The University of Edinburgh - Introduction to Postgraduate Study
17 Dec 2025, 13:00
Edinburgh

One of the world's ten most widely spoken languages, Portuguese is estimated to have around 260 million speakers. From Brazil to Mozambique, the many countries where it is spoken have fascinatingly rich and varied cultures.
On this programme, you will have the opportunity to develop advanced spoken and written skills in Portuguese while gaining the broad cultural education valued by graduate employers.
In addition to intensive language training, you will be immersed in an extraordinary range of literature, film, music and art from Portugal, Brazil and Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) Africa, explored in its historical context.
By the end of the programme, you will be able to demonstrate a range of linguistic skills and a nuanced understanding of cultures and ideas.
Beginners welcome
Our programme offers a solid foundation for learners with varying amounts of experience of Portuguese, including those who are just starting out; many of our graduates started as complete beginners in the language.
Why Edinburgh
As a world-leading festival and capital city, Edinburgh is a fantastic place to study a global language in its cultural context. Portuguese has been taught here for over 30 years.
Studying over four years enables you to choose courses that match your own interests, expertise and employability needs. You can, for example, opt to study another language such as Spanish, Catalan or Basque as part of your programme.
You will spend Year 3 in a country where Portuguese is spoken. We are unique in Scotland in offering students a full academic year abroad within the four-year honours programme, regardless of whether you spend the year studying or working.
How long it takes to complete this degree programme
This programme is studied over 4 years, including a year abroad. This enables us to build choice and flexibility into your studies, giving you time to explore options, find what you like and build your skills.
Your first two years will be your pre-honours years. They will give you a good grounding in Portuguese language while you explore literature, film and the arts from the Portuguese-speaking world. In addition to studying core courses, you will broaden your education and skill set by choosing option courses from a range of subjects and disciplines. This may enable you to change the focus of your programme.
Your final two years will be your honours years. You will spend Year 3 abroad, immersing yourself in Portuguese-speaking cultures. Year 4 will be tailored to your interests in specific topics on Portugal, Brazil or Lusophone Africa. You will also further develop your Portuguese language and translation skills and write a dissertation.
Programme benefits
Learn in an historic capital city and cultural hub with international festivals.
Study over four years, including one abroad.
Become fluent in a global language.
Try out different subjects in your first two years.
Delve into fantastic libraries and collections.
Try your hand at creative writing and publishing.
The following entry points are available for this course:
This degree programme has a subject requirement of a language other than English. You may not use your own native language to meet this requirement. English or an alternative language other than native will be acceptable.
Detailed entry requirements, including typical offer levels, and information about other qualifications we accept, are available on the University of Edinburgh’s website. You’ll also find important information on how to apply. You must submit a fully completed UCAS application that includes details of the qualifications you are taking, including full predicted grades for qualifications not yet completed, your personal statement and your reference.
Find out more about qualification requirements for this course.
Find out more about minimum qualification requirements for this course.
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6.5 | total 6.5 with at least 5.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements. |
| TOEFL (iBT) | 92 | total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements. |
| Cambridge English Advanced | total 176 with at least 162 in each component. | |
| Cambridge English Proficiency | total 176 with at least 162 in each component. | |
| Trinity ISE | ISE II with distinctions in all four components. |
Full details of our English language requirements can be found on our website: https://study.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry-requirements/english-language
The University of Edinburgh welcomes students from the UK and all over the world. We accept a wide range of qualifications and our policies support students with diverse backgrounds and experience. UCAS entry grade data is currently not available for our degrees but we publish admissions statistics on our website. We also provide information on widening access offers and entry requirements.
This section shows the range of grades students (with UK A-Levels or Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diplomas) who received offers were previously accepted with (learn more). It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place. Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.
Historical entry grades data is not currently available for The University of Edinburgh - we are working with them to try and make it available soon - learn more.
Operated by the Office for Students
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
Go onto work and study
The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.
| Location | Fee | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Channel Islands | £9535* | Year 1 |
| Republic of Ireland | £9535* | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £1820* | Year 1 |
| England | £9535* | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £9535* | Year 1 |
| Wales | £9535* | Year 1 |
| EU | £29600 | Year 1 |
| International | £29600 | Year 1 |
* This is a provisional fee and subject to change.
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.
Scotland - Scottish students must apply to the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) for payment of their tuition fees. Please note the 2026-27 fee rate is yet to be confirmed by the Scottish Government.
England/Wales/Northern Ireland - The Rest of UK (RUK) rate is yet to be confirmed. The fee for 2025 entry was £9,535.
For 2026 entry this may increase in line with inflation and will be subject to government limits.
EU On 9th July 2020 the decision was made by the Scottish Government to end free university tuition for European Union (EU) students starting in 2021-22. Funding policy for EU nationals and associated groups starting a course of study in academic year 2022-23 or later will be in line with international fees.
Full time international and EU students will pay a fixed annual fee rate for the duration of their programme
The University of Edinburgh
Old College
South Bridge
Edinburgh
EH8 9YL
Visit our website Visit our course page
Email:futurestudents@ed.ac.uk
Phone:0131 650 4360