Degree in Galician and Portuguese Studies: Language and Literature

2025/2026 · 240 credits

What you learn

The degree provides a comprehensive education in the study of language, literature and culture within the Galician-Portuguese context. Students study the various branches of philological knowledge (grammar, pragmatics, sociolinguistics, history of language, language planning, literary movements, literary genres, authors of Galician and Portuguese literature, etc.) as they apply to Galician and Portuguese. In this way, students are prepared to successfully take on the responsibilities of their professional lives. At the same time, they acquire a high level of multilingual competence (Galician and Portuguese, Spanish, English), which has a positive impact on their professional skills.

Complete study skills

Generic skills

The degree provides a comprehensive education in the study of language, literature, and culture within the Galician-Portuguese context. Students study the various branches of philological knowledge (grammar, pragmatics, sociolinguistics, history of language, language planning, literary movements, literary genres, authors of Galician and Portuguese literature, etc.) as they apply to Galician and Portuguese. In this way, students are prepared to successfully take on the responsibilities of their professional lives. At the same time, they acquire a high level of multilingual competence (Galician and Portuguese, Spanish, English), which has a positive impact on their professional skills.

Specific skills

Upon completion of the Bachelor’s Degree in Galician and Portuguese: Linguistic and Literary Studies, students will have fully developed the following skills:

  • To understand and apply the methods and techniques of linguistic and literary analysis in order to analyse and interpret texts and discourses using textual analysis techniques.
  • An understanding of the theoretical trends in linguistics and literary studies, and an advanced command of Galician, Spanish, English and Portuguese, both spoken and written.
  • The ability to assess the style of a text, suggest alternatives and corrections, and critically evaluate, analyse and summarise specialist information.
  • To identify problems and research topics within this academic field. To understand textual criticism and the editing of texts.
  • To have an advanced knowledge of Galician and Portuguese literature, and of the history and culture of Galician-speaking and Portuguese-speaking communities.
  • A thorough command of the grammar of the Galician and Portuguese languages, including an understanding of their variations. An understanding of the sociolinguistic situation of the Galician language and the models and techniques of language planning.

Transversal skills

The degree provides a comprehensive education in the study of language, literature, and culture within the Galician-Portuguese context. Students study the various branches of philological knowledge (grammar, pragmatics, sociolinguistics, history of language, language planning, literary movements, literary genres, authors of Galician and Portuguese literature, etc.) as they apply to Galician and Portuguese. In this way, students are prepared to successfully take on the responsibilities of their professional lives. At the same time, they acquire a high level of multilingual competence (Galician and Portuguese, Spanish, English), which has a positive impact on their professional skills.

Professional and academic career

Professional environment

Graduates of this degree programme will possess a high level of specialisation in the Galician-Portuguese linguistic and literary field. As a result, they will enter a professional world that is equally specialised, with teaching in both the public and private sectors (language schools, schools, faculties, secondary schools, lecturing posts at foreign universities, etc.), linguistic and socio-cultural consultancy, translation, linguistic standardisation and cultural promotion emerging as the main career paths.

Professional and academic career

The main career and academic pathways include the following: teaching, research, translation and interpreting, linguistic, cultural and editorial consultancy and mediation, cultural and linguistic consultancy in the business world, language standardisation and planning, literary criticism, the media, cultural management, language and literary promotion, advertising, specialist bookshops, etc.

Students may also continue their higher education and enrol on the various master’s programmes offered by the faculty.

Companies and institutions involved

The Faculty of Philology has partnership agreements with over 20 organisations to enable students to gain exposure to the world of work. These agreements, which are renewed annually, facilitate the organisation of extracurricular work placements. In this way, students gain exposure to the publishing world, technology centres, libraries, cultural institutions, etc., and can see for themselves the career opportunities available after graduation.
Some of the organisations where these placements take place include: the Miguel González Garcés Public Library (A Coruña), the Emilia Pardo Bazán House Museum (A Coruña), the Galician Culture Council (Santiago de Compostela), the Language Standardisation Service of Betanzos Council, etc.

Planning for teaching

The curriculum for the Bachelor’s Degree in Galician-Portuguese: Linguistic and Literary Studies is structured over four academic years organised into four-month terms, except in the second year, where two modules are year-long. In the first two years, all modules are compulsory and are shared with the Bachelor’s degrees in Spanish and English.

Building on this core curriculum, in the third and fourth years each student will be able to specialise in the study of the Galician and Portuguese languages and their respective literatures, supported by complementary and cross-disciplinary modules.

The curriculum comprises 240 credits, of which 120 are taken in the first and second years in the core modules; in the third and fourth years, 78 credits will be taken in compulsory modules, a minimum of 18 in specific modules, a maximum of 18 in general optional modules and 6 in the Final Degree Project.

This study has teaching guide
You can read it to learn more about the study. In the table below you can see the individual teaching guides for each subject.

Study structure

The degrees are organized by courses. Click on a academic year for more information.

  Guide Type QTR. credits
Basic Training Second Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Basic Training Second Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Basic Training Second Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Basic Training Second Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Basic Training First Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Basic Training First Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Basic Training First Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Basic Training First Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Basic Training First Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Basic Training Second Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
  Guide Type QTR. credits
Compulsory Annual 9.0 ECTS
Compulsory Annual 9.0 ECTS
Compulsory First Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Compulsory First Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Compulsory First Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Compulsory First Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Compulsory Second Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Compulsory Second Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Compulsory Second Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Compulsory First Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Compulsory First Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Compulsory First Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
  Guide Type QTR. credits
Elective First Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
Compulsory First Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Compulsory First Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Compulsory First Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Compulsory First Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Compulsory Second Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Compulsory Second Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Compulsory Second Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Elective First Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
Elective First Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
Elective Second Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
Elective Second Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
Elective Second Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
Elective Second Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
Elective Second Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
Elective Second Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
Elective First Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
Elective First Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
Elective Second Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
Elective Second Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
Elective First Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
  Guide Type QTR. credits
Compulsory First Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Compulsory First Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Compulsory First Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Compulsory First Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Compulsory Second Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Compulsory Second Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Final Year Dissertation Second Quadmester 6.0 ECTS
Elective First Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
Elective First Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
Elective First Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
Elective First Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
Elective First Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
Elective Second Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
Elective Second Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
Elective Second Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
Elective First Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
Elective First Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
Elective Second Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
Elective Second Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
Elective Second Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
Elective Second Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS
Elective Second Quadmester 4.500000000 ECTS

 BOE with syllabus (PDF)

External references

The Bachelor’s Degree in Galician and Portuguese: Linguistic and Literary Studies was designed with the former Bachelor’s Degree in Galician Philology in mind. At the same time, it also took into account linguistic and literary studies at various European universities, where it is very common to study at least two languages together (France, Italy, Portugal...) and their respective literatures, as well as subjects such as linguistics, literary theory and translation.

Query procedures used

The curriculum for this degree programme was developed in accordance with the “Guidelines for the Development of Undergraduate Degrees at the UDC”, approved by the University Governing Council in 2007. A drafting committee, comprising nine members, was established, in which all sectors of the university community were represented (students, academic staff and administrative and support staff). The draft proposal was presented publicly, debated and finally approved by the Faculty Board.
Throughout the degree planning process, various meetings were held with the deans of other institutions (the Faculty of Humanities at the UDC, the Faculty of Philology at the University of Santiago de Compostela, the Faculty of Philology and Translation at the University of Vigo, etc.).

Teachers

By now, the study does not have departments responsible for teaching.

  • Luis Gamallo, María Obdulia

Student mobility

UDC holds student mobility agreements with universities and other third-level institutions across four continents. Students are offered several opportunities each year to apply to study abroad in one of these centres (for a single term or for a whole year), with the guarantee that all credits obtained will be duly recognised in their academic record upon their return.

For each round of applications, the University publishes the list of exchange options available to students and, where relevant, the specific conditions associated with each. Students may also apply to the University for funding for international work experience placements and internships.

Work experience placements are accredited in the student's academic record and the European diploma supplement. Students are free to decide in which host company or academic institution within the EHEA they wish to carry out their placement. To assist them in their search, the University has created an online noticeboard with jobs postings and other news.

Work-study placements in A Coruña are arranged by the International Relations Office (ORI) of the UDC in collaboration with the international relations coordinators in the student’s home university. The general entry criteria, rights and obligations of students, and admission and acceptance procedures for the programme, are regulated by the UDC Mobility Policy.

Particular centre actions

The Faculty of Philology at the UDC has a long tradition of involvement and cooperation in developing student mobility schemes, particularly within Europe. This facilitates contact with different linguistic, literary, cultural and social contexts in various countries, providing students with clear cultural and personal enrichment. Thus, thanks to the agreements signed, students enrolled on the Bachelor’s Degree in Galician-Portuguese: Linguistic and Literary Studies have the opportunity to complete part of their degree at a Spanish or foreign university. Through the SICUE and ERASMUS-SÓCRATES programmes, students can study for a semester or even a full year at a large number of European universities.