Does the Higher Diploma in Portuguese Language Studies focus on European or Brazilian Portuguese?

Both. The Higher Diploma in Portuguese Language Studies teaches both varieties throughout with explicit comparison, plus awareness of African Lusophone usage. You build working competence across the Lusophone world rather than committing to one variety alone.

What level of Portuguese do I need to start the Higher Diploma in Portuguese Language Studies?

An Advanced Diploma in Portuguese or equivalent senior-track experience. Applicants without a UK qualification can take a placement assessment to confirm the Higher Diploma is the right entry point and adjust the syllabus accordingly.

How does the Higher Diploma in Portuguese Language Studies articulate into a BA?

Graduates enter the final year (Level 6) of a UK Bachelor's degree in Portuguese or Modern Languages at a partner university through credit transfer. Admissions reviews your transcript and maps credits at the application stage.

Is the Higher Diploma in Portuguese Language Studies recognised by UK and international employers?

Yes. The Higher Diploma in Portuguese Language Studies is a UK qualification at Level 5/6 aligned to Instituto Camões benchmarks and Chartered Institute of Linguists standards. UK and international employers across translation, finance, government and the cultural sector recognise the credential.

Higher Diploma in Portuguese Language Studies | LSJHML | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Higher Diploma in Portuguese Language Studies at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a fifteen-to-eighteen-month UK qualification for advanced linguists ready to operate at near-degree level in Portuguese across both European and Brazilian varieties. You will work with full-length newspaper editorials, parliamentary debates, NGO reports and literary texts from across the Lusophone world, translate at professional standards, and complete an extended research project on a regional or thematic question.

This Higher Diploma treats Portuguese as the global language it is. The Higher Diploma in Portuguese Language Studies builds working competence across Portugal, Brazil and the broader Lusophone world — and the cultural reading to understand the differences between them.

Key Features

Near-degree-level UK qualification with a direct route into the final year of a Bachelor's degree.
European and Brazilian variety strand — both varieties taught throughout with awareness of African Lusophone usage.
Advanced translation workshop using press, policy and literary Portuguese to Chartered Institute of Linguists standards.
Lusophone cultural and political literacy — Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique and the wider CPLP.
Industry-led sessions with translators and Instituto Camões-affiliated practitioners.
Extended research project of 8,000–10,000 words on a regional or thematic question.

What You Will Learn

The Higher Diploma in Portuguese Language Studies is structured around the four working competences of a professional Lusophone specialist at senior level. You graduate able to translate at publishable standard, navigate the differences between European and Brazilian variation, and contribute to senior translation, analytical or programme roles.

Advanced Portuguese grammar — complex syntax, register shifts, variety-specific features.
European and Brazilian Portuguese — comparison, switching, professional norms.
Reading at scale — editorials, NGO reports, parliamentary debate, literary prose.
Listening — broadcast interviews, panel discussions, current-affairs material.
Translation — Portuguese to English and English to Portuguese at professional standard.
Writing — extended reports, formal letters, summaries, op-ed prose.
Lusophone cultural and political literacy — Portugal, Brazil, the broader CPLP.
Independent research methods — sources, evidence, structured argument in Lusophone studies.

Who This Higher Diploma Is For

Advanced Diploma graduates in Portuguese ready to push toward near-professional fluency.
Senior practitioners in international development, finance or media with functional Portuguese seeking a UK credential.
Heritage speakers of European or Brazilian Portuguese wanting certified senior-level competence.
Career-changers in their thirties moving into Lusophone-facing translation, analytical or programme roles.

Career Pathways

The Higher Diploma in Portuguese Language Studies positions graduates for senior translator, analyst and regional coordinator roles. Typical roles include:

Portuguese Translator (commercial agency, NGO, news wire, EU institution)
Lusophone Markets Specialist (financial services, consultancy, government)
Portuguese Teacher (secondary, sixth-form, university preparation)
Brazil-EU Liaison Officer (commercial, public sector, NGO)
Regional Analyst (think tank, broadcaster, financial services)
Senior Project Coordinator (international development, EU project)

Graduates progress directly into the final year of a UK Bachelor's degree in Portuguese or Modern Languages at a partner university.

Entry Requirements

An Advanced Diploma (Level 5) in Portuguese or a related language subject, OR a Diploma plus two years of relevant work experience.
IELTS 6.0 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
Personal statement and CV; a short Portuguese writing sample is welcome.
Mature applicants (25+) without standard qualifications may apply with significant senior-track Portuguese-using work experience.

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.