St. Edward's University offers language proficiency testing through the Goethe Institute. The Institute's mission is to promote the German language abroad and to foster international cultural relations. This internationally active, non-profit organization also serves cultural-political objectives abroad on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The Goethe Institute's proficiency tests are the only acceptable proof of German language mastery worldwide. The following exams are available to students upon completion of four semesters of German;

• Zertifikat Deutsch als Fremdsprache (ZDaF)
• Zertifikat Deutsch als Fremdsprache (ZDaF)
• Zertifikat Deutsch für den Beruf (ZDfB)
• Zentrale Mittelstufenprüfung (ZMP)
• Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung (ZOP)

Though other students preparing for the certification exam usually take 400 to 600 contact hours prerequisite, SEU students have passed the exam after only 168 hours, (or four semesters) with a high success rate. Dr. Harald Becker attributes the success of SEU's unique program to the sheer motivation of its students. "I'm willing to make this opportunity available to anyone who is willing to study."

In our German program's short history, former students have already begun to participate in the global community, which has been made possible in part by the Goethe Institute's affiliation with St. Edward's University.