We’re a unique community of artists and innovators, centered around our faith in Jesus Christ and the beauty of the Catholic faith. We strive to create a campus environment where students grow in their relationship with Christ through Sacred Scripture, the Sacraments, and the Magisterial teaching of the Catholic Church.

JPCatholic's patron is Pope Saint John Paul II, and we were formed as a direct response to his call for a New Evangelization. John Paul II was an artist himself, and understood the power of beauty to impact culture for Christ.

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“Those who perceive in themselves this kind of divine spark which is the artistic vocation—as poet, writer, sculptor, architect, musician, actor and so on—feel at the same time the obligation not to waste this talent but to develop it, in order to put it at the service of their neighbour and of humanity as a whole.”
John Paul II, Letter to Artist, 2003

JPCatholic is a unique Christ-centered creative community of artists and innovators centered on a common mission to Impact Culture for Christ. We seek to create culture by bringing together storytellers, artists, designers, leaders, and entrepreneurs in the pursuit of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness. JPCatholic is a creative hub where ideas and stories cross pollinate and where students, faculty, and alumni sharpen each others' thinking and creative imagination. With our culture quickly moving towards a post-Christian future, the need for a creative hub rooted in the truth and beauty of the faith is vital.

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Our unique academic model prepares students for the real-world pace of professional life in the industry, with a focus on hands-on projects, internships, and portfolio preparation. This approach is combined with a Catholic liberal arts education in humanities, theology, and philosophy. The program is structured on a year-round quarter system, and students graduate with their Bachelors Degree in just three calendar years.

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Our campus is located in Escondido, a suburb of San Diego located 2 hours from Hollywood. Southern California is at the epicenter of the world's largest and most globally influential Creative Arts industry cluster, allowing us to attract world-class industry veterans as faculty. Seniors have the opportunity to experience the Los Angeles entertainment industry as part of our L.A. internship quarter. The Escondido creative arts infrastructure and community provides an ideal context for cultivating our student’s artistic imagination.

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The inspiration for JPCatholic was formed in 2000 by Dr. Derry Connolly while praying in the Portiuncula Chapel on Franciscan University of Steubenville’s campus and witnessing the dynamic orthodoxy of the student body.

Recognizing the need for an authentically Catholic university focused on the Creative Arts and Business Innovation and strategically located near the entertainment capital of the world, he began assembling the founding team for JPCatholic in 2003.

Today, JPCatholic has a vibrant community of nearly 300 students, an expanding campus, and accreditation through WASC.

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