Bellarmine University has a very active Study Abroad program. Students in the Department of Music have studied in Spain; Ghana, West Africa; Germany; Findland and Salzburg, Austria.

Salzburg, Austria, and Bellarmine
Each summer a number of Bellarmine University music students travel to Salzburg, Austria, with Professor Richard Burchard for five weeks of study.  They are joined by students and faculty from other colleges and universities in Kentucky and the United States. Since 1998, 65 Bellarmine music students have taken advantage of this incredible opportunity, one of 19 study abroad programs part of the KIIS (Kentucky Institute for International Studies).

Students attend classes five days a week. The courses are designed to take optimal advantage of the cultural surroundings and events in Europe. Many classes include guest artists, group excursions, concerts and trips to other cities.

A group excursion to Vienna includes overnight hotel accommodations and tickets to an opera, both paid for by the program.

Each student enrolls for two courses, each class period lasts ninety minutes and classes are finished by 1 PM. This leaves plenty of quality time not only to roam Salzburg but also for independent travel and study. During the weekends students travel to many cultural centers in Europe.

There is no language prerequisite to participate in the program; however, students are strongly encouraged to acquire some conversational German skills prior to the trip for a more enriching experience.

One of the highlights of the program is Professor Burchard's World Music course. Guest musicians from Austria, Germany, Turkey, Japan, India, Iran and Africa have visited the classroom to lecture and perform.

Courses taught by Professor Burchard summer 2008:

JMC 300-70 Digital Media Production (3)
This course is designed for the technologically savvy and visually oriented music student interested in video editing and music scoring. While traveling Salzburg and other European cities, capture the diverse culture with your digital camcorder and upload the images to your laptop. Create a moving collage and write an original score for a video diary, burn a DVD, upload your final product on YouTube. Minimum equipment requirements include: digital camera with video recording capability or a digital camcorder, laptop and Firewire cable. Mac users: Apple laptop, G4 processor or higher and iLife (includes iMovie and Garage Band). PC users: laptop, minimum 1ghz processor, Windows Movie Maker and Sony Acid Pro.

MUS 431-70 Special Topics: Study Abroad I: Experiencing Non-Western Cultures through Music and Film (3)
The course examines music and traditions of select non-Western cultures, comparing and contrasting similarities and differences to western music and traditions. What makes this course unique is that professional musicians from select countries visit the classroom to conduct seminars, workshops, performances or a combination of these.