Getting Started (Majors Guide)

College: HFA

(Revised Spring 2018)  

How to Explore / Get Started in the Major

Students who studied Portuguese in high school or who learned Portuguese at home should contact the Portuguese advisor (amaral@umass.edu) for a placement exam and/or credit processing. These students usually skip all the language preparation sequence for the minor and major and start by taking one of the 3rd year Portuguese courses:

  • PORT 301 or PORT 302 (Conversation)
  • PORT 311 (Advanced Grammar)
  • PORT 312 (Composition)
  • PORT 315 (Portuguese Civilization)
  • PORT 316 (Brazilian Culture through Music)

Students who were placed above the 200-level in Spanish, Italian or French should enroll in one of the Portuguese courses for Romance speakers. Please consult the Portuguese advisor for details.

Students who have no background in the language should enroll in PORT 110.

Suggested General Education Courses

Under the new guidelines students are still required to take two courses, one in U.S. Diversity and one in Global Diversity. Students entering in Fall 2018 are expected to take one of these diversity courses, either U.S. or Global, in their first year on campus.  For Fall 2018 Registration, look for courses with DU (formerly U) and DG (formerly G) to help students stay on track.  Any course labled DU will satisfy the requirement for a U.S. diversity course and any course labeled DG will satisfy the the requirement for Global diversity course. Course planning guidelines, including guidelines for students, are available at www.umass.edu/gened

  • PORT 408 – Brazil film and fiction.
  • PORT 321 – Portuguese Literature
  • PORT 322 – Brazilian Literature

Suggested Major and Pre-requisite Courses

The basic language sequence is made of four courses. Both PORT 230 and 240 already count towards the major and minor.

  • PORT 110, PORT 120, PORT 230 and PORT 240

Students who test out of the language sequence can take courses for the professions (business, translation, health professionals, etc), advanced language, linguistics, culture and literature. The Portuguese advisor can help students choose the right courses based on their academic and professional goals.


How to Declare the Major

Students can declare the major at any time by contacting the Portuguese advisor.

Exploratory Track Students:

Students who already speak Portuguese can declare it as their primary major while exploring other options.

As a Primary Major:

Students enrolled in Portuguese as their primary major have the opportunity to work as translators, interpreters, language instructors, community liaison, among other options, during their time at UMass. There are also opportunities for internships abroad. Please consult the Portuguese advisor.

As a Secondary Major:

Students who already speak the language usually declare Portuguese as their secondary major for professional and academic purposes. These students are encouraged to take courses in Portuguese for the professions (business, translations, interpretation, tourism, health, etc) and improve their communication and analytic skills in a language other than English.

Transfer Student:

If students have completed the equivalent to any of the courses offered at UMass, they should consult the Portuguese advisor to transfer the necessary credits and be placed at the appropriate level.


Summary of Requirements for the Major

Minimum total # of credits required: 33 plus Junior Year Writing

Ten courses are required for the major in Portuguese. A cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required for courses in the major.

Pre-major preparation (6 credits):

  • PORT 230 and PORT 240

Eight other courses at the 300-level or above. At least two courses have to be at the 400-level and up to two courses can be taken in English outside of the department with the approval of the Portuguese advisor.

Note: Summer, winter, or semester programs in Portugal or Brazil may also be used to earn credits towards the Portuguese major or minor. Students who spend the semester abroad in a Portuguese speaking country usually transfer up to five courses towards their degrees in Portuguese. Please consult the advisor for available options abroad.

Is there a minor? If so what are the requirements?
Yes. A total of five courses are required for the minor in Portuguese. Students must take PORT 230 and 240 plus three other courses at the 300-level or above. Students who already speak Portuguese can replace the 200-level language sequence by other courses available. A cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required in all courses counted towards the minor.

For further information, contact:
Professor Luiz Amaral
Herter Hall 404 (LLC)
amaral@umass.edu
www.umass.edu/spanport/