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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
*All students must take either Culture Making or College Writing I
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.
*All students must take either Culture Making or College Writing I
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.
*Fashion Design students may choose between Project Management or Fashion Show Production
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.
FASH420 Fashion Show Production *
This course is an applied study and practical application of fashion show and special event production. Students will learn and master their promotional skills; strategies and techniques include organizing, advertising, staging, timing, and coordinating models and their clothing and accessories. The course culminates in a fashion show to showcase the work of senior Fashion Design students.
*Fashion Design students may choose between Project Management or Fashion Show Production
ARTS101 Fundamentals of Art & Design
Introduction to the elements and principles of design, composition design, color theory, color psychology, and basic typography. Practical guidance in color mixing and the visual impact of specific color combinations to support traditional and digital design work.
ARTS102 Art History
Whether with Christian intent or not, artists of the Western European tradition have for centuries contended fiercely over questions of form, composition, representation, and relationship to tradition. This survey of the heritage and high-water marks of Western visual art brings students to view and analyze individual works, and larger artistic movements, with the wide-angle lens that allows for the best possible appreciation of beauty. Thus, students will build for themselves the foundation they need for artistic engagement with a culture not exactly known for its historical self-awareness.
ARTS120 Drawing in Perspective
Study of fundamental drawing techniques used to represent three-dimensional objects on a two dimensional plane and lay a strong foundation for all other drawing and design courses.
*BFA in Visual Arts students must take either Drawing in Perspective or Intro to Gameplay Logic Scripting
ARTS201 Color Theory
A thorough breakdown of the process of creating from initial concepts to final design taught by professionals in the design industry.
ARTS205 Art History: Counter-Reformation
Structured around Elizabeth Lev’s How Catholic Art Saved the Faith, this course explores how the Catholic Church turned to visual artists to draw people together and to communicate beauty, goodness, and Truth in a period of great confusion; and invites students to consider how they fit into the larger narrative of the Catholic Art tradition.
FASH311 Fashion Career Strategies
This course explores the practical realities of living as a professional artist in a variety of work settings and across a range of creative areas with significant contributions from guest speakers. Students will analyze their strengths and weaknesses, set clear goals to work toward for the remainder of their degree program, and create an online, professional presence including a portfolio.
*This course specifically for Fashion Design students replaces Visual Arts Career Strategies
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.
ENTM102 Media Survey
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.
FASH101 Fashion Analysis I
This course introduces students to understanding how we dress ourselves. Students study the components and language of fashion - how and what we communicate through what we wear. Intended for those who want to study fashion, costume design, or understand how to dress a character.
FASH104 Basic Sewing I
Students will achieve a solid foundation in the basic but most essential sewing skills to begin their journey in the craft of sewing.
May test out by taking Optional Sewing Proficiency Exam
FASH103 History of Fashion
This course explores the evolution of fashion from ancient times to the present day, focusing on the cultural, social, and economic factors that have shaped fashion trends and styles. Students will examine key historical periods, influential designers, and significant movements in fashion, with a focus on Western European culture from the French Revolution to the 1990s, analyzing how clothing has served as a form of expression and identity across different societies.
FASH125 Apparel Construction I
This course introduces students to pattern making and garment construction, learning core concepts on how to transform creative ideas into wearable designs. Students will apply construction principles from commercial patterns to make apparel, with an emphasis on basic construction techniques and fundamental fitting.
Prerequisite: FASH222, FASH102, FASH 230
FASH204 Basic Sewing II
Building on the skills learned in Basic Sewing I, students will develop skills in more advanced sewing techniques.
FASH102 Fashion & Costume Design I
Students will take inspiration from the world around them and translate their ideas into finished products with a strong focus on emotions and communication. Bring your designs to life for theater, film, cosplay storytelling, or merchandising and fashion. Students will learn to design costumes for a specific set of characters, altering and manipulating garments for the stage. You will create character identity by breaking down a script to develop a "lookbook" for actors using mood boards, color stories, and renderings. You will also study the systems, terminology, and tools used by fashion and costume designers.
Prerequisite: FASH125
FASH122 Basic Fashion Drawing *
This class explores the practice of Fashion Illustration techniques for presentation of contemporary fashion images including: croquis foundation, concept sketching (floats), full-color rendering, layout composition (storyboards), and presentation. Students will learn to illustrate their original ideas in an artistic manner by implementing rendering techniques used in contemporary fashion design and advertisements, by using tools such as the "Croquis" (undressed fashion figure). Students will gain confidence in their abilities through a progression of exercises in a variety of media, and through critique, resulting in a development of their own personal style while building their portfolio.
*Fashion Design students must take either Life Drawing I or Basic Fashion Drawing
ARTS221 Life Drawing I *
This class will help students to develop basic figure drawing skills. Students will study drawing a human body in various shapes and poses in order to create designs for animated characters.
Prerequisites: ARTS121, ARTS122
*Fashion Design students must take either Life Drawing I or Basic Fashion Drawing
FASH230 Textiles I
Through hands-on analysis of fabric swatches, students will identify the properties of textiles and how they relate to performance and end use. They will study how textile fibers and other fabric characteristics affect garment quality and performance.
FASH471 Fashion Capstone
A senior-level fashion design capstone experience. In this course, students develop their portfolio with the addition of a significant final project under the mentorship of faculty. Significant class time will be spent discussing the unique challenges and needs of the project, including design, manufacturing, marketing, and merchandising of fashion apparel and related accessories.
FASH201 Fashion Analysis II
This course introduces students to understanding how we dress ourselves. Students study the components and language of fashion - how and what we communicate through what we wear. Intended for those who want to study fashion, costume design, or understand how to dress a character.
Prerequisite: FASH101
FASH225 Apparel Construction II
Building on the skills learned in Apparel Construction I, students will gain mastery of intermediate pattern-making techniques, proficiency in garment construction, advanced problem-solving skills, the ability to adapt and customize patterns, effective time management, strong communication and collaboration capabilities, sound fabric selection skills, and expertise in professional presentation. Students will demonstrate these skills by creating a jacket, and the course will end with a certificate of completion.
Prerequisite: FASH125
FASH250 Fashion Technology I
Put your garment construction and sewing skills to work in the apparel industry. Students will learn both hand finishing and machine sewing techniques as well as sample creation for manufactory. Create a pre-collection, work with a life fit model, learn work production patterns for industry, and learn new construction and finishing techniques.
Prerequisite: FASH102, FASH202
FASH301 Fashion Design II
Students will take inspiration from the world around them and translate their ideas into projects to create a finished product with a strong focus on emotions and communication. Convert your creativity into creations and accessories that can tell original stories. Take inspiration from visual arts, design, digital media, marketing, new technologies, art direction, and product management, turning everything into new collections based on environmentally and economically sustainable lifestyles.
Prerequisite: FASH201
FASH304 Costume Design II
Bring your designs to life for theater, film, or cosplay storytelling. Students will learn to design costumes for a specific set of characters, altering and manipulating garments for the stage. You will create character identity by breaking down a script to develop a "lookbook" for actors using mood boards, color stories, and renderings. You will also study the systems, terminology, and tools used by costume designers.
FASH350 Fashion Technology II
Put your garment construction and sewing skills to work in the apparel industry. Students will learn both hand finishing and machine sewing techniques as well as sample creation for manufactory. Create a pre-collection, work with a life fit model, learn work production patterns for industry, and learn new construction and finishing techniques.
FASH329 Hair & Makeup
Theater texts, processes, and performances create a mirror that reflects an image of the world. This course engages students through the language, tools and processes of theater through the lens of visual art to articulate insights about human behavior, experience, culture & society using skills of stage makeup and hair as a tool for storytelling.
This course will offer students a practical guide to the theory and practice of theatrical makeup and hair design. They will learn how to conduct conceptual research, gain a basic skill level in stage makeup application and color selection. Using the student's own face as a canvas, this course will familiarize students with fundamental makeup techniques, equipment, and materials. Students will explore the relationship between the theatrical makeup designer, and performer, as well as character development through stage makeup. In addition to the textbook, required course materials include a Professional Makeup kit.
Prerequisite: ARTS221
FASH330 Textiles II
Through hands-on analysis of fabric swatches, students will identify the properties of textiles and how they relate to performance and end use. They will study how textile fibers and other fabric characteristics affect garment quality and performance.
Prerequisite: FASH230
FASH495 Costuming Practicum I
In this advanced, three-course sequence, students will participate in a capstone experience based on their career interests within costume design. Students may produce costumes for live performances through JPCatholic Theatre Productions, for commercially distributed movies through JPCatholic's Feature Film Program, or pursue alternative hands-on experiences. Students will engage in all aspects of costuming, from initial concept and design to fabric selection, construction, and final fittings, working closely with theater and film producers to bring characters to life. By the end of the sequence, students will have a robust portfolio and the professional experience necessary to pursue careers in costume design.
FASH496 Costuming Practicum II
In this advanced, three-course sequence, students will participate in a capstone experience based on their career interests within costume design. Students may produce costumes for live performances through JPCatholic Theatre Productions, for commercially distributed movies through JPCatholic's Feature Film Program, or pursue alternative hands-on experiences. Students will engage in all aspects of costuming, from initial concept and design to fabric selection, construction, and final fittings, working closely with theater and film producers to bring characters to life. By the end of the sequence, students will have a robust portfolio and the professional experience necessary to pursue careers in costume design.
FASH497 Costuming Practicum III
In this advanced, three-course sequence, students will participate in a capstone experience based on their career interests within costume design. Students may produce costumes for live performances through JPCatholic Theatre Productions, for commercially distributed movies through JPCatholic's Feature Film Program, or pursue alternative hands-on experiences. Students will engage in all aspects of costuming, from initial concept and design to fabric selection, construction, and final fittings, working closely with theater and film producers to bring characters to life. By the end of the sequence, students will have a robust portfolio and the professional experience necessary to pursue careers in costume design.
ARTS122 Observational Drawing
This class is designed to help students develop drawing skills by translating what students observe about three-dimensional objects into lines and shapes on a two dimensional medium, while incorporating surface textures and varying line qualities into object and environment design concepts.
Prerequisite: ARTS121
ARTS222 Life Drawing II
This class will help students develop advanced figure-drawing skills through various exercises drawing the human body in various shapes and positions. This class is an art study into major anatomical structures of human body.
Prerequisites: ARTS221
ENTM116 Digital Still Photography
This course introduces students to various styles of photography through hands-on workshops. Students build upon their knowledge of photographic principles and explore which facet of the industry they aspire to work in and craft a portfolio to promote themselves in that space.
DIGM215 Photoshop & Illustrator
This course is an introduction to Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Students will learn techniques for photo enhancement, image compositing, and logo creation through several projects.
DIGM316 Character Design
This class is designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of character design through exercises. Topics include Shape/Silhouette, Caricature, Expressions, Acting/Poses, and Turnarounds.
DIGM317 Character Design II
This class builds on the skills learned in Character Design I. Students develop their proficiency in character art through hands-on exercises. Topics include Shape/Silhouette, Caricature, Expressions, Acting/Poses, and Turnarounds.
DIGM341 Branding
Students will learn how to effectively communicate visually through a brand to create several compelling and cohesive identities.
Prerequisite: DIGM215
FASH440 Product Development in Fashion
This course provides an analysis of the quality of materials, design, and construction in ready-to-wear garments and accessories; comparison of processes involved in manufacturing; concepts of sizing; principles of fit; and aids in buying and selling. The course provides hands on experience with digital technology to include the following operations: preparing and editing garment digital design, spec and record garment measurements, drawing specification flats manually and digitally using Adobe Illustrator.
Please note that course offerings and course descriptions are subject to change. Current Students: Please reference the relevant University Catalog to find the course listings and descriptions applicable to your cohort.