Portuguese/History of Art

Portuguese and history of art is a degree that connects two disciplines through their shared engagement with culture, meaning and the ways human beings express and understand themselves across time and space. Portuguese is the fifth most widely spoken language in the world, the language of Brazil, Portugal, Angola, Mozambique and several other nations, carrying with it a rich literary and cultural tradition alongside its contemporary political and commercial significance. History of art examines how paintings, sculptures, buildings and designed objects come to look the way they do, exploring the visual languages that different cultures have developed and the meanings those objects carry.

At Glasgow, this five-year full-time programme gives you the time to develop both disciplines to a high standard. The combination includes a sandwich year and a work placement, which provides structured professional experience alongside the academic content of the degree. You will develop Portuguese language skills to an advanced level, studying the literature, culture and history of the Portuguese-speaking world alongside linguistic work, and you will develop your analytical skills in art history, learning to look closely at objects and to situate them within their historical, cultural and theoretical contexts.

The work placement is a valuable part of the programme, giving you professional experience in a context relevant to your studies, whether in the arts, cultural sector, language-facing organisations or internationally oriented institutions.

Graduates move into careers in arts administration, museum and gallery work, the cultural sector, translation and interpreting, international business, journalism, education and diplomacy. The combination of language fluency and art historical knowledge is particularly relevant in international cultural institutions, auction houses, arts organisations with international reach, and the heritage sector.