Portuguese

Portuguese at St. Mary’s

Portuguese is a world language that enhances the academic and professional profile of any student planning a career with an international component. Speaking Portuguese increases your marketability, as more businesses, government agencies and nongovernmental organizations seek tri-lingual (English-Spanish-Portuguese) speakers to cover Latin America.

Portuguese is the most widely spoken language in South America, with over 180 million speakers in Brazil alone. In Africa, two Portuguese-speaking nations, Mozambique and Angola, are experiencing rapid economic growth after the end of civil conflicts as production of their oil and minerals increases.

St. Mary’s University offers a minor and a certificate in Portuguese. Students majoring in International Business can fulfill the Area Studies requirement of the major in advanced-level Portuguese classes. The lower-level courses in Portuguese fulfill the St. Mary’s foreign language requirement for all majors.

• Degree Plan

  Students can choose from either a minor or a certificate program:

  Minor in Portuguese
  Certificate in Languages with a Concentration in Portuguese

• Courses

  Courses include:

  Advanced Communication Skills in Portuguese
  Brazilian Culture and Civilization
  Portuguese for Spanish Speakers

  course catalog

Outside the Classroom

Study Abroad Opportunities

The Department of Languages encourages students of all majors to study abroad. Studying abroad can help students meet the requirements for the Languages major, minors and certificates. Studying in another country gives students first-hand experience with other cultures and languages and helps them develop cross-cultural communication skills valued by many employers.  

Semester Exchange Program in Brazil

Hosted by Pontifical Catholic University in Curitiba, Brazil, the program is a mix of Portuguese lessons and cultural activities. Curitiba is the largest city in Brazil’s South Region and the eighth largest city in the country.

Faculty

Similar Programs