The study of foreign languages and literatures has long held a meaningful place at UC Santa Barbara. Spanish was the first foreign language introduced into the curriculum of the Santa Barbara State Teachers College in 1921—an institution that would later become UC Santa Barbara in 1944. Building on this foundation, the Department of Spanish and Portuguese was formally established in 1961, with Samuel A. Wolfsy (1895-1965) serving as its inaugural chair from 1961 to 1963. In 1966, the department moved into its own dedicated building, Phelps Hall, soon joined by the Department of French and Italian, and the Department German and Russian. That same decade, the launch of the UC Education Abroad Program (1961) significantly expanded international learning opportunities, particularly for students of Spanish, with courses offered at partner institutions across Latin America and Europe.
Since its founding, the Department of Spanish and Portuguese has not only endured but flourished. Today, we offer undergraduate degrees (B.A.) in Spanish and Portuguese, as well as a Ph.D. program with specializations in Spanish and Latin American Literature, Portuguese and Brazilian Literature, and Iberian Linguistics. Doctoral students may also pursue optional emphases in Applied Linguistics, Feminist Studies, Medieval Studies, and Translation Studies.
Rooted in a long-standing tradition of academic excellence, the Department remains dedicated to advancing the study of Spanish and Portuguese languages, as well as Hispanic and Lusophone literatures and cultures at UC Santa Barbara—enriching the intellectual life of both our students and faculty.
Faculty of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese in 1969, one year after the launch of the Spanish Ph.D. program.
Front row: Marta Gallo, Lissa Staufenberg, Patricia Dunselman, Pablo Avila, Margaret Mary Price, and Alyce G. DeKuegne. Second row: David Bary, Rafael Cornijo, Roger Utt, Curtis Caldwell, Arturo Serrano-Plaja, Carlos García Barrón, and Enrique de Montolin.