The Department of Spanish and Portuguese UC Davis offers a transnational and transoceanic approach to the study of languages, literatures, and cultures of the U.S., Latin America, Spain, and Portugal. We offer B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Spanish. We also offer undergraduate minors in Spanish and Luso-Brazilian Studies. Our areas of specialization include: intersectionality and race; affect and emotions; gender and queer theory; memory and human rights; borders and migration; second-language acquisition; environmental studies and ecocriticism; animal studies; sociolinguistics; history of the Spanish language; Spanish in the US; food studies; critical theory; and sound studies, among others. Faculty Research and the department's curriculum focus on four areas:
- Latin American Literature & Culture
- Latinx Literature & Culture (U.S. community with Latin American Heritage)
- Linguistics
- Iberian Peninsular Literature & Culture (Spain & Portugal)
- Luso-Brazilian Literature & Culture
Spanish Undergraduate Program
Students in our undergraduate program develop their proficiency in speaking, understanding, reading, and writing Spanish, and they also learn about related cultures and traditions. The university also offers students opportunities for first-hand experience with the language and cultures through study abroad programs. To meet the needs of our diverse population, we have placement exams for students with experience with the language and an accelerated course series for heritage speakers. Students also have the opportunity to participate in the honors program to earn high and highest honors in Spanish.
The Luso-Brazilian Studies Minor
Students are offered the opportunity to engage with the Portuguese-speaking world as a global space, as well as gain in-depth knowledge of Brazilian literature, culture and society. The minor is structured to facilitate engagement with Latin American, peninsular, and transatlantic topics, while ensuring that students master the essential skills of linguistic competence, and literary and cultural knowledge. Many students who major in Spanish opt to minor in Portuguese.
Spanish Graduate Program
We seek to provide M.A. and Ph.D. students with broad knowledge of their fields of specialization and critical and archival tools to achieve the highest level of scholarly research and quality teaching. Our department is one of the top-ranked programs in the nation in terms of faculty productivity and academic job placement.