Welcome to the Department of Spanish and Portuguese
Our department awards the degrees of B.A. in Spanish, Portuguese or both, M.A and Ph.D., with specializations in the areas of Spanish Peninsular and Latin American Literatures and cultures, Portuguese and Brazilian Literatures and Cultures, and Iberian Linguistics, with optional emphases in various fields, such as Applied Linguistics, Feminist Studies, European Medieval Studies, and Translation Studies.
These programs are supported by an outstanding and internationally recognized faculty representing Peninsular and Latin American Studies, Portuguese and Brazilian Studies, Translation, Drama, Media Studies, Applied Linguistics and Language Pedagogy. Our students and faculty work jointly with other departments and programs, including Chicana and Chicano Studies, Comparative Literature, Feminist Studies, Film and Media Studies, Environmental Studies, Global Studies, Latin American and Iberian Studies, Linguistics, and Theater and Dance.
The National Research Council has ranked our Graduate Program among the top ten in the country. Lower division courses offer undergraduates the opportunity to develop proficiency in the four language skills: speaking, understanding, reading, and writing in Spanish and/or Portuguese. To meet the needs of our diverse student population, we have an accelerated track for Spanish heritage speakers. The Department benefits from the resources of the Center for Portuguese Studies. Embracing Spain’s multilingual and multicultural landscape, our Department hosts the Miguel de Barandarián Chair of Basque Studies, and the Center for Catalan Studies.
Featured News and Events
Join us for an informal conversation with Professor César A. Salgado (Comparative Literature, Spanish and Portuguese; UT Austin) about the vital task of safeguarding the humanities today and our role as students, teachers, scholars, and mentors.
Join us for a celebration marking the second century of Alejandro Tapia y Rivera (1826–1882), widely considered the founder of Puerto Rican literature. This event will showcase his lasting impact and importance as a novelist, playwright, and commentator on the political and cultural ideas of his era, both across the Caribbean and in Spain.
The Department of Spanish and Portuguese, the Applied Linguistics Emphasis, and the Latin American and Iberian Studies Program at UC Santa Barbara invite you to a lecture by Professor Lennie Amores, Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) at Lincoln University, Pennsylvania.
The Department of Spanish and Portuguese at UC Santa Barbara invites prospective graduate students to a Virtual Open House on October 30 at 10 am (Pacific Time) via Zoom. This session will feature current graduate students and alumni who will share their experiences and insights about academic life at UC Santa Barbara and beyond.