Students in the LACLxS minor can focus on Portuguese language and Brazilian culture. This concentration provides students with advanced training in the Portuguese language and in the diverse cultural and literary worlds of Brazil, Portugal, and the Portuguese-speaking countries of Africa and Asia. The minor also fosters deep understanding of Brazilian politics, economy, society, and culture.

Faculty help students master key components of the Portuguese language that enable rich and complex expression, such as linking words, idioms, and registers of style, as well as to appreciate grammatical differences between Portuguese, Spanish, and English.

Upper-level courses in Brazilian culture studies provide students with valuable insight into Brazilian history, art, literature, popular culture, theater, cinema, and music. The courses discuss how indigenous, Asian, African, and European cultural influences have interacted and combined to create a new and unique nation.

Contact 

Dr. Flavia Azeredo-Cerqueira
Director, Portuguese Language Program
[email protected]

Requirements

The requirements for a minor in Latin American studies with a focus on Portuguese language and Brazilian culture are as follows:

The student must successfully complete Portuguese language courses through the intermediate level (or equivalent placement test), plus six courses (beyond the elementary level), including:

• 4 additional upper-level courses (300 or higher)
• 2  additional courses at any level dealing with Latin America.

No grade below C- will be accepted for the minor requirement.

*The requirements for the focus are the same as those for the regular minor program, except for the thematic content.

Note that courses follow the normal rules for all majors/minors and can only apply once within the minor.

We also recommend that Latin American studies minors with a focus on Portuguese language and Brazilian culture study abroad, either for a semester or a summer.