Does the BA Portuguese Language and Culture teach European or Brazilian Portuguese?

Both. The two varieties are taught in parallel with structured comparative attention from the start, since most graduates will work across both. You can elect a primary focus from year two for final-project work.

Do I need prior Portuguese to enrol in the BA Portuguese Language and Culture?

No. The degree accepts complete beginners and places existing speakers in the appropriate stream from a short diagnostic at registration. Heritage speakers are common and the cohort accommodates them.

How much literature does the BA Portuguese Language and Culture include?

Lusophone literature is a core strand across all three years — covering Pessoa, Saramago, Machado de Assis, Clarice Lispector, Mia Couto and contemporary writers. Reading is in Portuguese from year two.

Can I study the BA Portuguese Language and Culture online?

Yes. Spoken language sessions run synchronously online with cohort partners. Translation, literature and culture modules run with a mix of asynchronous and live content. Distance students complete the same assessments within structured deadlines.

Will the BA Portuguese Language and Culture prepare me for translation work?

Yes. The translation workshop series runs through all three years and the optional final-year project can be a full translation portfolio. Many graduates progress directly to our MA Translation Studies.

BA Portuguese Language and Culture | LSJHML London | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The BA Portuguese Language and Culture at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a three-year UK honours degree that takes students from no prior Portuguese or a basic foundation to advanced spoken and written competence in both European and Brazilian Portuguese, alongside serious engagement with Lusophone literature, history and contemporary politics. Year-on-year intensive language work runs alongside literary, cultural and translation study, with an optional final-year project anchored in Lusophone primary sources.

Portuguese is spoken by more than 250 million people across Europe, South America, Africa and Asia, and remains badly under-taught in the UK. The BA Portuguese Language and Culture takes the language seriously as both an everyday working tool and the medium of one of the world's great literatures.

Key Features

UK honours degree in Portuguese — three years full-time, with online and distance routes.
Both European and Brazilian Portuguese taught with structured comparative attention.
Lusophone literature core — Pessoa, Saramago, Lispector, Couto and contemporary writers.
Translation workshop series — Portuguese-English and English-Portuguese across registers.
Cultural and political modules covering Portugal, Brazil and the Portuguese-speaking countries of Africa and Asia.
Optional final-year project — translation portfolio, journalism portfolio, or Lusophone-language dissertation.

What You Will Learn

The BA Portuguese Language and Culture is structured around continuous language acquisition alongside literary, cultural and political study. You graduate with advanced functional Portuguese, reading access to literature and the press, and the cultural literacy to operate in professional Lusophone contexts.

European and Brazilian Portuguese — phonology, morphology, syntax, registers.
Spoken proficiency — moving from beginner or post-beginner to advanced over three years.
Reading Lusophone press — Folha de S.Paulo, Público, Expresso, Diário de Notícias.
Lusophone literature from the early modern period to the contemporary novel.
Translation craft — literary, news, official and commercial Portuguese.
Cultural and political history of Portugal, Brazil and the PALOP countries.
Contemporary Lusophone politics, media and economy.
Research methods using Portuguese-language primary sources.

Who This Course Is For

School leavers with strong languages aptitude seeking a serious modern-languages degree.
International students from Portuguese-speaking or heritage backgrounds wanting a UK degree.
Career-changers aiming at Lusophone-facing roles in trade, journalism, NGOs or culture.
Mature applicants with relevant work experience wanting structured progression to advanced Portuguese.

Career Pathways

Graduates of the BA Portuguese Language and Culture move into translation, journalism, trade and Lusophone-facing analyst roles. Typical first or next roles include:

Portuguese Translator (in-house, agency, public sector)
Lusophone Markets Specialist (financial services, fintech, trade body)
Portuguese Teacher (secondary, FE college, language school)
Brazil-EU Liaison Officer (trade association, professional body, NGO)
Cultural Programme Officer (Lusophone festival, Instituto Camões partner)
Bilingual Account Manager (PR, financial services, technology)

Graduates progress to a Master's in Portuguese Studies, Translation Studies or International Journalism, or directly into graduate roles in Lusophone-facing organisations.

Entry Requirements

Three A-Levels at BBC or above (or international equivalent — IB 28 points, BTEC DMM, or accepted national qualification).
GCSE English Language at grade 5 or equivalent English proficiency test.
IELTS 6.0 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
A short personal statement; no prior Portuguese required, though existing speakers are placed at the appropriate stream.
Mature applicants (21+) without standard qualifications may apply with a portfolio and short interview.

Why Study at LSJHML

The London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London. Our programmes are designed in dialogue with working professionals — journalists, translators, civil servants, academics, broadcasters, editors, publishers and policy researchers — so what you learn in seminar on Monday is what your future employer is using on Tuesday. We deliberately keep cohorts small, give every student named tutor support, and treat employability as a structural part of every programme rather than an optional add-on.

London is the work — politics, courts, capital markets, theatre, broadcasting, publishing, public service, the global press. Your studies are taught in the same square mile where the stories you read about happen. Whether you join us on-campus, online or by distance learning, the city is your classroom and our industry network is your launchpad.