Doctoral students are expected to take their qualifying exams in the semester following completion of coursework (typically in the fifth or sixth semester).

The qualifying exam for the Ph.D. in Portuguese consists of three written exams of three hours each, one take-home written exam, and an oral exam, if the written exam warrants. Ph.D. students in Portuguese will also be examined in their approved secondary area of interest (typically Spanish-American, Latinx, Spanish or Catalan literatures and cultures). A written or oral examination may also be required in the minor field, at the discretion of the minor department. The qualifying examination may be repeated only once.

Students are held responsible for compiling their readings lists based on their research area. Students should make their selection of areas in consultation with their faculty advisor, the Director of the Portuguese Program, and the Director of Graduate Studies.

Graduate students working on their Ph.D. in Portuguese may complete a Ph.D. minor in the department (either in Hispanic Linguistics, or Hispanic Literatures and Cultures) or outside the department, in areas such as Latin American Studies, Latino Studies, African American and African Diaspora Studies, Comparative Literature, Gender Studies, and Film Studies, among others.