Global Portuguese Studies Minor

The Global Portuguese Studies Minor is an interdisciplinary program at Wellesley College that gives students the opportunity to combine the study of language, literature, history, film, music and culture.

Goals for the Global Portuguese Studies Minor:

• Communicate effectively in written and spoken Portuguese;
• Develop analytical and writing skills by studying and understanding the diverse cultures of the Lusophone world;
• Identify key topics in contemporary film, music and fiction within the social, political and historical contexts of the modern Lusophone world;
• Recognize pivotal historical events and representative historical figures in the Lusophone world;
• Develop abilities to participate in a global multilingual and multicultural community; and
• Enable students to pursue these goals across multiple disciplines and departments.

Requirements for the Global Portuguese Studies Minor

The Global Portuguese Studies Minor requires a minimum of five units of course work. Students with advanced level of linguistic fluency in Portuguese may not have to complete Intensive Elementary and/or Intensive Intermediate Portuguese, but still must complete five units of course work. Before declaring a minor, students should consult with their faculty advisor and the Portuguese program director. Requirements for the minor in Global Portuguese Studies include:

Three Required Courses:

• PORT 203 – Intensive Intermediate Portuguese
• PORT 241 – Introduction to Lusophone Studies
• PORT 256/AFR 256 – The Cultures of the Portuguese-Speaking World through Film, Music, and Fiction (all graded work must be in Portuguese)

Two Elective Units:

• All elective courses, research or individual studies, must be approved by the Portuguese Program director if not listed as pre-approved below.
• One unit must be in a course where all graded work is in Portuguese.

Transfer Credit:

Only one unit can be transferred from another institution and must be approved by the Portuguese program director. It can be, for example, from MIT or Study abroad.

Study Abroad Credit:

Must be pre-approved by the Portuguese program director.

Possible Elective Courses

Pre-approved Portuguese elective courses taught at Wellesley College and MIT:

• PORT 250 – Research or Individual Study
• PORT 350 – Research or Individual Study (awaiting approval)
• PORT 314/MUS 314 – Seminar: Brazilian Music (all graded work must be in Portuguese)
• (MIT) 21G.821 – The Beat of Brazil: Portuguese Language and Brazilian Society through its Music

Pre-approved courses taught in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese related to the Portuguese-speaking world:

• PORT 266/SPAN 266 – Private Feelings, Public Lives: An Introduction to Early Modern Iberian Literatures and Cultures
• SPAN 272 – Understanding Modern Spain
• PORT310/SPAN 310 - Seminar. Foreign Affairs: Spain and Portugal

Pre-approved courses taught in the Department of History related to the Portuguese-speaking world:

• HIST 206 – From Conquest to Revolution: The History of Colonial Latin America
• HIST 358 – Pepper, Silver, and Silk: The Political Culture of Early Modern Commodity Circulation, Seminar
• HIST 377 – Seminar. The City in Latin America

Potential Courses for Credit Toward the Global Portuguese Studies Minor

Courses that do not deal exclusively/specifically with the Lusophone world but can possibly be used for credit. This list is only a sample and other courses, not listed here, may be considered for credit. Students must get approval from the instructor teaching the course to focus their research on the Portuguese-speaking world. To receive credit for the Global Portuguese Studies Minor, students must concentrate research and final paper(s) on the Portuguese-speaking world and receive advance approval from the Portuguese program director.

• AFR 244 – Women & Slavery in the Trans-Atlantic World
• ECON 241 – Poverty and Inequality in Latin America
• ES 214 – Social Causes and Consequences of Environmental Problems
• HIST 265 – History of Modern Africa
• LAST 101 – Introduction to Latin American Studies
• SPAN 252 – The Making of Spain: Christians, Jews, and Moslems
• SPAN 253 – The Latin American Short Story
• SPAN 257 – The Word and the Song: Contemporary Latin American Poetry
• SPAN 265 – Latin American Cinema
• SPAN 273 – Latin American Civilization
• SPAN 275 – The Making of Modern Latin American Culture
• WGST 314 – Seminar: Transnational Feminisms
• WRIT 158 – Bestsellers after the Boom: Contemporary Latin American Literature in Translation