Portuguese

Did you know?

Portuguese is the sixth most spoken language in the world.

It is spoken on four continents–Europe, South America, Asia, and Africa–and has more native speakers than German and French.

Brazil is the largest Lusophone nation in the world and the only one in the Americas.

Portuguese, the language uniting more than 200 million speakers, is spoken in Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Timor. It is also the language of several immigrant communities in countries such as the United States, Canada, Venezuela, France, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, South Africa, Australia, and China.

The Portuguese program at the University of Minnesota was founded in 1966 by Professor Russell Hamilton, and it is one of the few programs in the nation that emphasizes the historical and cultural interconnections that have shaped the development of the Portuguese-speaking world, in its parts and as a whole, particularly through the experience of colonialism and slavery that are at the root of modernity. In addition, the program uniquely stresses gender, sexuality, and critical race perspectives to the study of culture.

The program in Portuguese studies at the University of Minnesota offers courses in language (all levels) and culture (including literature, film, popular music, history, and critical theory), emphasizing the whole of the Portuguese-speaking world: Portugal, Brazil, Lusophone Africa (Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe), and Timor. Degree programs include: a dual undergraduate major in Spanish and Portuguese, an undergraduate minor in Portuguese, and MA and PhD degrees in Portuguese studies.

Opportunities for employment within the United States include translation and interpretation, international business and marketing, international relations, diplomacy, publishing, and teaching.