Portuguese/History

Portuguese and History is a five-year programme that develops two complementary disciplines simultaneously: the linguistic and cultural expertise to engage with the Portuguese-speaking world and the historical knowledge and analytical skills to understand how the world we inhabit came to be. Portuguese opens access to Brazil, Portugal, Angola, Mozambique, and several other nations on four continents, making it one of the most globally significant languages by number of speakers. History, as taught at the University of Glasgow, spans medieval to modern times and draws on research expertise in Scottish, British, European, US, and global history, including slavery studies, gender history, and the history of war, intelligence, and genocide.

At the University of Glasgow, this five-year full-time programme develops your Portuguese language skills through progressive acquisition, from foundational competence through to genuine proficiency, alongside substantive historical study across a wide range of periods and regions. The history strand develops your ability to work with primary sources, to evaluate competing interpretations, and to construct sustained historical arguments. The combination of a major world language with the analytical training of history is a powerful preparation for careers that require both cultural competence and intellectual rigour.

The programme includes a sandwich placement year and work placements, giving you direct professional experience in a Portuguese-language or historical research context.

Graduates are well placed for careers in diplomacy, international business, journalism, the civil service, international organisations, education, and historical research. The Portuguese-speaking world is economically significant and growing, and professionals who can operate in the language and understand its historical context are consistently sought after. Postgraduate study in Portuguese and Lusophone studies, history, Latin American studies, international relations, or translation is a natural route for those who wish to develop their expertise further.