Certificates and Recognition

• Online registration for the language examinations generally opens on 1 January (Winter Semester) or 1 June (Summer Semester). The admission requirements (see below) must be met.
• If you are registered for and admitted to an exam, you will receive an email with detailed instructions on how to take the exam. These will be sent to your Viadrina email address.

How do I register for the exam?

The examination for the UNIcert® Basis certificate is an integral part of the A2 courses and, for this exam only, there is no separate registration.

The UNIcert® Basis certificate is awarded once the A2 module has been successfully completed at the Language Centre.

The UNIcert® Basis certificate is awarded once the A2 module has been completed at the Language Centre of the European University Viadrina.

The examination for the UNIcert® I certificate is an integral part of the B1 courses and, for this exam only there is no separate examination registration.

The UNIcert® I certificate is awarded when the B1 module has been completed at the Language Centre.

The UNIcert® I certificate is awarded once the B1 module has been completed at the Viadrina Language Centre of the European University Viadrina.

Students who are enrolled as regular students at the European University Viadrina are permitted to sit the examination for the UNIcert® II certificate or "University-specific language training" (HS). They must:

• either have successfully completed courses at level B2.2 (formerly "Oberstufe") totaling 4 SWS

• or have achieved the classification "HS-ZU" (formerly "O-STAR") in a current placement test (valid for two semesters)

• or have been admitted to the "HS" certificate examination on the basis of a special application by the respective department.

The UNIcert® II certificate is only awarded to students who fulfil the following criteria:

• have successfully completed courses at level B2.2 (formerly "upper level") amounting to 4 SWS at the Viadrina Language Centre of the Europa-Universität Viadrina.
• have passed all four parts of the UNIcert® II examination with at least "sufficient".

For details, please refer to the training and examination regulations for the language training programme at Viadrina.

Any student who has failed the examination after having exhausted all opportunities to retake it will not be admitted to the examination.

Students are admitted to the examination for the UNIcert® III / "Academic Communication" certificate (level C1 CEFR) if they

• are enrolled as regular students at the European University Viadrina

• and have successfully completed courses in the field of "Academic Communication" at the Language Centre of the Viadrina in the relevant language and subject area (or interdisciplinary) amounting to 8 SWS.

Courses completed during a degree programme abroad can be credited up to 50%, i.e. 4 of 8 SWS of the required hours by the respective language department.

If the examination is passed,

• the UNIcert® III certificate will be awarded if courses at the C1 level amounting to 4 SWS have been successfully completed at the Viadrina Language Centre;

• the certificate "Academic Communication" will be awarded if courses at the C1 level amounting to 8 SWS have not previously been successfully completed at the Viadrina Language Centre.

Anybody who has failed the examination after exhausting all possibilities to retake it will not be admitted to the examination.

Students are admitted to the examination for the UNIcert® IV German / "Academic Communication German" certificate (level C2 CEFR) who:

• are enrolled as regular students at the European University Viadrina
• and have successfully completed at least the compulsory module "Academic Communication German" at the Viadrina Language Centre.

If the examination has been passed,

• the certificate UNIcert® IV German will be awarded if courses at C2 level amounting to 8 SWS (i.e. the compulsory module of 4 SWS and two elective modules of 2 SWS each) have been successfully completed at the Language Centre of the Viadrina;

• the certificate "Wissenschaftskommunikation Deutsch" will be awarded if the compulsory module (4 SWS) at the Viadrina Language Centre of the Viadrina has been successfully completed beforehand.

Anybody who has definitively failed the examination after exhausting all retake options will not be admitted to the examination.

Your certificate of successful completion of the exams:

UNIcert® II / "University-specific language training" (HS)
UNIcert® III / "Academic Communication"
UNIcert® IV German / "Academic Communication German"
can be collected from  the Service Point in the Audimax building (AM).

The UNIcert® Basis and UNIcert® I certificates must be requested by e-mail from the respective. They are issued individually and can then be collected from the Service Point unless agreed otherwise.

1. The examination for the "University-specific language training" certificate ("HS", formerly "HF") and the UNIcert® II certificate corresponds approximately to level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The examination for the "Academic Communication" certificate (in all languages except German) or UNIcert® III is at level C1. The examination for the certificate "Academic Communication German" or UNIcert® IV corresponds to level C2.

2. Precise documentation is required for the recognition of achievements acquired outside the Viadrina Language Centre. Certificates and attestations submitted to us should contain the following information:

a. Information about the institution that issued the certificate;

b. Number of teaching hours;

c. Information on course content;

d. Indication of the level achieved with reference to the levels of the Council of Europe (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)

3. The language in which the further education admissions certificate (high school qualification) was obtained cannot be recognised as part of the language requirements for studying at the Viadrina;

4. The completion of individual levels cannot be converted into grades by the Viadrina Language Centre.

5. If the requirements detailed above are not met, it will be necessary to take a placement test.

Recognition of achievements in the subject German (equivalence to DSH)

The language of instruction at German universities is usually German.

A good knowledge of German is, therefore, an essential prerequisite for studying in Germany. Foreign students who wish to complete a full degree programme in German and take a final examination must pass the DSH to prove their ability to study at all German universities (§ 4 (4) Enrolment Regulations of the European University Viadrina).

An exemption from the examination is possible if one of the following conditions (§1 of the Enrolment Regulations) is met:

(3) a) Passing the German as a Foreign Language Test (TestDaf) (Section 4 of the "Framework Regulations for German Language Examinations for Studies at German Universities" (RO-DT), at least at level TDN 4 in all four parts of the examination,

b) Passing the "German examination section" of the assessment test at preparatory colleges (according to § 5 RO-DT),

c) Passing the "German Language Diploma of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs - Second Level" (DSD II) at level C 1 in all four partial examinations (resolution of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of 6 December 1996 in the currently valid version) in accordance with § 6 RO-DT.

(4) Applicants are exempt from providing proof of language proficiency if they:

a) provide proof of the language skills required for admission to a degree programme in the context of a school-leaving certificate that corresponds to a German general further education admissions certificate,

b) are holders of a certificate of having passed the Goethe-Zertifikat C 2: Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom (GDS). (The Goethe-Zertifikat C 2: GDS replaces the Goethe-Institut's upper level examinations - Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung (ZOP), Kleines Deutsches Sprachdiplom (KDS) and Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom (GDS) - as of 1 January 2012. ZOP, KDS and GDS are only recognised as exempting examinations for applications submitted by 31.12.2016)

c) Holders of foreign certificates recognised in accordance with point 3 (4th indent) of the agreement "Admission of foreign applicants with foreign educational qualifications to study at German universities: Proof of German language proficiency (Resolution of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of 2 June 1995, as amended).

d) have successfully completed a German-language degree programme with a standard period of study of at least 6 semesters at a university within the scope of the Higher Education Framework Act (HRG).

Applicants whose language skills in German do not correspond to the skills shown in a certificate are not exempt from the examination. This also applies if the certificates mentioned under § 1 para. 3 are older than three years.

(5) The chair of the examination board may exempt the applicant from the language examination upon request, provided that evidence of German language proficiency equivalent to that specified in paragraph 3 or 4 is submitted.

Exemptions can be granted by the Chair of the Examination Board, Ms Doris Lütjen. Contact: luetjen@europa-uni.de

English

• TOEFL (IBT only): at least 80 points (not TOEFL ITP; not MyBestTM Score; not TOEFL Essentials)
• IELTS: at least 6.5 (Academic only)
• Cambridge C2 Proficiency OR Cambridge C1 Advanced: at least 176 points
• The designation "Level B2" or "Level C1" on the certificate of these two tests is not sufficient
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• Cambridge First is not accepted
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• The designation "Level B2" or "Level C1" on the certificate is not sufficient.

French

• DELF B2, provided that at least half of the maximum number of points has been achieved in three of the four partial examinations and the certificate is not older than 2 years.

Italian

• CELI 3 (B2) - Università stranieri Perugia
• CILS 2 (B2) - Università stranieri Siena

Polish

• Certyfikat znajomości języka polskiego jako obcego - Level B2 of the Council of Europe

Russian

• TRKI-2 - Level B2 of the Council of Europe

Swedish

• Tisus (Sweden)*

Spanish

• DELE intermedio, examination of the Instituto Cervantes*
• CELU Certificado de Español Lengua y Uso Nivel intermedio

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* These exams are general language orientated; therefore they are credited as part of the university-specific foreign language training at the Viadrina

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Recognition of achievements for the certificate in academic communication

1. Recognition of achievements in the field of academic communication leading to direct access to the certificate examination in academic communication is only possible if these achievements were made while studying abroad in the country of the target language. A reduction of the programme is possible upon application if the coursework was completed in the target language during the study abroad, but the study itself did not take place in the country of the target language. Internships or other stays abroad cannot be recognised in the specialist language area (as of Winter Semester 13/14 Academic Communication); the examination regulations do not permit this.

French: If a DALF C1 certificate is presented, one module will be waived. It is possible to be admitted to the UNIcert® III exam after successfully completing one of the two modules**

Italian: On presentation of a CILS 3 and CELI 4 certificate, one module is waived. It is possible to be admitted to the UNIcert® III exam after successfully completing a module**

Russian: If a TRKI-3 certificate (C1) is presented, one module will be waived. It is possible to be admitted to the UNIcert® III exam after successfully completing a module**

2. The following documents must be submitted in order for the achievements of a stay abroad to be recognised as part of the language training programme:

o Proof of at least two graded specialised courses

o Proof of a written assignment written during the course of study abroad

3. If you are studying in a foreign language that is not the official or everyday language of that country, one of the two "Academic Communication" courses can be waived

4. Students who wish to study abroad should seek advice from the lecturers' offices beforehand about the requirements that may later lead to the recognition of credits.

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** TRKI 3 (C1), DELF C 1, CILS 3 and CELI 4 are - like UNIcert III - based on level C1 of the Council of Europe, but are general language orientated. Therefore, half, but not all, of the certificate will be credited towards the Academic Communication certificate or UNIcert 3 at Viadrina.