Portuguese Language and Literature Schools and Programs in The United States

Portuguese Language and Literature Studies in The United States

Portuguese language and literature is a small but well-established field at American universities. It is usually taught in a joint department of Spanish and Portuguese or of Romance languages, and it covers the language together with the literatures and cultures of Brazil, Portugal and Portuguese-speaking Africa. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, describes Portuguese as the sixth most spoken language in the world, with more than 230 million speakers. SpainExchange lists 21 colleges and universities in the United States under Portuguese language and literature.

How the degree is organised

A bachelor's degree in the United States is usually completed in four years of full-time study. Students take courses in many subjects, normally declare their major by the end of the second year, and can add a second major or a minor. For Portuguese this produces several formats:

• A major in Portuguese: the University of Wisconsin-Madison offers Portuguese as a BA or a BS, and the University of Florida offers a BA and a minor in Portuguese
• A combined major: Vanderbilt University offers a major in Spanish and Portuguese that requires a minimum of 33 credit hours in the two languages, and a Portuguese minor of at least 15 credit hours
• A minor or modified major: Dartmouth College offers Lusophone Studies as a minor or as a modified major combined with advanced study in another department
• A language track alongside another major: the Portuguese Flagship Program at The University of Texas at Austin is a merit-based undergraduate course of study for learners who want to reach professional working proficiency while pursuing a major of their choice

At Wisconsin-Madison, the goals of the major include advanced proficiency in oral communication and written expression, an understanding of Luso-Brazilian cultures and literatures, and an understanding of aspects of Ibero-Romance linguistics. At Rutgers, the Portuguese major combines language skills with the literature and culture of Portugal, Brazil and African lands of Portuguese language or influence.

Study abroad is a regular part of the degree. The University of Florida encourages majors and minors to study in Portuguese-speaking countries, and Dartmouth runs the Brazil Learning Immersion in São Paulo and Salvador (BLISS), in which students spend five weeks in São Paulo and four weeks in Salvador.

At graduate level, master's degrees typically take two years and doctorates five to eight years. Some departments offer Portuguese inside a wider programme: at the University of Florida, for example, students can specialise in Brazilian language and literature at graduate level through the MALAS programme of the Center for Latin American Studies.

Admission and language

Students apply to the college or university, not to the department. Teaching outside the language courses is in English, and universities require an English proficiency test before admission. No previous Portuguese is normally needed to start: departments place students by level. At Rutgers, students who studied Portuguese at high school or who speak Spanish at home are assigned to courses according to a placement test.

For a full degree, international students need a student visa. Once accepted by a school certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), the school's international student office issues the Form I-20 that is presented in the visa application. Costs are set by each institution; as a general rule, state universities are less expensive than private universities.

Where to study Portuguese

The 21 schools in this directory are spread across the country, with no city having more than one. Examples include large public universities such as The Ohio State University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Rutgers, the University of Florida, the University of Minnesota and The University of California at Berkeley; private universities such as Yale University, Brown University, Vanderbilt University, The University of Chicago and New York University; and colleges such as Dartmouth College and Middlebury College. Broward College in Fort Lauderdale and Eastern Arizona College are also listed.

Recognition

The United States has no national ministry that validates degrees. Recognition of course credits and degrees by other institutions and by employers is linked to the institution's accreditation, so check it before you apply.

Careers

Rutgers notes that students often combine Portuguese with other areas to prepare for careers in international business, government, travel or communications. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), interpreters and translators typically need at least a bachelor's degree and must be proficient in English and at least one other language. BLS counts about 73,900 interpreter and translator jobs in 2025, for all languages together; 30% are in professional, scientific and technical services and 28% are self-employed. Employment is projected to grow 2% from 2025 to 2035, with about 6,000 openings a year.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to know Portuguese before I start?

Usually not. Departments offer courses from beginner level and use placement tests for students who already know some Portuguese or who speak Spanish.

Can I combine Portuguese with another subject?

Yes. Combined majors in Spanish and Portuguese, minors, modified majors and programmes such as the Portuguese Flagship Program at The University of Texas at Austin are designed for that.

How long does the degree take?

A bachelor's degree usually takes four years of full-time study. A master's degree typically takes two more years.

Will I study in Brazil or Portugal?

It is not compulsory everywhere, but departments encourage it. Dartmouth College, for example, runs a nine-week programme in São Paulo and Salvador.