University Seal of Biliteracy & Cultural Competence (USBCC)
The University Seal of Biliteracy & Cultural Competence (USBCC) at SDSU is a certificate and digital badge that students, faculty, staff, and anyone else can earn by passing a bilingual exam and participating in a culturally immersive experience. The exam covers reading, writing, listening, and speaking in a language other than English, such as Spanish, Mandarin, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, French, German Arabic, and many more. Earning the USBCC certificate showcases your bilingual proficiency and cultural competence, enhancing your career opportunities.
In Spring 2021, SDSU launched its inaugural Global Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish as a Hispanic Serving Institution, recognizing and honoring the language of our CaliBaja region. The USBCC was made possible through a three-year grant awarded by the California Department of Education’s Multilingual California Initiative. Today, we celebrate SDSU's multicultural environment, diverse student body, and commitment to global education by adding more languages and expanding the exam to faculty, staff, international & exchange students, and everyone else!
The University Seal of Biliteracy & Cultural Competence exam evaluates your proficiency in a language other than English across four sections: reading, writing, listening and speaking. To earn the certificate, you must achieve at least a "Working Proficiency" in all four areas, which requires a score of 7 or higher on a 9-point scale. If you do not meet the minimum proficiency in one section, you can retest that section within 90 days for free.
Exams will be taken on the computer either in person at the SDSU’s Love Library proctored by the USBCC team or online proctored by Avant.
For more information about the requirements, test prep, and link to register for the exam, sign up for a General Info session on Zoom
The University Seal of Biliteracy & Cultural Competence goes beyond language skills, emphasizing the connection between language and culture. While some students may have already participated in a study, internship, or research abroad experience that meets the requirement, it’s important to note that this is not the only way to gain an understanding of a language’s cultural context.
Examples of other ways to meet this requirement include:
Transborder/virtual courses in another country
Dual language schools
Born/raised outside of the U.S.
JMS 434 - Writing for Spanish-Language and Latinx Media
+ Many more experiences
After passing the exam, students will describe their immersion experience through a short essay, video, or creative artwork, explaining how it has contributed their understanding of and proficiency in the language
I am a fluent native speaker of Spanish, but I have never taken a Spanish class at SDSU. Am I eligible to earn a University Seal of Biliteracy and Cultural Competence? Yes. The University Seal of Biliteracy and Cultural Competence is a valuable opportunity, regardless of your pathways to proficiency in your languages.
Why should I obtain the SDSU University Seal of Biliteracy and Cultural Competence? Regardless of whether your first language is English or another language, certification of your biliteracy can provide a competitive advantage in hiring and promotion. The SDSU University Seal of Biliteracy and Cultural Competence is a standardized measurement of your biliteracy skills.
Why is a digital badge important to my career? The badge can be put on LinkedIn so that employers can easily see your level of biliteracy. Research informs us that employers view proficiency in more than one language as an asset, so that when all things are equal, a biliterate job candidate will be chosen. Learn more about the American Councils Research Center's results of a systematic national canvass of Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs in the U.S.
Can the language proficiency exam be done remotely? At the moment we are only offering the exam in person.
What is the minimum language proficiency level required to obtain a University Seal of Biliteracy and Cultural Competence? The exam will determine whether you have reached Functional Proficiency (intermediate-mid) or Working Proficiency (advanced-low). You must have a minimum of Working Proficiency in order to obtain the University Seal of Biliteracy and Cultural Competence at SDSU.
Is the proficiency exam the only requirement I need to complete in order to receive the University Seal of Biliteracy and Cultural Competence? If you take the exam and test at the level of Working Proficiency (advanced-low), and can demonstrate that you have experience with cultural and linguistic immersion, you will receive the University Seal of Biliteracy and Cultural Competence.
Do I have to be an IB major, Fowler College of Business or Joint Doctoral Program (JDP) in Education student to participate? Present day, we are celebrating SDSU's multicultural location, student diversity, and university-wide dedication to global education by expanding this opportunity including: additional languages and majors, faculty/staff, international/exchange students, graduate students, community members!
I am an IB major with advanced Spanish language skills, but my IB concentration is in another language. Am I still eligible for the SDSU University Seal of Biliteracy and Cultural Competence in Spanish? Yes, you are eligible to apply!
How many times can I take the proficiency test to prove my level? If you are not satisfied with your initial score on the exam, you will be permitted to retake the test. You will be responsible for paying the full cost of taking the exam again.
What is the best way to prepare for the proficiency test? I’m not taking a Spanish class this semester and I’m afraid I will be unprepared. A test-taker guide and a sample test are available, so that you understand how the exam will function, and what will be tested.
How many times can I take the AVANT Sample Test? You can take the Sample Test as many times as you want, but you will not receive any score.
NOTE: The questions are not adaptive in the Sample Test, but rather show sample items from each level on the test. The real test will adapt to your level as you proceed through the questions.
How soon will I receive my results? Proficiency exam scores will be reported to SDSU within 1-2 weeks. You will be contacted with your results.
If you are preparing to re-test, you will be able to get feedback from International Affairs about the areas of the test where your scores were lowest (reading, writing, listening, speaking), so that you can specifically target your preparation in those areas.
Exam Dates
March 8, Saturday 10:30 AM
March 22, Saturday 10:30 AM
April 12, Saturday 10:30 AM
USBCC Info Sessions (on Zoom)
February 26, Wednesday 7:00 PM
March 13, Thursday 7:00 PM
March 26, Wednesday 7:00 PM
April 7, Monday 7:00 PM
For SDSU students:
In person: $100
Online: $115
For non-SDSU students:
In person: $200
Online: $215
Alfaro, C., Barton, R., & Castro, A. (2022). Lengthening the Language Line From High School to Higher Education: University Global Seal of Biliteracy. California Association for Bilingual Education, 15–18.
The United States has experienced an outpouring in Dual Language (DL) education programs over the last decade, and California’s Proposition 58 has provided school districts increased flexibility in the types of language program models offered in schools. In 1998, California approved Proposition 227, which banned bilingual education and required students to learn English only. After the passage of Proposition 227, grass-roots efforts led by a coalition of civil rights leaders, teachers, and education advocates (Californians Together) resulted in policy change with Assembly Bill 815.
These efforts established the State Seal of Biliteracy (SSB) in California in 2011 (Heineke & Davin, 2020) with the purpose, as documented in the literature, to prepare students with the skills necessary for the twenty-first century. The SSB, designed by language advocates, teachers, administrators, and state policymakers, not only encourages linguistically diverse students to learn English and maintain their home language but also promotes access for English speakers to develop proficiency in another language.
USBCC Awards Ceremony 2025
USBCC HANDBOOK
We are thrilled that you are interested in a digital copy of the University Global Seal of Biliteracy Handbook. We ask that you provide the following information, as we would like to know who is benefiting from this tool. After you submit the form, you will be led to a confirmation message with a link to download the handbook.
Contact Us
Associate Vice President Cristina Alfaro
Program Director University Seal of Biliteracy and Cultural Competence
