Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies, BA

Course content

You'll consolidate your written and spoken Spanish in your first year as you begin to learn Portuguese, while you can choose optional modules introducing you to the culture and history of the Spanish-speaking world.

From your second year, you'll continue to develop both languages while selecting from a broader range of optional modules, on topics such as the literature and culture of the Portuguese-speaking world, Spanish regional identities and Latin American history since independence. But you'll also begin your time overseas, usually spending a term in a Spanish-speaking country, before spending your whole third year in a Portuguese-speaking community to sharpen your skills and experience the culture first-hand.

When you come back, you'll continue to refine your language skills with advanced language modules, but you'll also choose modules split across Spain, Spanish-America, Portugal and Brazil to pursue a broad base of interests. You'll even demonstrate the research and critical skills you have gained with an extended essay, or independently-researched dissertation.

Course structure

These are typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.

Year 1

Compulsory modules

• Entry requirements, fees and applying

  Entry requirements

  A-level: ABB including A in Spanish.

  • Career opportunities

    Especially with the rise of economies like Mexico and Brazil, Spanish and Portuguese are seen as important languages for business. But they're also major world languages that are spoken across the globe, and the doors they can open for you are endless.

    However, you'll also earn important transferable skills that are highly sought by employers. You'll have developed research and critical skills, allowing you to find information from a range of sources and draw your own conclusions from what you find. Your advanced communication and presentation skills will enable you to explain and defend those views. You'll also have experience of working in a team, and your time abroad will demonstrate you are independent and adaptable.

    Graduates have gone onto work in a range of sectors, both within and beyond the UK. They include education, IT, retail, marketing, administration, the civil service and tourism. Others pursue language-based careers in areas such as translation or interpreting, or further training in these fields.

    Careers support

    We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That's one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.

    Leeds for Life is our unique approach to helping you make the most of University by supporting your academic and personal development. Find out more at the Leeds for Life website.

    The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.

  • Study abroad and work placements

    This degree is unusual in that you'll actually spend two periods abroad. Normally, you'll spend the last term of your second year in a Spanish-speaking country, leaving you a full year to spend in Portugal, Brazil or another Lusophone country, or vice versa.

    We have partnerships with a number of universities in Spain, Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay, Chile, Costa Rica, Portugal and Brazil where you could study. Alternatively, you can choose to gain valuable work experience and maybe earn a salary - you could undertake a work placement or even become a language assistant in a school under the British Council's programme.

    Whatever you choose to do, you'll gain a new insight into a Spanish or Portuguese-speaking society as well as valuable experience of adapting to another culture. For many of our students, it's the real highlight of their course.

    Read more about Residence Abroad in Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies

  • Related courses

    French and Portuguese BA
    International Business and Spanish BA
    Philosophy and Spanish BA
    Spanish BA