Portugese/Spanish

Portuguese and Spanish sit together in the Ibero-Romance branch of the language family, sharing Latin roots and a long history of cultural exchange that gives them a deep structural and lexical affinity. At the same time, they are distinct languages with distinct cultural and geographical footprints: Spanish is spoken by over 500 million people across Europe, Latin America, and North America, while Portuguese is the language of Brazil, one of the world's largest nations, as well as Portugal, Angola, Mozambique, and several other countries. Together they give you access to an extraordinary range of cultures and provide linguistic range that is rare and genuinely useful in professional contexts.

At the University of Glasgow, this five-year full-time programme reflects the demands of developing high-level competence in two closely related but distinct languages. Staff in Glasgow cover a wide range of topics and include native speakers from different parts of the Spanish-speaking world, ensuring authentic engagement with regional variation and contemporary usage. You will develop both languages progressively, working towards sophisticated written and spoken competence and engaging with the literatures, histories, and cultures of the Iberian peninsula, Latin America, and the Lusophone world.

A sandwich year gives you extended professional experience in an environment where your languages are used, and work placement is also integrated throughout.

Graduates of Portuguese and Spanish programmes are well placed for careers in international business, diplomacy, journalism, education, translation and interpreting, international organisations, the cultural sector, and any professional context involving Spain, Portugal, Brazil, or the wider Spanish and Portuguese-speaking worlds. Many graduates pursue postgraduate study in Hispanic or Lusophone studies, linguistics, international relations, or business, and some develop academic careers.