Here are some of the many reasons to learn Portuguese.
- Close to 250 million people speak Portuguese. Brazil alone has a population of 205 million.
- Portuguese is the sixth most widely spoken language in the world, before German (10th), French (11th) and Italian (15th).
- Portuguese is spoken in 11 countries on four continents. Portuguese is the official language of Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, East Timor, and is also widely spoken in Equatorial Guinea, Macau (China), and Goa (India).
- Portuguese is a working and/or official language of important international organizations, such as the African Union, the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, the European Union, Mercosul, the Organization of American States, and the Organization of Ibero-American States.
- An estimated 1.3 million native Portuguese-speakers live in the United States.
- To study Portuguese is an asset in today’s global economy. For example, Brazil’s economy is among the largest in the world.
- The Portuguese novelist José Saramago won the 1998 Nobel Prize for Literature. The music, festivities, culture, and art of the Portuguese-speaking countries are appreciated all over the world.
- Portuguese shares some grammar rules, sentence structure, and similar vocabulary words with other Romance languages. If you already speak French, Spanish or Italian, Portuguese is an easy and fun language to learn.
- You will certainly enjoy our Portuguese classes that are student-focused and culturally engaging!\. Our 101–102 textbook will soon be available as an interactive open-access e-book.
- Last but not least, Brazil is the only country that has won the World Soccer Cup Championship five times.
Students may declare at any time prior to attaining senior standing (86 credits) in consultation with the Portuguese undergraduate advisor.
University General Education Requirements
All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Various schools and colleges will have requirements in addition to the requirements listed below. Consult your advisor for assistance, as needed. For additional information, see the university Undergraduate General Education Requirements section of the Guide.
| General Education |
* The mortarboard symbol appears before the title of any course that fulfills one of the Communication Part A or Part B, Ethnic Studies, or Quantitative Reasoning Part A or Part B requirements. |
College of Letters & Science Breadth and Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Students pursuing a bachelor of arts degree in the College of Letters & Science must complete all of the requirements below. The College of Letters & Science allows this major to be paired with either a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science curriculum. View a comparison of the degree requirements here.
Bachelor of Arts degree requirements
| Mathematics | Fulfilled with completion of University General Education requirements Quantitative Reasoning a (QR A) and Quantitative Reasoning b (QR B) coursework. Please note that some majors may require students to complete additional math coursework beyond the B.A. mathematics requirement. |
| Foreign Language |
Note: A unit is one year of high school work or one semester/term of college work. |
| L&S Breadth |
|
| Liberal Arts and Science Coursework | 108 credits |
| Depth of Intermediate/Advanced work | 60 intermediate or advanced credits |
| Major | Declare and complete at least one (1) major |
| Total Credits | 120 credits |
| UW-Madison Experience | 30 credits in residence, overall 30 credits in residence after the 90th credit |
| Minimum GPAs | 2.000 in all coursework at UW–Madison 2.000 in intermediate/advanced coursework at UW–Madison |
Non–L&S students pursuing an L&S major
Non–L&S students who have permission from their school/college to pursue an additional major within L&S only need to fulfill the major requirements and do not need to complete the L&S breadth and degree requirements above. Please note that the following special degree programs are not considered majors so are not available to non–L&S degree-seeking candidates:
- Applied Mathematics, Engineering and Physics (Bachelor of Science–Applied Mathematics, Engineering and Physics)
- Journalism (Bachelor of Arts–Journalism; Bachelor of Science–Journalism)
- Music (Bachelor of Music)
- Social Work (Bachelor of Social Work)
Requirements for the Major
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 26 PORTUG credits beyond PORTUG 201 to include: 1 | ||
| Survey of Portuguese Literature | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Survey of Portuguese Literature before 1825 | ||
| Survey of Brazilian Literature before 1890 | ||
| Survey of Portuguese Literature since 1825 | ||
| Survey of Brazilian Literature since 1890 | ||
| Additional Portuguese Literature | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Survey of Portuguese Literature before 1825 | ||
| Survey of Brazilian Literature before 1890 | ||
| Brazillian Women Writers | ||
| Lusophone African Literature | ||
| Survey of Portuguese Literature since 1825 | ||
| Survey of Brazilian Literature since 1890 | ||
| Topics in Luso-Brazilian Literature | ||
| Portuguese Culture/Civilization | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Portuguese Civilization | ||
| Brazilian Civilization | ||
| Historical and Cultural Traditions of Brazil | ||
| Carmen Miranda | ||
| Topics in Luso-Brazilian Culture | ||
| Composition and Conversation | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Third Year Conversation and Composition | ||
| Third Year Conversation and Composition | ||
| Fourth Year Composition and Conversation | ||
| Fourth Year Composition and Conversation | ||
| Elective Courses in PORTUG | ||
| Select two additional PORTUG courses numbered 302 or higher. | 6 | |
| Select additional PORTUG courses beyond PORTUG 201 to bring total credits to 26. 1 | 5 | |
| Second Romance Language | ||
| Two units of another Romance language (French, Italian, or Spanish) taken either in high school or in college. 2 | ||
| Total Credits | 26 | |
RESIDENCE AND QUALITY OF WORK
- 2.000 GPA in PORTUG and all major courses
- 2.000 GPA on 15 upper-level major credits in residence3
- 15 credits in PORTUG, taken at UW–Madison
| 1 | May not include PORTUG 301 which is the equivalent of PORTUG 101 and PORTUG 102. |
| 2 | Coursework in Spanish is recommended. |
| 3 | PORTUG courses with the Advanced level designation are considered upper-level in the major. |
Honors in the Major
Students may declare Honors in the Major in consultation with the Portuguese undergraduate advisor.
HONORS IN THE PORTUGUESE MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
To earn Honors in the Major, students must satisfy both the requirements for the major (above) and the following additional requirements:
- Earn a 3.300 University GPA
- Earn 3.500 GPA for all PORTUG courses at or above PORTUG 302, and any course that counts for the major
- Complete at least 16 credits, taken for Honors, with individual grades of B or better, to include:
- 10 credits from PORTUG 202 to 680, excluding PORTUG 301
- A two-semester Senior Honors Thesis in PORTUG 681 and PORTUG 682, for a total of 6 credits.
University Degree Requirements
| Total Degree | To receive a bachelor's degree from UW–Madison, students must earn a minimum of 120 degree credits. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 degree credits. Students should consult with their college or department advisor for information on specific credit requirements. |
| Residency | Degree candidates are required to earn a minimum of 30 credits in residence at UW–Madison. "In residence" means on the UW–Madison campus with an undergraduate degree classification. “In residence” credit also includes UW–Madison courses offered in distance or online formats and credits earned in UW–Madison Study Abroad/Study Away programs. |
| Quality of Work | Undergraduate students must maintain the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, or academic program to remain in good academic standing. Students whose academic performance drops below these minimum thresholds will be placed on academic probation. |
- Develop communication skills in Portuguese and integrate these skills to exchange and assess ideas effectively and with level-appropriate accuracy in written and spoken Portuguese.
- Demonstrate understanding of linguistic, pragmatic, sociolinguistic, and stylistic features of written and spoken Portuguese, understand how they influence meaning, and apply these features in level-appropriate ways in writing and speech.
- Demonstrate knowledge of Lusophone cultures across historical epochs, including awareness of the social, cultural, and linguistic diversity that characterizes the Portuguese-speaking world.
- Demonstrate familiarity with and apply basic methods of literary and/or linguistic analysis, which for literary analysis includes interpretation of written texts and other forms of artistic/cultural creation, both in and of themselves and in the context of the particular social, cultural, and historical milieus in which they were created.
Portuguese Major - Bachelor of Arts/Science Degree
Sample Four-Year Plan
The Sample Four-Year Plan is a tool to assist you and your advisor(s). Use it along with your DARS report and the Course Guide. You will make your own Four-Year Plan based on your placement scores, incoming credits, and individual interests. As you become involved in athletics, honors, research, student organizations, study abroad, volunteer experiences, and/or work, you might adjust the order of your courses to accommodate these experiences. You will likely revise your own four-year plan several times during college.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| PORTUG 101 | 4 | PORTUG 102 | 4 |
| Communication A | 3 | Ethnic Studies | 3 |
| Quantitative Reasoning A | 3 | Biological Science Breadth | 3 |
| Social Science Breadth | 3 | Social Science Breadth | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| PORTUG 201 | 4 | PORTUG 202 | 4 |
| First Semester of Another Romance Language | 4 | Second Semester of Another Romance Language | 4 |
| Communication BLiterature in Translation 226, a Communication-B course, often meets with Portuguese 221. | 3-4 | Physical Science Breadth | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Social Science Breadth | 3 |
| INTER-LS 210 | 1 | ||
| 15 | 14 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| PORTUG 225 | 3 | PORTUG 226 | 3 |
| Survey of Portuguese Literature | 3 | Portuguese Culture/Civilization | 3 |
| Quantatative Reasoning B / Intermediate/Advanced COMP SCI/MATH/STAT if needed for B.S. | 3 | Intermediate/Advanced COMP SCI/MATH/STAT if needed for B.S. | 3 |
| Social Science Breadth | 3 | Electives | 6 |
| Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Additional Portuguese Literature | 3 | 300+ Level Portuguese Elective | 3 |
| 300+ Level Portuguese Elective | 3 | Science Breadth | 3 |
| Science Breadth | 3 | Electives | 8 |
| Electives | 6 | ||
| 15 | 14 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||
ADVISING
Karen Francis, Undergraduate Advisor
karen.francis@wisc.edu
608-265-3183
1008 Van Hise Hall
1220 Linden Drive
Spanish & Portuguese Undergraduate Advising
CAREERS
International Directions Advisor
1322 Van Hise Hall
1220 Linden Drive
https://languages.wisc.edu/beyond/careers
L&S career resources
SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps students leverage the academic skills learned in their major, certificates, and liberal arts degree; explore and try out different career paths; participate in internships; prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications; and network with professionals in the field (alumni and employers). In short, SuccessWorks helps students in the College of Letters & Science discover themselves, find opportunities, and develop the skills they need for success after graduation.
SuccessWorks can also assist students in career advising, résumé and cover letter writing, networking opportunities, and interview skills, as well as course offerings for undergraduates to begin their career exploration early in their undergraduate career.
Students should set up their profiles in Handshake to take care of everything they need to explore career events, manage their campus interviews, and apply to jobs and internships from 200,000+ employers around the country.
- SuccessWorks
- Set up a career advising appointment
- INTER-LS 210 L&S Career Development: Taking Initiative (1 credit, targeted to first- and second-year students)—for more information, see Inter-LS 210: Career Development, Taking Initiative
- INTER-LS 215 Communicating About Careers (3 credits, fulfills Com B General Education Requirement)
- Handshake
- Learn how we’re transforming career preparation: L&S Career Initiative
Professors Beilin, Bilbija, Close, Corfis, De Ferrari, Egea, Frantzen, Hildner, Hutchinson, Madureira, Medina, Podestá, Sanchez, Sapega
Associate Professors Alcalá-Galán, Ancos-García, Armstrong, Goldgel-Carballo, Hernández, Pellegrini, Rao, Stafford, Tejedo Herrera
Assistant Professor Cerezo Paredes
Senior Lecturer Mercado
Faculty Associate Pujol
Associate Faculty Associates Fondow, Neumayer, Rodríguez-Guridi
Department Administrator Simpson
Program Associate Tanner
Financial Specialist Tainter
Undergraduate Advisor Francis