Undergraduate Portuguese Studies

Study Portuguese language and culture to become a global professional

aerial image of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, showing Christ statue, mountains, and the sea

“The Portuguese program provides a welcoming environment to any student looking to learn another language. I joined the program to fulfill a graduation requirement, but found that I wanted to continue. This program offers a streamlined process to meet the requirements for a minor and is accommodating to the students that are passionate about learning the language."

Lauren Welling

Discover the Power of Portuguese: A Global Language with Economic and Cultural Influence

With more than 200 million speakers on four continents, Portuguese offers instant communication with citizens of Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Goa, Guiné Bissau, Macau, Mozambique, Portugal, and São Tomé e Príncipe. Portuguese is the 6th-most widely spoken language in the world and the second most spoken Romance language, after Spanish. 

The Portuguese program at UM has an emphasis on Brazil, which is the 5th-largest country in the world (in size and population) and a top 8 economy. It is rich in natural resources and has the largest industrial zone in Latin America. It is an important political and economic power in the Western Hemisphere and is a key part of the BRICS Alliance (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa), a rival bloc from the Global South with the goal to counter the G-7 Alliance (US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan) in world economic power. 

Expand Your Horizons with a Portuguese Minor

The Department of Modern Languages offers an undergraduate Portuguese minor with elementary, intermediate and advanced courses that emphasize the language and culture of Brazil. Students may also study Portuguese in order to fulfill a possible general education language requirement. 

The Portuguese faculty have expertise in Brazilian Portuguese linguistics, Portuguese for business, legal and technical translations. Our Portuguese classes feature low faculty-to-student ratios allowing students to work closely with the faculty.

Explore the Minor

  • image of a group with Brazilian shirts standing behind a table with items related to Brazil

    Phi Lambda Beta Portuguese Honor Society

    In 1992, the University of Mississippi joined an elite group of universities when it established the Alpha Mu chapter–the first local chapter in the state–of Phi Lambda Beta, the national Portuguese Honor Society. Outstanding students at third-year level are invited to join.

    Phi Lambda Beta
Julia Emilia Bussade

Welcome from the Director

“As Director of the Spanish and Portuguese basic language courses, I recognize the importance of learning both languages for knowledge professionals in the US.  In particular, the Portuguese courses at UM will teach you the language and culture of Brazil, a major trading partner with the US, a dominant country of Latin America, and a country that is at the table for all the important global conversations.”

Julia Emilia Bussade

Instructional Assistant Professor of Modern Languages and Director of Elementary Spanish and Portuguese Programs

Beyond the Classroom

Be a part of the Portuguese speaking community and enjoy various activities and events with the Portuguese faculty and students.
image of professor and two students seated around the desk in a professor's office. they are talking and looking at text on a computer screen

Portuguese Conversation Group

Our weekly informal conversation group helps students practice Portuguese and meet new friends.

— First and Third Mondays 12:30p-1:30p @ the South Residential College

aerial view of Sao Paulo, including a bridge, river, and skyscrapers

Study Abroad

We encourage all of our students to immerse themselves in the study abroad experience. The Study Abroad Office offers programs around the world where students can study language and culture at all levels of Portuguese.

Study Abroad Programs

Outstanding Student Awards

We are proud of the outstanding Portuguese language students in the Department of Modern Languages. 

YearOutstanding Portuguese Language Awards
2024Elementary Portuguese: Grace Nisson
Advanced Portuguese: Olivia Bacon
2023Elementary Portuguese: Matthew Alexander Jackson
Advanced Portuguese: Lydia Johnsey
2022Elementary Portuguese: Matthew Jackson
Advanced Portuguese: Edgar David Uribe Sánchez
2021Elementary Portuguese: Zoe Rutledge
Advanced Portuguese: Bailey Burleson
2020Elementary Portuguese: Rashun J. Miles
Advanced Portuguese: Elson Stewart
2019Elementary Portuguese: Cameron Bryan
Advanced Portuguese: Barbara Vanzela Abrantes
2018
2017
2016Vera Gardner, Eli Tate
2015Jordan Ray Ayers, Olivia Katherine Williams, Richard Sebastian Wicker
2014Maia Cotelo, Andrew Koch, Karla Duran, Vera Gardner
2013Maia Cotelo, Norman Seawright, Finn Udall, Stephanie Trippel
2012Reed Condon Gilbow, Hannah Prater, Liliana Rangel, Reed Gilbow
2011Alexandria Marie Thoman, Katherine Carr, Kathleen Moffitt
2010Joseph Merrill Bateman, Colin Reid
2009Scarlett Ashlen Andrews, Mohammed Al-Turk
2008Jessica Wilson, Catherine Couper
2007Ashley Letrica Hairston