Our university maintains exchange partnerships with German Universities such as the Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg and Die Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena. The Gallagher Center for Experiential Learning & Education Abroad also provides a number of exciting study-abroad opportunities in German-speaking countries. Travel grants and financial aid are also available.

Kaffeestunde, film nights and events sponsored by the German Embassy to the United States provide many extracurricular opportunities to hone your language skills and acquire additional cultural knowledge. They’re also lots of fun!

German majors in good standing are eligible to apply for the Erwin Behrendt Memorial Scholarship, averaging $1,000 per academic year. The German government and its various agencies maintain generous scholarship programs for the benefit of students of German.

Foreign Language Placement Testing

If you are interested in taking a German language class at USD and have had previous experience with that language, it is highly recommended that you take our language placement test. This exam will help to determine which level of the language you should take as your first course.

To take the exam, follow the steps below:

1. Click on the link for the German language test.
2. Complete the required information (name, email address and your student ID number) and click “Continue.”
3. All questions are multiple choice. For each question, click on the letter for the correct answer and then select “Submit Answer.”
4. Note: Do not use your browser’s back button or you will be taken back to the registration screen.
5. When you have completed the exam, you will be given your score and placement.
6. After you have viewed your scores, click “Finished.” Your score will be made available to the language department. You will also have access to your scores using the login information you created in step 2.
7. The test should be taken without any notes or other materials and in a quiet setting.

Take the German Placement Test