Department of Portuguese

The Department of Portuguese, created in 2000, provides a solid foundation in the Portuguese language and a comprehensive curriculum of undergraduate and graduate courses on the literatures and cultures of the Portuguese-speaking world. We offer:

• a certificate in Portuguese Language and Culture
• a bachelor's degree in Portuguese
• a master's degree in Portuguese Studies
• a PhD in Luso-Afro-Brazilian Studies and Theory

Portuguese is the official language of approximately 270 million people in eight countries on four continents. After English and Spanish, it is the third most widely spoken European language, and the sixth most spoken language in the world. Situated in the heart of the region that boasts the largest concentration of Brazilian, Cape Verdean and Portuguese immigrants in the United States, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth provides a unique environment to learn Portuguese in a richly varied immersion setting.

For more info on our graduate programs, visit our graduate studies page. 

Learn Portuguese online

It doesn't matter where you live or work, you can still learn how to speak Portuguese. The Portuguese Department at UMass Dartmouth offers 4 online introductory courses during fall, spring, and/or summer semesters. Read more about our online course sequence. 

Study Portuguese this summer

The Department of Portuguese offers summer courses in beginning and intermediate Portuguese. By taking both POR 101 and POR 102, or POR 201 and POR 202 in only 10 weeks, it's a great way for students to get ahead. To learn more about schedule and costs, please visit Online & Continuing Education, for information on Portuguese graduate and undergraduate courses, see the Academic Catalog.

Mission Statement

The Department of Portuguese draws on its connections to both local Portuguese-speaking communities and global networks of specialized knowledge to provide students at the BA, MA and PhD levels with broad-based and in-depth programs of study. We offer students diverse opportunities to explore the Portuguese language and the literatures and cultures of the Portuguese-speaking world and its diasporas. Exploration of areas of inquiry such as literary theory, cultural analysis and linguistics is complemented by practical skills in academic writing, research methodology, critical thinking, translation, and pedagogy. Our world-class programs emphasize multiple and interconnected experiences with the aim of enabling students to engage productively in a global society.