The Luso-Brazilian Studies minor offers students the opportunity to further the study of the Portuguese language and take significant steps toward its mastery both as a richly layered expressive tool in the contexts of literary and cultural analysis and in the interpretation and articulation of critical thinking, as well as a highly effective instrument tailored to the practical needs of business interactions in a world that is increasingly more diverse and globalized.
Building on a solid basis of four semesters of Portuguese language (or equivalent), which serves as a pre-requisite for the Luso-Brazilian Studies minor, students will have the opportunity to choose from a rich selection of core courses spanning cultural, literary and social aspects of the Portuguese-speaking world, as well as Portuguese applied to the context of professions. In addition to the core offerings, students will be able to choose from a wide array of electives in order to fulfill the required number of units for the Luso-Brazilian Studies minor, as well as have the opportunity to fulfill some of the requirements in one of the exciting Study Abroad options in Brazil.
The Luso-Brazilian Studies minor will require 20-units beyond the basic language requirements.
* Required Upper-Division Courses (8-units) – to fulfill this requirement, students must take TWO of the following courses:
- PORT 300 (4-units): Introduction to Social and Literary Studies
- PORT 302 (4-units): Introduction to Brazilian Literature
- PORT 316 (4-units): Portuguese for Business and the Professions
* Elective Upper Division Courses (12-units) – students must choose THREE from the following elective courses offering:
- PORT 342: Brazilian Cinema
- SPAN 372: Modern and Contemporary Latin American Fiction
- SPAN 405: History of the Spanish and Portuguese Languages
- SPAN 482: Literature and the City
NOTES: Study Abroad courses and courses offered by other departments at USC may also count as elective options, as long as a Portuguese-speaking country and/or the Lusophone world is among the topics of study. (The following list of courses is subject to change, according to course availability.)
- AMST 353m: Race and Racism in the Americas
- ANTH 425: Peoples and Cultures of Latin America
- HIST 372: Modern Latin America
- HIST 456: Race, Slavery, and the Making of the Atlantic World
- IR 364: The Political Economy of Latin American Development
- IR 365: Politics and Democracy in Latin America
- IR 425: The New Triangle: China, the U.S. and Latin America
- IR 465: Contemporary Issues in United States-Latin America Relations
- IR 466: Contemporary Issues in Latin American Politics
- POSC 350: Politics of Latin America
- SOCI 470: Development and Social Change in the Third World
ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES:
- At least four (4) courses must be unique to the minor (ONLY MINORS).
- Courses must be taken for letter grades (excludes CR/NC courses taken thru USC Overseas Programs).
- All courses must be taken at USC, or through an approved USC study abroad program.
- Upper-division elective courses that are taken in Latin America are eligible for degree credit (check with advisor for details).
STUDY ABROAD
There are various programs held in Latin America during the school year which are appropriate for USC students and which are offered through the Office of Overseas Studies, https://dornsife.usc.edu/overseas-studies/. Courses taken in university approved overseas programs with the approval of the department are applicable towards the Luso-Brasilian Studies minor.