Program Overview
This program will introduce students to the Literature, Culture and the Arts of Brazil (music, painting, architecture, film, and dance) from the 17th to the 20th century. During our four-week stay in Salvador, Bahia, students will learn about the local and national history. This 500-year-old city is Brazil's first capital and the crib of Afro-Brazilian culture. Built over a spectacular bay, Salvador is known for its pleasant climate, friendly people, and fine beaches. As a repository of colonial art collections and historical buildings it offers a unique opportunity for students to appreciate Baroque sculpture, painting, and architecture. Considered to be the “music capital” of Brazil, Salvador has produced a large group of most talented musicians and singers such as João Gilberto, Maria Bethânia, Gilberto Gil, and Gal Costa. Taught in English. Survival Portuguese classes will be available. No prerequisites.
Student Quote
"I enjoyed myself and am glad that I was surrounded by such great people in the program. This was my first summer abroad and now I wished that I could have gone every year that I was eligible for. I had a blast! I had a superb time overseas in [the professor’s] magnificent native country. I could honestly say the four-week experience of smells, sights, sounds, tastes, and feelings does away any textbook or lecture could ever do. The fragrance of acarajé, the architecture of Baroque, the percussion of a cuica, the sweetness of Guaraná Antarctica, and the warmth of the equator surely could never be replicated through the arts. Boy, oh, boy are the next batch of students going to be in a treat of a lifetime next year." — Douglas Gee, Brazil 2008
Courses
Portuguese 161 - Luso-Brazilian Literature and Culture (4 units) This course is taught in English.
Colonial Brazilian literature survey. Readings include 16th-18th centuries manuscripts and books of cultural importance in a society dominated by censorship and with no printing presses. Study of the role literary Academies played in the so called “culture of manuscripts.” (Letter grade or P/NP grading upon request.)
and
Portuguese 198 - Directed Group Study (4 units) This course is taught in English.
P/NP grading only.
Find full course descriptions in the UC Davis General Catalog. Note: in many cases prerequisites are waived by consent of instructor. Students who are unsure if they meet prerequisites are encouraged to contact the instructor or Summer Abroad staff. For more information on prerequisites for UC Davis courses, visit the Academics section of the Summer Abroad website.