Live and study in two countries in Southeastern Europe over three weeks. Cultivate an appreciation for the various styles of music in Southeastern Europe and learn how music represents, resists, and transforms cultural norms.

• Live and study in two countries in Southeastern Europe over three weeks
• Challenge your assumptions about music: How do different people make the sounds they (and we) call music? How is music used as propaganda? How are traditions passed onto the next generation through music?
• A hands-on, field-based experience - attend performances, meet musicians, and explore local soundscapes.

Program dates:

Date of U.S. departure:     Friday, May 16, 2025

Date of in-country arrival:  Saturday, May 17, 2025

Classes start:                    Monday, May 19, 2025

Study trip:                         May 31 - June 7, 2025

The program ends in Sarajevo (Bosnia & Herzegovina):    Saturday, June 7, 2025

Locations:

You'll spend two weeks at RIT Croatia in the historic city of Dubrovnik, where the summer months come alive with festivals and music celebrations. In the final week of the program, you'll travel to nearby Bosnia and Herzegovina, an area of southeastern Europe known for its cultural and historical heritage, natural beauty, a unique mix of cultures and faiths, and music that blends Slavic, Turkish, and Central European influences.

Course Details:
While in Croatia, the course will be taught by local Croatian faculty. The study tour to Bosnia and Herzegovina will be led by RIT Rochester faculty, Erica Haskell, Director of RIT School of Performing Arts. You'll take one class for 3 credits.

• FRNT 202 - Music & Global Culture (3 credits)
  
  Music & Global Cultures is an exploration of music from around the world, drawing from the theoretical and methodological discipline of ethnomusicology. This field has been defined as the study of "people making music" (Titon) or of music "as" culture. Ethnomusicologists seek an understanding of the connections between musical expression and other elements of society. Music can reflect a community's experience as well as become a catalyst for political and social change. In this course, you will explore how different kinds of music are created, performed, used, and passed on to future generations. In class, we will hone our listening skills, analyze musical and rhythmic structures, read ethnographic accounts of musical performances, and discuss and write about music.
  
  As part of the class, you'll delve into a fieldwork project that involves documenting and interpreting music in Southeastern Europe through fieldwork methods: in-person observation, interviewing, recording, and understanding the meanings of music among a group of people.
  
  No pre-reqs. No prior music knowledge is necessary. Course can count towards a music minor or music immersion, or GE Artistic Perspective.

Application deadline:  February 15, 2025

To Apply:
1) Schedule an appointment with advisor Myles Chalue - choose appointment date/time

2) Start an application by clicking the "Apply" button for the appropriate term below.

You should have a pending application in the Compass at the time of the deadline to be considered for acceptance into the program. A couple of weeks after the application deadline, you will receive an email regarding your acceptance. You will typically have one week from your acceptance to confirm your participation in the program. At that time, the Education Abroad office will bill your RIT eServices account with a non-refundable deposit.

Before confirming your participation, read RIT’s cancellation/refund policy for studying abroad to fully understand your financial obligations and responsibilities.

Program Cost & Financial Aid:
Most study abroad programs typically charge tuition, a program fee to cover housing and program excursions, and out-of-pocket expenses such as your flight, food, and spending money.

Student budget worksheet (Global Music, Summer 2025) - outlines all program costs.

Since you'll only be earning 3 credits on the Global Music program, you will not likely be able to use any financial aid towards program costs. Typically, students earning 5 or fewer credits in the summer have limited options for using financial aid (perhaps only a portion of a Pell Grant (if you receive one) or private loans.

If you would like to meet with RIT financial aid to see what aid may be available to you, follow these steps:

• Make an appointment with your financial aid assistant director (call Financial Aid at 585-475-2186) and mention that you are calling for a study abroad appointment.
• Upload a copy of your budget worksheet(s) via the Financial Aid upload portal at https://join.rit.edu/register/FA_upload (at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled meeting, so they have time to prepare).
• Please rename the file name of your budget worksheet before uploading it to the Financial Aid portal based on the instructions provided in the portal (adding your name and student ID)

To find out the name of your financial aid assistant director for your degree program visit:
https://www.rit.edu/admissions/aid/contact#counseling-team

Scholarship funding for study abroad is available!

• RIT Study Abroad Scholarships
• National Study Abroad Scholarships

Keep in mind that scholarship deadlines are often early, so it's best to investigate these at the start of your application process.

 Eligibility Requirements

All RIT students who study abroad must:

• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher (students with lower than a 2.5 GPA would be considered on a case-by-case basis)
• Have a clear conduct record with RIT
• Have no financial holds on your RIT eServices account at the time of your program acceptance/confirmation
• Be an RIT matriculated student at the time of the program
• Have a valid passport at the time of travel that is valid at least 6 months beyond the dates of your travel
• Be able to obtain any necessary visa documents on your own

Additional considerations when applying for study abroad:

• If you require Access Services support for this program, contact Angela Hauser (abhdis@ntid.rit.edu) to discuss your needs. Support is most often available for RIT Global Campus, RIT faculty-led, and short-term affiliate programs.
  
  
• If you receive disability services support at RIT and would need support on your program abroad:
  1) Contact your Access Coordinator in the RIT DSO office;
  2) Share your Eligibility Letter in your RIT MyDSO portal that outlines the services you receive with the faculty-director for your program to find out what support would be available to you abroad (do this before you commit to the program).
  
  It is important to remember that disability accommodations in other countries vary, and you may not be able to receive the same exact support you receive at RIT.
  
  
• As with all international travel, we strongly encourage you to visit the U.S. Department of State website to learn more about the risks associated with this location and recommended safety precautions before deciding to participate.

• Consider how you will manage your health and wellness while you are abroad: Health & Safety
• Before you make any program commitments, understand how your host culture values your diverse characteristics such as race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, etc. Identity & Diversity Abroad