Catalan Studies:
In 2007, the University of Massachusetts Amherst started a collaboration with the Institut Ramon Llull, the cultural branch of the Catalan Government. Thanks to the generous support of the Institut Ramon Llull, we offer introductory language courses and classes on Catalan cinema and culture, and we host an annual Catalan Film Festival, the only one in the United States. The Catalan program has flourished and we offer a Minor in Catalan Studies. To see the many events related to Catalan culture please click here: Catalan Studies

Basque Cultural Studies:
In 2016, the University of Massachusetts Amherst was selected by the Etxepare Institute of the Basque Department of Culture, as the ideal location for the inauguration of a new endowed Chair, named after the internationally known anthropologist, William A. Douglass. Founded in 2010, the Etxepare Institute was created with the aim of promoting knowledge about Basque culture and language in centers of higher education across the world. This honor comes as a result of the university’s long-standing reputation for research and training in the Anthropology of Europe in general and for its history of scholarship on Spain’s minority regions (Basque and Catalan) in particular. The Program of Iberian Studies has been collaborating with the Department of Anthropology, in the approach to Basque Cultural Studies as an interdisciplinary field of study and with the intention to invite scholars to campus who can address cultural issues from a wide spectrum: anthropology, political science, Language and Literature, as well as history, and other fields. The program of events since 2016 can be seen here: Basque Cultural Studies

Portuguese Studies:
UMass Amherst was one of the four U.S. institutions of higher education chosen by the Portuguese government to create three Portuguese language and culture courses because of its ongoing academic collaborations with Portuguese universities, the strategic importance of the Portuguese language in our region, and the significant Portuguese speaking student population on campus. On April 5, 2022, the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies officially inaugurated the Lídia Jorge Chair in Portuguese Studies. Lídia Jorge is one of the most representative writers of the post-Revolution Generation in Portugal. Her books (fiction, theater, children's literature, essay, and poetry) have won international recognition and have been translated into over twenty languages and published in many countries. 
The Lídia Jorge Chair celebrates one of the most important female writers of Portugal, and it will allow the Portuguese and Brazilian studies program to host academic and cultural events, invite international scholars to campus and promote the Portuguese language and culture in New England.

Minor in Modern European Studies:
The Program in Iberian Studies is an important component of the minor in Modern European Studies (MES). The Modern European Studies Program promotes the knowledge of the unique languages, cultures, and histories of contemporary European societies. We sponsor lectures and events relating to European studies and offer an interdisciplinary 15-credit minor open to all formally enrolled undergraduates, regardless of their major. If you have gone to Europe to study abroad, this minor may be perfect for you. Many credits earned in study abroad or for the Global Education Requirement count towards the MES minor. An MES minor will show prospective employers that you have some of the skills it takes to work in an increasingly globalized world. It can be a valuable addition to your major when it comes time to apply to professional or graduate schools, or when seeking employment in international service or business.