The major in Languages and Literature at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG, formerly called University of Minas Gerais) started in 1940 as a field at the School of Philosophy, Sciences, and Languages. It became independent from that school on November 26th, 1968, and the date has become the inaugural anniversary of the UFMG’s Faculty of Languages, Literature, and Linguistics (FALE/UFMG).
The Languages, Literature, and Linguistics undergraduate course offers 420 student spots each year (210 per semester) distributed as 80 spots for the morning type and 130 for the evening type. The total time for conclusion depends on the major type (teaching or research-focused) and language chosen.
On the teaching-focused type, students can choose between a single or double teaching-focused major, which varies depending on what time they will be studying (morning or evening classes). In the morning, students can choose from a single major in Portuguese, a single major in English, a double major in Portuguese and French or in Portuguese and Italian. In the evening, students can take a single major in Portuguese, in English, or in Brazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS), as well as a double major in Portuguese and German or Portuguese and Spanish.
The research-focused degree also varies according to the period of the day chosen. In the morning, the options available are Linguistic Studies, Literary Studies, French, Italian, Classical Languages, and Translation - (i) Portuguese-French, (ii) Portuguese-Greek; (iii) Portuguese-English; (iv) Portuguese-Italian; and (v) Portuguese-Latin. The evening type offers the following options for bachelor’s degrees: Linguistic Studies, Literary Studies, Publishing, German, Spanish, English, and Translation - (i) Portuguese-German and (ii) Portuguese-Spanish.
The Faculty also has three graduate programs (stricto sensu): Linguistic Studies - POSLIN (Master's and doctorate degrees); Literary Studies - POSLIT (Master's and doctorate degrees); and a Professional Master’s degree in Languages (PROFLETRAS). It also offers four specialization courses (lato sensu).
FALE also has a great language center (CENEX) that offers a variety of language courses for the university community and the external one, namely LIBRAS (Brazilian Sign Language), classical languages, modern foreign languages, Portuguese for Brazilians and Portuguese for foreigners.