THEO111 Christian Experience I (Personal Relationship)

Recent popes have emphasized the necessity of personal encounter with Jesus Christ. This exhortation raises questions, however, for individual Christian disciples. For JPCatholic students, specifically, this course considers how such an encounter can be fostered within a university community, and how it might be lived in an ongoing way. It therefore doubles as an introduction to university community and to Catholic theological study, and connects faith principles with lived experience so as to bolster faith and spur evangelization.

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THEO112 Christian Experience II (Catholic Doctrine)

This course introduces students to the diverse world of radio, television, news, cinema, internet, print and advertising. Students will learn how to critically experience such media and analyze its desired results. Students will also explore how media has developed and evolved through history and examine the current influences of media on society from a cultural, artistic and economic perspective. In addition, we will explore what the role of Christians in this new media environment can and should be, and how we can best utilize the opportunities available to us to become who we want to be.

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THEO112 Christian Experience III (The Sacramental Life)

Our redemption was accomplished by a God who entered history. As a consequence, Catholics understand communion as something that occurs in a context of tradition. Faith is handed down over centuries by the successors of the apostles; we read and interpret Sacred Scripture according to long-established understandings and principles; our prayer to the Father through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit bears a striking resemblance to that of the first Christian communities. This course examines sacramental ritual and considers the perennial necessity of personal prayer, enabling students to better understand the power of this ancient faith. In its essential elements it never changes—which is precisely what allows it to change us.

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THEO216 Christian Experience IV (Theology of the Body)

It is all too easy to see one’s own desires as what really matters, and to live accordingly. With his Theology of the Body, however, Pope St. John Paul the Great offers a fresh perspective, one that dares to lift us above the confusion and malaise wrought by this era’s remarkable selfishness. This course affords students an opportunity to explore this theological treasure given to the Church by our university’s patron, and to better see how an individual human life can be lived not selfishly, but as a gift received from God and intended for others.

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THEO205 New Testament

In this course the student explores the Scriptures, particularly the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) to understand the person of Jesus Christ. This Scripture course serves as the starting point for JPCatholic University’s religion curriculum. While examining some of the basic literary and historical issues relating to Scripture study, the course also introduces students to the theological principles of Catholic biblical exegesis. The course also explores ways the study of Scripture enhances the life of prayer.

PHIL101 Logic

In this course students learn about the basic structures of sound reasoning, focusing largely on classic Aristotelian logic. The course serves to help students think and argue with clarity as well as to effectively analyze arguments of others. The course includes a careful analysis of the operations of the intellect, i.e., understanding, judgment, and reasoning, focusing on their products, i.e., term, proposition, and syllogism.

PHIL203 Philosophy of Nature

This course is a detailed study in the various understandings of nature, beginning from the mythology of the Enuma Elish as a primitive attempt at grasping the world, to the classical understanding found in Aristotle’s Physics and 141 Parts of Animals and their Medieval development in Thomas Aquinas’s The Principles of Nature, to foundational texts in modern natural sciences such as those of Descartes, Galileo and Newton, to discussions of evolution found in Darwin, and finally to near contemporary physicists such as Heisenberg. The contrast between the classical stress on substantial form and formal causality and the modern method of material causality and mathematical law will be brought to the forefront, as will the emphasis on technology as a mastery of nature in modern science and the question of teleology, whether nature acts for a purpose.

PHIL204 Philosophy of Man

After providing an overview of the basic principles of the Philosophy of Nature, this course examines the nature of the human being, beginning from the Epic of Gilgamesh, continuing through the Classical period by means of Aristotle, the Middle Ages in St. Thomas Aquinas, the Renaissance via Blaise Pascal, and concluding in the modern period in Nietzsche, Freud and T. S. Eliot.

PHIL408 Philosophy of Man

This is a course in the various understandings of metaphysics, or the nature of being as being, beginning from Plato’s Timaeus, continuing through the Classical period by means of Aristotle, and the Middle Ages in St. Thomas Aquinas. The course continues by covering several related questions, beginning with Natural Theology (discussing the traditional proofs for the existence of God, the Divine Attributes that can be understood using reason alone, the analogy of being, and the act of creation), continuing with the “problem of evil” and the question of free will.

HUMA111 Cultural Foundations I (The Classical Period)

As this course engages apparently timeless literary works from the classical tradition, it situates them within specific historical contexts. This approach enables students to better appreciate the enduring power of story even as they recognize the complex relationship art to its surrounding culture. Masterworks of pagan antiquity (Homer and/or Virgil) give way to key texts of early Christendom (Augustine, Beowulf, and others) in order to further illuminate the impact of Christian theology and anthropology on artists and thinkers in myriad disciplines.

HUMA112 Cultural Foundations II (The Middle Ages & the Renaissance)

This course tracks the development in European art and thought during the transition from the High Middle Ages to the Renaissance. Special attention is paid at the outset to the tensions arising from, surrounding, and even bringing about this epochal shift, especially as evidenced in Dante’s Divine Comedy. When the course later shifts its focus to texts produced by Shakespeare and other authors in Renaissance England, students find these tensions now located in increasingly realistic and complex human figures and dramas. Through these explorations students come to see the distinctive groundwork being laid for what will later be recognized as the modern period.

HUMA113 Cultural Foundations III (The Early Modernity)

This third course in our Cultural Foundations series tracks the rise of modernity against the backdrop of various 18th and 19th century upheavals. In order to best appreciate the dynamism and complexity of this period, students will immerse themselves in the literary form most characteristic of the 19th century: the novel. By applying order to an increasingly dissonant world, the great novels of the European tradition illuminate daily life amidst revolutionary change in a uniquely personal way, and they capture in their progress both the subtlest movements of human consciousness and the most profound transformations of human hearts.

HUMA301 Global Cultures, History & Politics

This course studies a wide variety of global cultures by listening to indigenous voices expressing themselves in cultural products that include novels, films, music, poetry, essays, speeches, and journalism.

HUMA120 Culture Making *

This course examines how media and business shape the attitudes, practices and beliefs of individuals and groups, and develops in students a rich understanding of the subtle and powerful cultural currents swirling around them, so that they can make valuable contributions to the development of future cultures. Students will consider critically how media and business shape them, learning to recognize the attitudes, assumptions, arguments and ideas promoted by media and business enterprises and products. They will develop a full, thoughtful and practical understanding of what cultures are and how they grow, and of the university’s mission to Impact Culture for Christ. They will gain an understanding of how Christians are perceived by the cultures around them, and appreciate how one gains the privilege of participation in the shaping of cultures. Finally, students will learn to articulate what of value they have to offer the cultures around them, and how they hope to make that contribution over the course of their lives and careers.

HUMA122 College Writing I *

This course will emphasize the use of correct grammar, usage, spelling, punctuation, and mechanics. Students will be required to apply these skills to writing assignments.

HUMA124 Advanced College Writing

Students conduct research on a primary text and write a lengthy paper, practicing revision and editing skills as they develop their original theses. This class encourages a “close reading” of a primary text, requires students to build an annotated bibliography to evaluate secondary and tertiary source material, and introduces rhetorical concepts in the effort to help students become stronger readers and writers.

MATH202 Personal Finance & Success

This course provides students with concepts and strategies related to practical financial and personal decision-making. Taking a holistic approach, students will be given the tools to manage not just their personal finances, but their investments in time, service, etc. Topics will include budgeting, spending, hsaving, borrowing, investing, time management, tithing, and giving.

SCIN300 Science, Technology & Culture

This course will familiarize students with fundamental scientific concepts and explore how the application of those concepts affects society and global economics. Topics include: the structure of the atom and its applications in biology and physics; circuits, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet of Things; DNA, diseases, and vaccines. Each topic builds towards the question, "what does Catholic teaching tell us about how we as Christians live and participate in this rapidly changing world?"

BUSI106 Entrepreneurial Thinking

In today’s world there is a need for strategic thinking and business vision based on a different paradigm. Competition is not only between products and services, but also between business models. Students will learn about innovation-driven business strategies and methodologies to develop business designs to successfully compete in the new economy.

BUSI120 Project Management

This course teaches the principles of project management that are commonly used to plan and measure projects in industry. It presents the project management mind-set, tools, and skills for successfully defining, planning, executing, monitoring, controlling, and reporting a project. Topics covered include: the project life cycle, fundamental PM processes, development of the project plan, interpersonal management skills, and managing changes during project execution. Case studies are from technology and media applications.

BUSI193 Introduction to Marketing

This course focuses on introducing the idea of “entrepreneurial marketing” and is aimed at students who plan to start a new venture or take a job as a marketing professional pursuing an innovative marketing approach. Students will study a full spectrum of marketing strategy and tactics that are especially suitable for entrepreneurial firms aiming for high growth and innovation yet faced by limited resources and uncertain industry dynamics. Students will work in teams on marketing plans for their own venture or for other high profile entrepreneurs or executives. The focus of this course is on hands-on experiences and practical relevance of innovative marketing concepts.

BUSI209 Building Blocks of Business

In this class students get a “big picture” look at the ingredients of a start-up firm and the process of creating one. The class details those ingredients, discusses the stories (good & bad) of people who have done it, and learn the process by going through it with a self-select team. Students learn: the business planning process, which maps how to move from an idea to an actual enterprise offering an actual product/service/apostolate; How to craft a compelling and clear business story that captures the true essence of your business; and finally acquire inquisitiveness as to how the world of business really works. The class deliverable is a complete Business Plan created by student teams along with a presentation of the plan.

BUSI300 Negotiation Skills

This course teaches students to meet and resolve objections and conflicts that result from written and oral proposals and pitches. Emphasis is on resolving customer obstacles before addressing your own. Topics covered include: Wants vs. Needs; Win-Win Strategies; Best Alternatives to Agreement; Schedule vs. Quality vs. Cost; Progress vs. Perfection. The class progresses through carefully structured, progressively more complex negotiation exercises. Students learn how external and internal negotiation has become a way of life for effective managers in a constantly changing business environment.

BUSI393 Leadership and Management

This course is an introductory-level course for students. Its intent is to give an in-depth understanding of the differences between – and similarities of — leadership and management. The course focuses on the major traits of leaders and managers, and augments these with examples of great historic leaders, including George Custer and Jesus Christ. The course also studies the many leadership traits of Abraham Lincoln, and looks at how these can be applied in modern business to improve management techniques. As part of the learning process, students give summaries of Lincoln’s leadership lessons, using short, Power Point presentations.

COMM200 Business Communications

This course will teach students how to write and speak effectively in business and other communication.

ENTM101 Story, Genre & Structure

A theoretical and practical introduction to the human phenomenon of storytelling, what stories are, their central role in culture from ancient times to the present day, and how storytellers seek and communicate meaning. Particular attention will be paid to the significance of story in the Judeo-Christian tradition and story’s role within the Christian faith. Students will generate numerous story ideas, and with the help of their classmates and the instructor will evaluate those ideas in terms of audience appeal, theme and meaning.

MUSC101 Music Appreciation

This course is a survey and analysis of the elements of music and primary musical periods of Western European music history. Students will acquaint themselves with musical terms, major composers and repertoire.

MUSC201 Music in Media

This course will provide an analysis of music and sound as they relate to the construction of feature films, television, and video games.

ENTM410 Media Law & Ethics

The course examines the legal relationships in the motion picture and television industries, as well as the legal relationships between artists and their personal managers. It covers the key legal principles that are involved in most media productions. This includes with trade unions, licensing, intellectual property and contract issues. In addition, this course explores ethical challenges students are likely to encounter working in entertainment and guides them through the development of a personal code of ethics that is informed by the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

MUSC421 Career Strategies: Business of Music

This course is designed to examine the music industry and its segments: how content and money is generated, the big players, and how content is developed, marketed, promoted, and disseminated. Students will examine career opportunities within the field and gain knowledge of the process.

MUSC490 Senior Project: Digital Music

This course is the one-on-one development of a capstone project for the Digital Music emphasis, which will take the form of either 1) a significant digital recording and composition, 2) a film or video game soundtrack composition, or 3) a live performance of original musical material.

MUSC102 Music Theory I

This course is a comprehensive examination of the fundamentals of music and music notation. Notes, keys, chords and harmonic progression, as well as ear training, intervals, and basic keyboard layout will be discussed.

MUSC103 Fundamentals of Music

This course is designed to help the student familiarize themselves with elementary concepts of music: pitch, rhythm, harmony, and tonality. The student will learn to read notes in several clefs, count and clap rhythms, and sing in solfeggio.

MUSC110 Scoring Lab

Students will participate in a small group providing musical scores and sound effects for movies, television and video games. Analysis of scoring techniques and practicum will be explored.

MUSC220 Composition & Songwriting

A mixed lecture-lab in which students will learn songwriting fundamentals and take part in productive workshops to develop skills in music composition, notation, performance practice, and creative expression.

MUSC230 Recording Techniques

This course is a lab production class designed to teach proper recording, editing, and studio mastering of vocals, piano, guitar, bass and percussion. Students will learn about mic placement, gain staging, proper studio equalization, effects processing, mixing, and mastering.

MUSC221 Electronic Composition I

This class is an exploration in modern electronic music, synthesizers, computer assisted rhythm, and production. Primarily demonstrated with third party software (ProTools and Ableton live), the student will produce electronic compositions and develop unique sonic environments.

Note: Knowledge of musical fundamentals is helpful.

MUSC322 Electronic Composition II

This advance class is an exploration in modern electronic music, synthesizers, computer assisted rhythm, and production. Primarily demonstrated with third party software (ProTools and Ableton live), the student will produce electronic compositions and develop unique sonic environments.

Prerequisites: MUSC221

MUSC113 World Music

An examination of the music and culture of non-Western peoples, and their relation to common performance practice, musical production, and liturgical service.

MUSC120 Musicianship

This course develops aural, vocal, and general keyboard skills designed to supplement Music Theory and Composition ability. Develop listening skills in melody and harmony, sight-singing, and forming chords, arpeggios, and scales on the piano.

ENTM141B Vocal Techniques I

Students develop fundamental skills to effectively perform musical theatre songs. Students work toward producing a free sound without constriction by focusing on singing basics like resonance, diction, clear tone, and the release of physical constrictions. An introduction is made to the three main styles of vocal production: head register, chest register, and the mixed voice. Individual assessments help establish vocal range and reinforce a healthy voice and breath management. Students develop aural skills and directly apply them to sightsinging. Interval and rhythm recognition are the initial focus, with an introduction to the Moveable Do Solfege and numerical sightsinging methods. Melodic and rhythmic dictation is also explored. Individual private training will focus on each individual student's acquired foundation and develop more refined and nuanced vocal skills, including breath control, expanded vocal range, purity in vowels, projection, vocal dynamics, and techniques for singing a variety of musical genres.

Corequisite: ENTM142A

ENTM142B Vocal Techniques II

A continuation of the skills developed in Vocal Techniques I, this course will provide the student with the opportunity to explore their natural singing voice and find their vocal identity through a variety of musical genres. Utilizing healthy vocal technique, students will develop and practice skills to enhance solo vocal performance. Topics may include but are not limited to: body alignment, releasing tension, onset/offset, breathing, resonance, focus of tone, registration, articulation, and expressivity. Students continue to work on sightsinging techniques, further developing aural skills and melodic and rhythmic dictation and working with sightsing material with shifting meters. Individual private training will have continued focus on each individual student's abilities as well as development of more refined and nuanced vocal skills needed for singing a variety of musical genres.

Corequisite: ENTM142A

Prerequisite: ENTM141A, ENTM141B

MUSC203 History of Popular Music

An analysis of music and social structures surrounding 20th Century American Music, including jazz, rock and roll, and hip-hop

MUSC223 Orchestration & Notation

An evaluation of instrument timbre, range, and family combination to practice the craft of orchestration, specifically to aid in the composition of film scores and video game scores.

Prerequisite: MUSC102

ENTM306 Sound in Film: Production

This course will cover the fundamentals of sound and how they are applied in a media environment to help communicate a message. The class will address the importance of sound in the pre-production process and how to properly prepare a project with a sound state of mind. In the production environment, students will learn the proper sound tools and techniques and how to use them to record clean, consistent and intelligible recordings.

Prerequisite: ENTM104

ENTM308 Sound in Film: Post-Production

This course builds upon the skills and techniques learned in Sound in Film: Production, with an emphasis on post-production. The class will review the fundamentals of sound and how they are applied in a media environment to help communicate a message. Students will learn the element of a film or video soundtrack and how to take the elements from production and combine with created sounds and effects to create a complete soundtrack. Students will mix, process and enhance the soundtrack in postproduction using a digital audio workstation.

Prerequisites: ENTM103, ENTM104, ENTM306

MUSC320 Performance Practicum

A symposium for performance practice and refinement of musical performance skills. Piano, voice, and instrumental performances will be critiqued and improved through technical feedback and master classes, culminating in a concert performance for the entire student body.

MUSC321 Sound Reinforcement

Explore and familiarize yourself with the principles, equipment, and technology involved in the process of live audio reinforcement. Learn to set up, operate, and troubleshoot typical sound system equipment, and study acoustics and live recording techniques, materials and physics.

MUSC360 Form & Analysis

This is an ad-hoc presentation of form in a thematic way, which will help students understand the order of materials in a music composition. Masterworks of Western Art Music will be examined for their form and for typical and atypical examples throughout history.

ENTM437 Musical Production I

From first reading through to performance, students rehearse and perform a musical from a classic or contemporary writer. Students must audition to register for this class. This course may be taken multiple times for credit.

ENTM439 Musical Production II

Students will continue rehearsing the play from the prior quarter, cumulating in a final performance.

ENTM437 Musical Production I

From first reading through to performance, students rehearse and perform a musical from a classic or contemporary writer. Students must audition to register for this class. This course may be taken multiple times for credit.

ENTM439 Musical Production II

Students will continue rehearsing the play from the prior quarter, cumulating in a final performance.

ENTM000 Feature Film: Scoring Lab

Course description coming soon