Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies

Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies is a discipline that opens access to two of the world's most widely spoken languages and to the extraordinarily diverse cultures, histories, and societies of Spain, Portugal, Brazil, and Latin America. Together, Spanish and Portuguese speakers number more than a billion people across five continents, making this combination not only intellectually rich but practically significant in international business, diplomacy, development, and the arts. The inclusion of Latin American Studies adds historical depth and contemporary relevance, drawing attention to postcolonial legacies, economic development, migration, and the region's dynamic cultural production.

At the University of Manchester, this four-year full-time degree includes a placement year alongside work placement opportunities, giving you structured professional experience as part of your studies. You will develop advanced proficiency in both Spanish and Portuguese through language classes, conversation practice, and extended engagement with literature, film, media, and cultural history. You will study the historical and political contexts of Iberia and Latin America, exploring conquest, independence movements, dictatorship, democratisation, and contemporary social change.

Cultural and literary analysis form a core part of the programme, and you will engage with major writers, filmmakers, and thinkers from across the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking worlds. Throughout, the degree builds analytical, cross-cultural, and communicative skills that are highly valued by employers.

Graduates of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies enter careers in international business, law, journalism, translation and interpreting, diplomacy, the civil service, development organisations, and education. The bilingual competence the degree provides is a genuine professional asset, and Manchester's location and connections support strong graduate outcomes in the private sector as well as public and voluntary organisations with Latin American or Iberian engagement. Postgraduate study in Hispanic studies, Portuguese, Latin American studies, international relations, or translation is a popular further route.