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.

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.

ENTM207 Visual Storytelling: Film Criticism

This class will study some of the most important films in American cinema to understand the cultural context in which they were created, the role of the director in the filmmaking process, and the lasting legacy that the various films enjoy.

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.

ENTM421 Media Career Strategies

In this course students identify their specialized interest and value within the media industry, and through the creation of a comprehensive career strategy, use specialized knowledge, skills and experience to prepare themselves to be hired by media companies and promote themselves within the media industry. The class will also look at the unique world of freelancing and give students the tools necessary to venture into self-employment.

ENTM491 Senior Project

The senior project is a series of courses (up to three) in which students will work either individually or as part of a team and create or contribute to a significant media project that spotlights their area of emphasis. Class II is the production phase.

Instructor approval is required to take this class.

ENTM104 Fundamentals of Production

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of pre-production and production, and the roles and responsibilities of all personnel and positions that are essential to its success. Students will become familiarized with the detailed preparation required for the shoot and the interdependence of the script, budget, schedule, and breakdown. Students will also learn how a digital video camera works, the characteristics of lenses, how to record clean sound, and how to use lighting to illuminate and shape an image.

ENTM116 Digital Stills 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.

Prerequisite: ENTM104

ENTM309 Cinematography

This class expands on many of the skills learned in the Fundamentals of Production class. Students will learn intermediate camera and lighting techniques and how to use these specific tools to communicate a story visually. Specific emphasis will be on image composition, lens characteristics, codecs and formats, camera settings, specific lighting styles and instruments, and how the camera and lights complement and support the storytelling experience.

ENTM316 Color in Post-Production

This class will address the impact that the use of color has on a visual screen image. The course will cover color theory, its impact on an audience and the use of color grading in a post-production environment. Students will take various projects from an edited sequence into a color grading program and manipulate its appearance to achieve a desired effect.

ENTM318 Lighting

This course concentrates on the understanding of how light works, how to manipulate it, and how to use light and its supporting instruments to light in a way that will communicate emotion and help establish the visual character of a film. Students work with various types and styles of lighting instruments, stands, grip equipment and light modifiers as they light a variety of scenes.

ENTM333 Cinematographer Case Study

This course entails an in-depth study of cinematographers who demonstrate artistic and technical excellence in their craft. Students compare and contrast career paths, visual style, lighting, composition, camera movement, and filmmaking philosophy of ASC cinematographers.

ENTM415 Advanced Cinematography

This class focuses primarily on the role of the cinematographer. Students will learn how to visually communicate an idea through extensive use of the camera and lights. Areas of emphasis will include composition, camera techniques, camera placement and movement, lens characteristics, color, depth of field, lighting techniques, the qualities of light and color temperature.

ENTM103 Fundamentals of Post-Production

This class will focus on the basic fundamentals of post-production, which includes picture and sound editing, media management, media capture and the various editing techniques available to editors to communicate ideas. The class will cover the history of cinematic editing and the impact it has had on visual storytelling, as well as the various styles of editing that make up the language of cinema. Students will learn and use editing software to edit various projects and assignments.

ENTM112 Intro to Directing

This course builds upon the skill sets gained in Fundamentals of Production and Fundamentals of PostProduction. Students explore their creative voice and refine their creative process by crafting multiple short vignettes.

Prerequisites: ENTM103, ENTM104

ENTM206 Production Execution

In this class, students will work as part of a collaborative production team that will write, produce, film and edit a short-form narrative film. Students will gain an understanding and knowledge of the key personnel positions required to produce a film, and will execute those job functions by taking a project through pre-production, production and post-production.

ENTM211 Directing I

In this course students will acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively communicate an idea to an audience through the use of a documentary film. Students will view and analyze current and past documentaries and identify the idea, concept and structure that makes up the film. Students will create a documentary film that either records the present using behavioral or anthropological means, or recalls the past using historical or biographical elements, incorporating visuals, statements and interviews with verifiable truths.

ENTM221 Feature Film: Production

This course is part of the Feature Film Program. Students apply for specific on-set positions that align with their unique skills and career goals and fulfill that role throughout principle photography on a narrative feature film project. This class may be taken as a 3 unit or 6 unit class based on the student's role and class status.

ENTM304 Commercials and Persuasive Programming

This course focuses on how persuasion is effectively used in the world of media to influence viewers. Focusing primarily on its use in the world of advertising, students will identify the commercial advertising requirements of potential clients, and effectively produce television commercials to achieve identified goals. Students will also evaluate client needs, identify a target audience, craft a message promoting unique benefits and importance to customers, pitch a concept, and present the finished product to a simulated client for approval and feedback

ENTM404 Visual Effect Production

This course focuses on the art and techniques of visual effects in a hands-on, multi-disciplinary setting. CG artists and filmmakers collaborate to produce a short narrative project that incorporates significant visual effects. Instructor approval is required to enroll in this course.

ENTM424 Feature Film: Pre-Production I

This course is part of the feature film program. Students actively participate in the creative development and pre-produciton process on an independent feature film. This course is open to students from various disciplines including producers, directors, cinematographers, production designers, 1st assistant directors, concept and storyboard artists, advertisers, graphic designers and sound recordists. Students gain insights into the filmmaking process by fullfilling hands-on tasks with real-world stakes and through collaborating with the other various departments. Industry professionals will participate in this course to provide mentorship to the various disciplines involved.

ENTM425 Feature Film Pre-Production II

This builds upon the collaboration between students that begins in Feature Film: Pre-Production II. Students are invited to participate in various roles as the pre-production process progresses from creative development through scheduling, budgeting, casting, camera and lighting tests, scouting locations, storyboarding, and more

Prerequisite: ENTM424

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.

ARTS121 Drawing in Perspective

Study of fundamental drawing techniques used to represent three-dimensional objects on a twodimensional plane and lay a strong foundation for all other drawing and design courses.

ARTS201 Color Theory

A thorough breakdown of the process of creating from initial concepts to final design taught by professionals in the design industry.

ARTS323 Illustrative Storytelling

This course will provide the foundational knowledge and skills related to the production of visual narrative art. Students will explore the relationship between story and character development and learn how to sequentially compose and arrange images to present a coherent and emotionally effective story.

DIGM202 Storyboarding

This class focuses on applying industry-standard storyboarding and scripting techniques to Animation/Film production. Topics to be covered include the various purposes and formats of storyboards, the basic terminology and concepts used in storyboarding, and the application of storyboarding techniques to the creation of storyboards with or without a written script. Using Scripts, Sound Tracks, and Character Designs provided by the teacher, students create several Storyboards and presentation Animatics (movies of the Storyboard Panels that are timed to the Sound Tracks).

DIGM325 Virtual Production I

Students will learn the basics of motion picture production using real-time rendering in Unreal Engine and will leave with a completed project that demonstrates proficiency in both the engine and its application across several stages of production. Additional topics include motion capture and tracking a real world camera.

Prerequisite: DIGM108 OR ENTM211

DIGM422 Virtual Production II

This course continues to build students' proficiency in motion picture production using real-time rendering in Unreal Engine through several group projects. Additional topics include motion capture, facial capture, and virtual camera tracking.

Prerequisite: DIGM325

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