Department of Spanish and Portuguese
Welcome! ¡Bienvenidos! Bem-vindos!
The Department of Spanish and Portuguese offers a full range of undergraduate and graduate courses. While the major emphasis of the Department is literature, we also offer courses in Spanish language, linguistics, and culture, as well as Portuguese language, Brazilian literature and cultural studies. We recognize the integral relationship between teaching and research, and all members of the faculty are both active scholars and dedicated teachers.
Department Spotlight
Language Practice Tables
Spring 2026 Study Abroad
Course Descriptions
Featured News
Spanish celebrity couple from last century embraced power of myth
Library Insights: Supporting Spanish and Portuguese Research at KU
What makes KU’s libraries such a rich resource for students and scholars in Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American studies? ...
Spain still struggles over interpretation of its Golden Age
Contemplating eco-catastrophe through Spanish science fiction lens
By the Numbers
By the Numbers
Department Highlights
- Fiske Guide to Colleges calls Spanish & Portuguese one of KU's strongest programs
- Consistently ranked among the most distinguished graduate programs in Spanish by the National Research Council
- 2007 Departmental Award for Exceptional Teaching and Learning from KU's Center for Teaching Excellence
- 2012 Access to Language Education Focus Award from the Computer-Assisted Language Instruction Consortium (CALICO) for Acceso
- Comprehensive undergraduate program in Spanish language, literature and culture, as well as Portuguese language and Brazilian literature and cultural studies
- Comprehensive graduate program in Spanish language, literature and culture
Portuguese and Brazilian Studies
The University of Kansas has had a long tradition of interdisciplinary research and teaching in the field of Brazilian studies. Classes in Brazilian history, geography, literature, cinema, and music populated KU curriculum even before Brazilian studies became such an avid area of academic interest and inquiry as it is now in the United States. KU students have consistently learned the Portuguese language and about Brazilian culture for decades. We currently offer graduate and undergraduate level courses on Brazil and with significant Brazil content through different KU departments and the university’s Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies.
Visit the Brazilian Studies homepage