World Language Education Program (Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese and Spanish Majors AND Minors)

The undergraduate World Language Education Program, including the Portuguese major and minor, was suspended in the fall of 2020 and will be discontinued at the undergraduate level as of fall 2023. A new, graduate-level program in World Language Education is under development and will provide teacher certification in these languages. Contact the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, curric@education.wisc.edu, regarding the status of this new program.

The information included here in the Guide is still provided as a resource for admitted undergraduate students. 

Admissions to the Portuguese Minor have been suspended as of fall 2020 and will be discontinued as of fall 2023. If you have any questions, please contact the department.

This minor is only available to students admitted to the World Language Education program, or to teachers already licensed to teach at an appropriate level and subject in Wisconsin. Undergraduate students interested in completing a certification minor in Portuguese must also complete a major in another World Language certification subject area and be admitted to the World Language Education program. It is not possible to be certified only in a minor area. Consult with an Education Academic Services advisor to discuss the feasibility of combining this minor with the major subject area—not all combinations may be possible and will require approval of the WLE program coordinator. Interested students must apply and be admitted to both language subject areas. The oral proficiency exam, any written exams, and the immersion experience required for certification must be completed in both languages.

Note: The undergraduate World Language Education Program, including this minor, will be suspended in the fall of 2020. A new, graduate-level program is being developed for teacher certification in these languages.

The last group of undergraduates will be selected in the spring semester of 2020.  Admission criteria have been modified from previous years to accommodate all students interested in applying for the final undergraduate cohort, including freshmen beginning in the fall of 2019. See the How to Get In section of the language major for more details about the application process, eligibility criteria and deadlines.

Licensed teachers interested in pursuing certification in this minor should consult with the World Language Education program director, Professor François Tochon, ftochon@education.wisc.edu, 544C Teacher Education Building.

Note: The oral proficiency exam, any written exams, and an immersion experience are required for certification in this language. Consult the major requirements in this subject for an explanation of these requirements and the World Language Education professional sequence.

Minor Requirements

Complete a minimum of 30 credits. The Portuguese minor also requires a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75, based on all Portuguese minor coursework taken on the UW–Madison campus. Students may exempt from a course requirement based on demonstrated proficiency at that level.

Consult with advising staff in the School of Education Student Services office, Room 139 Education Building, 1000 Bascom Mall, for general questions regarding certification to teach Portuguese. Current students should schedule an appointment online through the Starfish app in MyUW. Appointments can also be made through email at soeacademicservices@education.wisc.edu, by calling 608-262-1651, or in person. Students may want to consult the undergraduate advisor in the Spanish and Portuguese department if interested in this field of study.