Spanish and Portuguese MA (Hons)

Spanish

You will study either Spanish 1A or 1B, depending on your language skills. Typically, students on Spanish 1B come to University with substantially more experience of studying Spanish than students on Spanish 1A.

As well as developing your language skills, both the 1A and 1B courses will introduce you to a diverse selection of cultural texts and films from across the Spanish-speaking world.

Portuguese

You will study Portuguese 1, which caters for both beginners and more advanced students.

You will learn how to speak, read, listen to and write the language. By the end of the year, you will be familiar with everyday Portuguese vocabulary, grammar and syntax.

You will be introduced to Portuguese-speaking literature through a selection of short stories from Mozambique, Angola, Brazil and Portugal. 

Option courses

You will complete your Year 1 studies with option courses chosen from a wide range offered by the University.

Options include, but are not limited to, courses in:

• linguistics and language sciences
• business, economics and informatics
• politics, social policy, social anthropology and international relations
• art and architectural history
• history, classics and archaeology
• Celtic and Scottish ethnology
• philosophy, divinity and law

You can also choose to learn the fundamentals of Basque or study Catalan language and society, expanding your knowledge of Iberian languages and cultures.

In Year 2, you will continue to develop your spoken and written language skills in Spanish and Portuguese, gaining confidence in expressing yourself in both languages and preparing you for your time abroad in Year 3.

You will start to become familiar with the main grammatical and lexical distinctions between European and Brazilian Portuguese.

You will also study the cultures and the societies of the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking worlds through literature, film and the arts.

Option courses

As in Year 1, you will choose other courses from a wide range offered by the University.

These option courses include a great selection in European languages and cultures that explore literature, film and theatre in themed and comparative contexts.

Typical option courses include:

• Cultural Responses to War
• Migration, Exile, Diaspora
• Crime and Detection in Literature
• Gender and Culture
• The Coming-of-Age Narrative
• Introduction to European Cinema
• Dynamics of Language and Power
• Languages Beyond University

Depending on what you have studied in Year 1, you can also choose courses in:

• Basque and Catalan language and society
• different aspects of linguistics

You will spend Year 3 abroad, dividing your time between two countries. This is when you will really deepen your knowledge of Spanish and Portuguese by speaking them daily and immersing yourself in local cultures.

Living abroad will also give you the wider perspective, experience and skills to embrace the opportunities and challenges of life after university.

Read our blog post by Spanish student Anu who discovered a passion for teaching yoga on her year abroad

How much time will I spend abroad?

You will spend a minimum of 30 weeks abroad. You will divide your time between a country in which Spanish is spoken and one in which Portuguese is spoken.

To give you a balanced experience, you will spend at least eight weeks in each of your two destinations. How you further divide your time abroad is normally based on whether you study, work or combine the two.

Where can I go?

Transforming classroom learning into a lived experience, you will study or work in countries where either Spanish or Portuguese is spoken.

For Spanish, you will typically study at partner universities or work in Spain and in Latin American countries; Argentina, Chile and Mexico.

For Portuguese, we currently have study exchange programmes with institutions in:

• São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil
• Lisbon and Coimbra in Portugal

It may also be possible to work in a wider range of countries in which Spanish or Portuguese is spoken. If you are considering working abroad, the first step is to start thinking about where you would like to go. Visa requirements and application processes vary between countries, so it is a good idea to find out what documentation you will need and whether you are eligible to get it.

Study or work?

When you are abroad, you can typically choose to either:

• study in one or two destinations
• work in one or two destinations
• study in one destination and work in another

If you choose to study, you will take classes at one or two of the universities where we have available exchange opportunities. This means that you will spend either:

• two semesters at a single institution
• one semester at two different institutions (in different destinations)

A work placement abroad is another way to gain an international perspective, build professional networks and prepare you for your career after university.

Once you have checked if you are eligible to work abroad, and have talked through your plans with us, you might choose to do one or more placements. For example, you could:

• arrange to work or volunteer with a private company or charity
• apply to an established placement scheme, such as the British Council’s English Language Assistants programme

Whatever you decide to do, your time abroad is a chance for you to evolve and grow beyond Edinburgh. It adds an international dimension to your studies, showing future employers that you are open to new ideas and experiences.

Coursework while abroad

We will aim to ensure your experience abroad is as beneficial as possible to your final year, as well as to your wider language learning and cultural awareness.

Regardless of whether you study or work abroad, you will take e-learning courses in both Spanish and Portuguese to prepare you for your Year 4 language courses. These courses will count as part of your Year 3 marks, alongside any coursework arranged by your host university (if studying abroad).

Depending on your Year Abroad activities, you also begin preparing for your dissertation while abroad, guided by your dissertation supervisor.

You will study advanced language courses in Spanish and Portuguese. These core courses cover skills such as:

• presenting and discussing cultural, political and societal topics in each language
• advanced comprehension, summary writing, translation and composition

In addition to your core courses, you will also choose from a range of specialist, honours-level courses on Spain, Latin America, Portugal, Brazil or Lusophone Africa.

These courses typically explore aspects of:

• history
• literature
• film
• culture

Building on all the knowledge and skills you have developed over four years, including in independent research, you will complete a dissertation or long essay.