Dr. Eugênia Fernandes, Assistant Professor of Portuguese, Modern Languages
eufernan@fiu.edu
What the certificate is
The certificate is designed to take you to a professional, career-ready level of Portuguese while giving you a genuine understanding of Brazilian and Lusophone cultures. It's built for people who want to actually use the language — in international relations, business, technology, education, diplomacy, healthcare, law, linguistics, and literary studies, or public leadership.
One thing that makes our program distinctive: alongside the language work, the curriculum treats humor as an essential component of cultural and linguistic competence. Knowing when and how people joke in a professional setting is one of the clearest markers of real fluency, and we teach it explicitly.
The program is open to degree-seeking students, non-degree-seeking students, and members of the broader community. Courses are offered in in-person, online, and hybrid formats, so it works whether you're on campus or joining us from elsewhere.
Structure: 15 credits
The certificate combines a language foundation with core courses in Portuguese for specific purposes, language and society, and Brazilian culture. Every student completes 15 credits total, but the balance between the two components depends on your starting point.
Language foundation — two possible tracks
Track A — if you already speak Spanish (6 credits):
- POR 1142 — Portuguese for Spanish Speakers I (3 credits)
- POR 1143 — Portuguese for Spanish Speakers II (3 credits)
This accelerated sequence takes advantage of what you already know. Spanish speakers move through the foundation faster, which leaves more room for the content courses — so students on this track complete three core courses (9 credits).
Track B — if you are starting from the beginning (9 credits):
- POR 1130 — Portuguese 1 (3 credits)
- POR 1131 — Portuguese 2 (3 credits)
- POR 2200 — Intermediate Portuguese (3 credits)
Students on this track complete two core courses (6 credits).
Core courses — choose two or three depending on your track (3 credits each)
- POR 3441 — Portuguese for Global Careers
- POR 3503 — Digital Humor in Portuguese
- POR 3504 — Brazilian Portuguese: History, Society, and Identity
- POR 3400 — Advanced Oral Communication
- POR 3420 — Review Grammar and Writing I
- POR 3421 — Review Grammar and Writing II
- POR 3440 — Portuguese for Business
- POR 3500 — Luso-Brazilian Culture (GL)
- POW 3284 — Brazilian Short Story
- PRT 3401 — Literature in Translation
Timeline: Most students complete the certificate in one year to a year and a half, depending on how many courses you take per term and whether you enroll in the summer.
What sets our program apart
- Celpe-Bras certification. FIU is one of very few official centers in the United States authorized to administer the Celpe-Bras, the Brazilian government's official proficiency exam.
- Industry connections. We maintain partnerships with major Brazilian multinational companies and regularly host guest speakers from them, which creates real networking opportunities for our students.
- Virtual exchange. Through collaborations with the Federal University of Acre, the University of Brasília, and the Luso-American Development Foundation in Portugal, students connect directly with peers and faculty abroad.
- Study abroad. We run programs in Brazil and Portugal focused on sustainability, business, and diplomacy.
If you're not currently an FIU degree student
You don't need to be enrolled in a degree program to take our courses. There are two paths:
- Non-degree seeking student — for anyone who wants to take courses without pursuing a full degree. You complete the Non-degree Seeking Application through FIU's application system and upload your residency documents.
- Transient student — if you're currently earning a degree at another university and want to transfer the credits back. Students at Florida public universities apply through FloridaShines; students at private or out-of-state institutions use the Non-degree Seeking Application. Check with your home advisor first to confirm the credits will transfer.
Good to know: Florida residents aged 60 and over may qualify for a senior citizen tuition waiver. Also note that non-degree undergraduate students may attempt up to 15 credits in that status — exactly the length of the certificate — after which you would need to affiliate with a department.
Guest and non-degree application information: admissions.fiu.edu/how-to-apply/guest-applicant
Cost
Tuition is charged per credit hour and varies by residency status and course modality, so the most reliable approach is to run your own estimate:
- Tuition Fee Calculator (enter your credits and residency for a detailed breakdown): fiu.edu/.../calculator
- Estimate Your Costs — FIU OneStop: fiu.edu/finances/estimate-your-costs
- Cost & Aid — FIU Admissions, including scholarship and financial aid options: fiu.edu/cost-and-aid
A couple of items the calculator flags separately: online courses carry a $30-per-credit distance learning fee, and undergraduate courses include a Panther Book Pack charge per credit unless you opt out through your MyFIU portal.
Next steps
If you'd like to talk it through, which track fits you, how to sequence the courses, or whether your existing Portuguese places you beyond the foundation sequence, contact Dr. Fernandes:
Dr. Eugênia Fernandes
eufernan@fiu.edu