Placement & Credit

The course description and placement guidelines that follow should help you choose the proper gateway course given your background. Portuguese courses do fulfill the general education foreign language (FL) requirements. There are no AP, IB or SAT placement tests for Portuguese.

If you have this background:

You should take this course:

Elementary Portuguese - 100 level courses
  • You have no prior knowledge of Portuguese
  • You have no more than 2 years of Portuguese study in high school
 Portugue 101: Elementary Portuguese 1 - Introduces the basic elements of the language and includes an exposure to some aspects of Portuguese-speaking cultures. Aural comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing skills receive equal attention. Conducted in Portuguese, using a communicative approach. Five class meetings a week.
  • You have some previous study of Portuguese or another Romance Language
  • You have taken Portuguese 101
 Portugue 102: Elementary Portuguese 2 - Builds on the elements of language acquired in Elementary Portuguese 101; enrollment in Portuguese 102 presupposes acquisition of the contents covered in Portuguese 101. Speaking, reading, and writing skills emphasized; exposure to some aspects of Portuguese-speaking cultures an important component. Conducted entirely in Portuguese, using a communicative approach. Five class meetings a week.
  • You are fluent in another Romance language
 Portugue 112: Accelerated Elementary Portuguese - Covers the elementary Portuguese language curriculum (Portuguese 101 and 102) in one semester. Designed for highly motivated undergraduate and graduate students as well as fluent speakers of another Romance language. Most grammar and textbook work is done outside of class, freeing class time for more communicative activities. Conversation sessions provide intensive work on grammar focused through discussion on issues raised in films, news media, readings, music. Meets five times a week.

Intermediate Portuguese - 200 level courses
  • You have completed Portuguese 102 or 112
 Portugue 203: Intermediate Portuguese - Intensive language review of reading, writing, and oral practice, with increased attention to grammatical variety and accuracy. Cultural component emphasized through short readings, videos, music.
  • You have taken Portuguese 203
 Portugue 204: Advanced Intermediate Portuguese - An advanced grammar review complemented by oral practice, composition, videos, and selected literary readings. Guided essay writing on topics related to the readings and videos. Second part of an intermediate sequence; suggested as preparation for 300-level courses.

Advanced Portuguese - 300 level courses
  • You have taken Portuguese 203
  • You have instructor consent

Portugue 301S: Advanced Colloquial Portuguese - Advanced conversation and composition through the study of colloquial Portuguese as a catalyst of popular culture; extensive comparisons of popular sayings, expressions, and proverbs; emphasis on oral communication. Contemporary short texts, ''telenovelas,'' video, music, and Internet sources. Highlights differences between Portuguese as spoken in Portugal and Brazilian Portuguese (syntax, vocabulary, spelling); transmits a sense of African, Azorian, and Asian Portuguese, and United States Portuguese communities.

Portugue 334S: Introduction to Brazilian Literature - Major writers and movements of Brazilian literature from the period of discovery to present, using short texts, novels, plays, short stories. Includes early letters of discovery, Machado de Assis, Mario de Andrade, Clarice Lispector. 

See the 'Courses' tab near the top of the page for a full listing of Portuguese courses beyond those mentioned here.