Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies

On this course you will gain a detailed understanding of the cultures and histories of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries in Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia. These include countries like Portugal, Spain, Mexico, Brazil and Mozambique. You’ll become highly competent in Spanish and Portuguese, and you can study the latter even if you’re an absolute beginner.

Core language modules will help you improve your spoken and written languages, while core research modules introduce you to study skills and major issues. Optional modules allow you to explore literature, cinema and history, as well as topics like race, ethnicity, translation and using Spanish for business.

Your third year will be spent in a Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking country (or one that has speakers of both languages). This will allow you to practise your language skills and get first-hand experience of local cultures.

Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies at Leeds is an exciting place for your undergraduate experience. Our friendly community of students and staff, student-led societies and outstanding pastoral support creates a friendly and dynamic atmosphere for all our students. This course will equip you with the knowledge, skills and intercultural awareness necessary to achieve your true potential and pursue a wide range of exciting global careers.

We strongly believe that the best way to build your vocabulary and hone your grammar is through the study of culture and history, and that language classes offer an excellent opportunity to acquire greater knowledge of the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking worlds. Our teaching across our modules therefore is a unique blend of language and content, and many of your modules will contain classes and/or assessment in Spanish or Portuguese.

Studying at Leeds means you will learn from world-leading experts in fields as diverse as Spanish popular music, translation, Brazilian cinema, gender in the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking worlds, electronic art and writing, Angolan dance, and nationalism and empire. Much of our teaching derives from our research activities and language scholarship in Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies.

Read our list below to see the research centres which we lead and the organisations which we are part of:

Association for the Teaching of Spanish in Higher Education in the United Kingdom

Association of Teachers and Researchers of Portuguese

Centre for the History of Ibero-America

Centre of World Cinemas and Digital Cultures

European Popular Musics Research Group

Centre for Endangered Languages, Cultures and Ecosystems

Centre for World Literatures