Ianua linguarum reserata

Degree programme objectives

Studying the Portuguese language and its literature opens the door for students to understand the multicultural Lusophone world. They can go on to master Portuguese; become familiar with the Lusophone cultures of Europe, South America, and Africa; and understand their cultural contexts and ties. Beside acquiring knowledge of the practical language and specialized linguistic disciplines, such as phonetics, phonology, morphology, and syntax, students will learn about the history, culture, basic facts, lifestyles, institutions, and literatures not only of Portugal and Brazil but also of the Lusophone countries in Africa.

Studying Portuguese will, on one hand, improve students' linguistic knowledge of the skills required in fields based on communication and communication technologies, such as translation or public service, while on the other it will build analytical capabilities, independence, and creativity.

Through a systematic training in connection with practical language, specialized linguistics, and literature, students will master the main principles of a cultivated written and spoken style in both Portuguese and Czech.

Study plans

Admission Procedures
Admission to Bachelor's and long-cycle Master's degree programmes in 2025/2026
Submission deadline until midnight 28/2/2025

  • Information on entrance examinations designed for this degree programme
    This programme is accredited in Czech and requires students to have a native-speaker or C1 knowledge of Czech or Slovak.

    The criteria for admission for studies are the results of the written Field of Study Examination. Applicants may also be admitted based on other criteria, see Admission without the Entrance Examination. The Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University disregards the results of SCIO National Comparative Examinations.

    You can file your e-applications for studies from 1 November to 28 February.
    Applicants applying for the major study plan and minor study plan in a combined study must comply with the conditions for admission into both plans.

    Learning Potential Test (TSP)

    For admission for studies in this degree programme, you do not need to take the TSP.

    Field of Study Examination

    This examination is intended to check the applicants’ knowledge of the given field of study. It is done in the form of a motivation letter written in Czech or Slovak languages with a minimum length of 1800 characters including spaces. Upload the motivation letter in PDF format directly to your e-application, in the section Příloha 2, no later than 8 April. Select the correct type of attachment, i.e. "Portugalský jazyk, literatura a kultura: Motivační dopis", and do not forget to click on "Save" at the bottom of the page.

    Basic description of the Field of Study Examination:
    In the motivation letter, the applicant:
    • will explain why they have chosen to study at the Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University
    • will explain their reasons for choosing the programme
    • will determine their priority interests (linguistics, literature, culture of Portuguese speaking countries)
    • will state their personal experience with the environment of Portuguese speaking countries, if any
    • will state whether they have already familiarised themselves with any aspects of the study (such as they studied life and institutions, history, have read a Portuguese or Brazilian book in its Czech translation).

    Admission without the entrance examination

    You may be exempt from the entrance examination based on at least one of the following criteria:
    1. submission of a diploma/certificate not older than 3 years proving at least a B1 level of knowledge of the respective language;
    2. secondary school results in the subjects determined by the faculty: Czech/ Slovak language, English, basics of social sciences and one more subject of the applicant’s choice from the following subjects: Chinese, history, music, information technology, Italian, Latin, maths, Russian, Spanish.

    Secondary school results may be applied for an exemption from the entrance examination by those applicants whose average grade was 1.5 or higher in each of the four profile subjects. The total average result in all subjects is not taken into consideration. Secondary school seminars are also disregarded. The average grade of each profile subject is calculated based on the results of the last four years of study in the following way: the mid-year grade is calculated from the final year, whereas the final grades are calculated from the previous three years. It is also necessary that applicants have studied each of the profile subjects for at least two years during the last four years.
    Enter your grades in your e-application. Then print the grades out and let your secondary school certify them with a stamp and a signature. Upload the scan of the certified grades into your e-application. You can also upload officially certified school reports or any other documents certifying your school results.
    Please upload the officially certified documents directly to your e-application in the section Application for the Exemption from the Entrance Examination no later than 28 February.

  • Evaluation criteria valid for the applicants applying for a place on this degree programme

    • Total number of points in the Field of Study Examination: 100
    • Limit for successfully passing the Field of Study Examination: 50

Studies

  • Objectives
    Studying the Portuguese language and its literature opens the door for students to understand the multicultural Lusophone world. They can go on to master Portuguese; become familiar with the Lusophone cultures of Europe, South America, and Africa; and understand their cultural contexts and ties. Beside acquiring knowledge of the practical language and specialized linguistic disciplines, such as phonetics, phonology, morphology, and syntax, students will learn about the history, culture, basic facts, lifestyles, institutions, and literatures not only of Portugal and Brazil but also of the Lusophone countries in Africa.

    Studying Portuguese will, on one hand, improve students' linguistic knowledge of the skills required in fields based on communication and communication technologies, such as translation or public service, while on the other it will build analytical capabilities, independence, and creativity.

    Through a systematic training in connection with practical language, specialized linguistics, and literature, students will master the main principles of a cultivated written and spoken style in both Portuguese and Czech.

  • Learning Outcomes

    After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:

    • communicate in spoken and written Portuguese
    • perform linguistic analyses of texts, at all linguistic levels and based on knowledge in selected branches of linguistics
    • analyze literary texts
    • critically address literary history in basic interdisciplinary and cultural contexts

  • Occupational Profiles of Graduates
    Graduates of this programme have the knowledge and skills to be able to perform independent work in intercultural communication, in internal and external company communication, in cultural institutions, as editors in translation agencies and translation sections of national and international institutions and companies, and as editors in the media and publishing houses. In all of these fields, they will be able to apply their linguistic competence and knowledge of a different cultural milieu.
  • Goals of Theses
    A standard length of a Bachelor's thesis ranges from 72,000 to 90,000 characters, including footnotes, cover sheet, content, index, and bibliography. Students can work with already published texts, although they must approach them in an analytic and critical way in order to express their own comments, opinions, and conclusions. These are to be written in Portuguese so as to demonstrate the student's capability to work with sources and to communicate in an appropriate and cultivated way, without errors.
  • Access to Further Studies
    Graduates of the Bachelor's programme may subsequently continue in any related Master's programme (after fulfilling the conditions for admission).

Basic information

Abbreviation
B-PO_
Type
Bachelor's degree programme
Profile
academic
Degree
Bc.
Length of studies
3 years
Language of instruction
Czech Czech

50
estimated number of admitted
81
number of active students
18
number of theses/dissertations

Faculty of Arts
Programme guaranteed by