Visionaries Wanted!
JPCatholic exists for one reason – to impact culture for Christ. Businesses are not isolated; they affect culture, laws, and people, and that is why our students strive to make a positive difference via their careers in business. Through our well-rounded business programs, students become skilled entrepreneurs, marketers, and leaders with the ability to integrate the teachings of Jesus Christ into their everyday work. Students learn how to live and work ethically, not just strive for efficiency and the bottom line, creating meaningful change within themselves and the world.
At JPCatholic, you’ll have the option to choose from three emphases: Creative Entrepreneurship, Leadership & Management, Marketing & Advertising. The most effective way of learning is to learn by doing, and applied learning is at the core of the entire business program. In fact, in our Business LaunchPad, you have the chance to start your own company while you’re still a student, guided by the mentorship of faculty who have been in your shoes.
“The degree of well-being that society enjoys today would have been impossible without the dynamic figure of the entrepreneur, whose function consists in organizing human labor and the means of production in order to produce goods and services.”
POPE ST. JOHN PAUL II
Business Emphases
Students can choose between three emphases and can take classes outside of their emphasis as electives. If a student is unsure of which emphasis to pursue, Admissions and faculty mentors can aid in the selection process.
CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP
MARKETING & ADVERTISING
LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT
General Education
Understand Business in a larger context and become a well rounded professional.
THEOLOGY
Impact culture for Christ and grow in faith and understanding through a rich sequence of Scripture based Theology courses.
PHILOSOPHY
Problem solve and reason through major questions of life while learning to break down and synthesize complex ideas and information through the Philosophy sequence.
HUMANITIES
Study the human condition and be at the forefront of business that puts people over profits by actively engaging in an exploration of art, literature, culture, politics, economics, and more.
Envision Your Future at JPCatholic
Build Your Own Company
The Business LaunchPad program is an optional sequence of courses that gives students foundational knowledge and professional mentorship to conceive, nurture, and launch a real company.
The LaunchPad program offers an environment where the likelihood of your company’s success can be significantly increased, and your risk from failures and setbacks is minimized. Passion and hard work are required for students to participate. The experience is rigorous, time-intensive, and takes seriously the academic and hands-on commitment required to nurture sustainable startup companies. It also can be a highly rewarding experience with many startup LaunchPad companies now celebrating their multi-year growth and success.
Once a student completes the LaunchPad sequence of class courses and graduates, they can join the startup LaunchPad incubator, and receive ongoing weekly mentorship with a seasoned business professional.
LEARN MORE
Build Your Own Company
The Business LaunchPad program is an optional sequence of courses that gives students foundational knowledge and professional mentorship to conceive, nurture, and launch a real company.
The LaunchPad program offers an environment where the likelihood of your company’s success can be significantly increased, and your risk from failures and setbacks is minimized. Passion and hard work are required for students to participate. The experience is rigorous, time-intensive, and takes seriously the academic and hands-on commitment required to nurture sustainable startup companies. It also can be a highly rewarding experience with many startup LaunchPad companies now celebrating their multi-year growth and success.
Once a student completes the LaunchPad sequence of class courses and graduates, they can join the startup LaunchPad incubator, and receive ongoing weekly mentorship with a seasoned business professional.
LEARN MORE
Graduate in 3 Years
Our unique academic model prepares students for the real-world pace of professional life with a focus on hands-on projects and internships. The program is structured on a year-round quarter system, and you graduate with your Bachelors Degree in just 12 quarters. Each quarter is 10 weeks long, with about 3 weeks of break between each quarter.
LEARN MORE
Get an Inside Look
LaunchPad Overview | Business Programs
Business Incubator | Business Programs
Business LaunchPad Experience | Business Programs
Jadies and Grace | Innovate Spotlight
Zen Garden Productions | Innovate Spotlight
Prof. Jerry Jackson | Faculty Spotlight
Joseph Ogawa | Day In The Life
Vandal's Games | Innovate Spotlight
Prof. Marc Burch | Faculty Spotlight
Meet the Faculty
With small class sizes and mentorship, our professors get to know your goals and are passionate about helping you achieve them. They bring significant experience to the table from diverse areas of business, including executive management, international business, social media marketing, accounting, and more.
Joe Connolly
Chair & Professor of Business
Dr. Derry Connolly
Professor of Business
Amanda LoCoco
Professor of Leadership
Brad Bartlett
Adjunct Professor of Law
Vernon Mortensen
Professor of Film Producing and Distribution
Marc Burch
Adjunct Professor of Business & LaunchPad Mentor
Angie Germain
Adjunct Professor of Business
Stephan Haight
Adjunct Professor of Business
Joe Szalkiewicz
Adjunct Professor of Business
Jayson Downing
Adjunct Professor of Business
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Matt Martinusen
Class of 2015
Since graduating from JPCatholic, Matt Martinusen and his wife, Lisa, launched card games called Catholics Who Don’t Do Anything in 2020 and The Catholic Card Game in 2018.
Matt and Lisa both graduated from JPCatholic; Matt with a degree in Entrepreneurial Business, and Lisa in Communications Media. The couple met at JPCatholic and are now married with three kids. Alongside his full-time job in media and marketing, Matt also started and runs a gaming company Board Catholic, which he describes as “providing opportunity for community with Catholic fandom.”
He also curated and produced a hardcover comic book called The Ultimate Catholic Comic Book. It is crowdfunded over $12,000 with over 220 fans in one month to print 750 books to sell in market.
Hear from Students & Alumni
Gemma Rausch
Class of 2023
“In a world of mediocrity, we are constantly challenged to be the best and this is exactly why JPCatholic is so great. Here at JPCatholic, we strive for greatness each and every day — whether it be in our faith life, social life, or in our academics. As a business major, it is exciting to mentally piece together my own business, while constantly learning new ways and styles of doing things. I am a sophomore business student with an emphasis in creative entrepreneurship and from my time at JP, I could not be more happy! My confidence in my faith and my future career has grown tremendously.”
Ava Ludwig
Class of 2022
“I'm honored and truly blessed to have the opportunity to study at JPCatholic. After earning my associates degree in Communications, I transferred here from a school in New Jersey to pursue Business Entrepreneurship. I was drawn to the program here because it's characterized by creativity, practicality, mentorship, and attention to the needs of every individual. However, what I love most about being here is participating in the authentic Catholic environment and being inspired daily by my highly motivated and God-centered classmates.”
Luca Hoang
Class of 2024
“As a Business Student and commuter, I’ve found the number of learning opportunities to be plentiful, while at the same time I’ve had so much fun with my friends and grown in my relationship with Jesus. From going on a film set for the first time and leading swing dance club, to spending more time in the chapel and experimenting with business ventures, I’ve been surrounded by people who love the same things I do. I’ve had the opportunity to build, create, imagine the unimaginable, and appreciate others’ creations! God is working hard at JPCatholic, and His extraordinary presence is recognizable through the loving actions and positive attitudes of the faculty and students.”
Gemma Rausch
Class of 2023
“In a world of mediocrity, we are constantly challenged to be the best and this is exactly why JPCatholic is so great. Here at JPCatholic, we strive for greatness each and every day — whether it be in our faith life, social life, or in our academics. As a business major, it is exciting to mentally piece together my own business, while constantly learning new ways and styles of doing things. I am a sophomore business student with an emphasis in creative entrepreneurship and from my time at JP, I could not be more happy! My confidence in my faith and my future career has grown tremendously.”
Ava Ludwig
Class of 2022
“I'm honored and truly blessed to have the opportunity to study at JPCatholic. After earning my associates degree in Communications, I transferred here from a school in New Jersey to pursue Business Entrepreneurship. I was drawn to the program here because it's characterized by creativity, practicality, mentorship, and attention to the needs of every individual. However, what I love most about being here is participating in the authentic Catholic environment and being inspired daily by my highly motivated and God-centered classmates.”
Luca Hoang
Class of 2024
“As a Business Student and commuter, I’ve found the number of learning opportunities to be plentiful, while at the same time I’ve had so much fun with my friends and grown in my relationship with Jesus. From going on a film set for the first time and leading swing dance club, to spending more time in the chapel and experimenting with business ventures, I’ve been surrounded by people who love the same things I do. I’ve had the opportunity to build, create, imagine the unimaginable, and appreciate others’ creations! God is working hard at JPCatholic, and His extraordinary presence is recognizable through the loving actions and positive attitudes of the faculty and students.”