Portuguese

Program Overview

The Department of Modern Languages offers a Dual Language Major, a Minor in Portuguese, and a Certificate in Portuguese Language and Brazilian Culture.

The Portuguese program offers a Study Abroad Summer Program and the Celpe-Bras Proficiency Exam in Portuguese. Courses available in the Study Abroad program make up part of the Portuguese major, minor, and certificate.

To receive more information about any aspect of the Portuguese program, please contact:

Dr. Eugênia Fernandes, Assistant Professor of Portuguese: eufernan@fiu.edu

Lisbon

Helpful Links

The Portuguese Language is spoken by more than 255 million people worldwide.

Of this number, 207 million are in Brazil. In addition to Brazil and Portugal, it is also officially spoken in Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Timor-Leste and São Tomé and Príncipe. Learn more about the Portuguese language in the Portuguese Language Museum Webpage.

Portuguese Language Museum O Paraíso são os outros

Faculty

Eugênia Fernandes
Assistant Professor of Portuguese and Brazilian/Lusophone Studies, Coordinator of the Portuguese Program
(305)348-2049
eufernan@fiu.edu
SIPA II 234

The Department of Modern Languages offers a 30-credit Major (GLCL) in Portuguese and Lusophone Studies.

While the curriculum includes material on Portugal and Lusophone cultures worldwide, the program is designed primarily for students with a strong interest in the language and culture of Brazil. Students are encouraged to pursue Portuguese in connection with global career pathways, especially in fields such as Political Science, International Relations, Diplomacy, Criminal Justice, Economics, and International Business, where advanced Portuguese proficiency provides a distinct professional advantage.

For more information, please visit the Major in Portuguese and Lusophone Studies page.

A student majoring in another discipline may earn an academic minor in Portuguese. Prerequisites include a basic command of written and spoken Portuguese corresponding to the POR 3202-3233 series (or equivalent).

Out of the 18 required credits, 15 must be selected from a list of Portuguese core courses. 3 credits may be upper-division courses in second language acquisition, linguistics, culture and translation. Courses focusing on Brazil, Portugal or Lusophone Africa offered by other departments may also count. POR courses below 3400 do not count.

For more information, please visit the Minor in Portuguese Language page.

Open to both degree-seeking and non-degree-seeking students, as well as members of the broader community, this certificate program provides participants with the opportunity to achieve professional-level proficiency in Portuguese. Offered in in-person, online, and hybrid modalities, it is ideal for those interested in using Portuguese across various fields, including international relations, technology, education, diplomacy, medical and health contexts, business, law, linguistic and literary studies, and public leadership.

Beyond leading students toward a functional, career-ready level of language proficiency, the curriculum also highlights humor as an essential component of cultural and linguistic competence for career readiness.

For more information, please visit the Certificate in Portuguese and Brazilian Language and Culture page.

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Portuguese

The Portuguese Language is spoken by more than 255 million people worldwide.