爱荷华大学

Learning Outcomes

By graduation, Portuguese majors will have:

enhanced language proficiency and cultural awareness of the Portuguese-speaking world; and
attained skills to engage critically with histories, cultures, literatures, and other arts, and gained knowledge of the diversified Lusophone world (Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tome and Principe).

Overview

Portuguese is widely spoken in four continents and is the official language of eight countries: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Guine-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, and São Tome and Principe. Portuguese is the third most spoken European language (after English and Spanish) and the sixth most spoken language in the world. Brazil is the largest country in South America, comparable in size with the United States. Knowledge of Portuguese and of Luso-Brazilian culture is a marketable skill.

The Bachelor of Arts with a major in Portuguese requires a minimum of 120 s.h., including at least 33 s.h. of work for the major. Students must maintain a g.p.a. of at least 2.00 in all courses for the major and in all UI courses for the major.

Students must take at least one course in Portuguese (prefix PORT) numbered 4000 or above. No more than 9 s.h., with approval of advisor, may be taken in courses that are not Portuguese courses (prefix PORT). Students must complete PORT:2500 Accelerated Intermediate Portuguese or the equivalent before they complete any other requirements for the major. They may only apply 3 s.h. earned in PORT:2500toward the major. Two courses (6 s.h.) taught in English and two courses (6 s.h.) taught in Spanish numbered SPAN:2000 or above may count toward the major. Students can identify courses taught in English by viewing the course description for each course.

Majors have reported securing positions in multinational companies, international agencies, import/export companies, government tourism, research institutes, health institutions, the arts, graduate schools, and with the airlines, to name just a few. Portuguese can help students prepare to work in diverse fields such as banking, diplomacy, journalism, publishing, advertising, social services, media, law, and academia.