply invested in the program's sustained growth and success. We expect to hire a full-time faculty member in the near future, and the Luso-American Foundation already sends a visiting professor from the University of Lisbon one quarter every year. A minor in Portuguese is also soon to be approved. The Department's association with the Center for Latin American Studies-which in 2005 received a renewable annual grant from the Luso-American Foundation that will allow it to invite to campus guest speakers from across the Lusophone world-offers students the opportunity to broaden their knowledge of Brazilian history and culture. Our students can also take advantage of a variety of courses offered by our associate faculty in different fields, such as anthropology, comparative literature, and history. Many of our students have benefited from FLAS grants for language study in Brazil, and scholarships for study and/or research in Portugal are also available through the Instituto Camões and the Luso-American Foundation.
If you already speak Spanish, we encourage you to enroll in Portuguese for Spanish Speakers, which is offered every Spring. The Program is intended for students wishing to fulfill a double major in Romance Languages, or to prepare for graduate study in fields such as literature, anthropology, history, cultural studies, education, law, and international studies-- or for anyone wishing to expand their knowledge of the language and cultural productions of Portuguese-speaking countries.