BA Politics and Portuguese / Course details

The BA Politics and Portuguese course will enable you to explore world politics and gain an intercultural perspective that is at a premium in today's context of globalised studies and career paths.

Delivered jointly by the School of Social Sciences and the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures, this course offers flexibility through a combination of core and optional politics course units and units in your chosen language and culture.

Language study offers more than just language fluency. You'll explore the culture, society, history, politics and literature of the countries in which Portuguese is spoken, helping you develop intercultural awareness and communication skills, both highly valued by employers.

You'll benefit from excellent teaching, student support and cutting-edge study facilities, as well as the vibrancy and cultural diversity of Manchester itself, Western Europe's most multilingual city.

Studying abroad at partner universities and in professional environments in Portuguese-speaking countries gives you an unforgettable and invaluable experience.

The course unit details listed below are those you may choose to study as part of this programme and are referred to as optional units. These are subject to change and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this programme. Although language units may show here as optional, they are a mandatory part of your modern languages degree and you will take the units relevant to your level of language in each year of study. It is compulsory to study language at all levels of your modern languages degree.

• Develop strong analytical skills and understanding of key areas of global politics, including European/international politics, international relations, global security and international development.
• Develop the linguistic skills and cultural knowledge to access and engage fully with political, historical and cultural issues in Portuguese and the cultures of the Lusophone world.
• Offer an intercultural perspective on your studies and future career, facilitated by the possibility of studying a second language - either as a beginner or at a more advanced level.

You can study and/or work for up to a year in a country or countries relevant to your chosen language(s) to improve your language skills in a native-speaker environment.

Palaver Festival

Palaver Festival is a collaboration with the neighbouring Contact Theatre.

You can explore links between language and performance across a range of genres including literature, theatre and dance.

Collaborations and partnerships

The University has links with language and cultural institutions across the city, including:

• HOME - international and contemporary art, theatre and film;
• Portuguese Consulate General in Manchester - the official representation of Portugal in Manchester organises a number of cultural activities every year.

Societies

There are over 30 international and language-related student societies offering cultural activities and experiences.

You can also join the Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies Student Society and enjoy a wide range of cultural events and activities.

You'll learn through a mixture of formal lectures, seminars and tutorials, spending approximately 12 hours a week in formal study sessions. 

For every hour of university study, you will be expected to complete a further 2-3 hours of independent study.

You will also need to study during the holiday periods. 

The individual study component could be spent reading, producing written work, revising for examinations or working in the University's Language Centre .

You will be assessed in various ways, including:  

• written and oral examinations; 
• presentations; 
• coursework (which may include library research, linguistic fieldwork and data collection, or web-based research); 
• in your final year, a dissertation based on a research topic of your choice.  

Assessment methods vary from course unit to course unit - see individual course unit listings for more information.

The University Language Centre is home to language resources, including a new interpreting suite, purpose-built recording rooms, and resources for more than 70 languages.  

The Centre also offers multilingual word processing, language learning software, off-air recording and AV duplication, multilingual terrestrial and satellite TV, and extensive support and advice for learners.  

Learn more at facilities