Fall Quarter 2024

Introduction of managerial accounting information for planning, controlling, and making decisions within a firm. Focuses on cost terms and concepts, cost behavior, cost structure and cost-volume-profit analysis.

The student will learn the basics of scriptwriting and will combine this knowledge with previously acquired writing and storytelling skills to write an animated short film script. Students will hone their presentation skills to pitch their scripts. They will work in small groups, with instructor guidance, to create visual designs for characters and locations, character bios, storyboards, and an animation pitch bible.

Recent popes have emphasized the necessity of personal encounter with Jesus Christ. This course considers how such an encounter can be fostered within a university community, and how such discipleship might be lived in an ongoing way. It therefore doubles as an introduction to university community and to Catholic theological study, connecting faith principles with lived experience so as to bolster faith and support vocational discernment.

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.

This course outlines fundamental differences among developed and developing countries, starting briefly with broad historical differences and moving on to specific issues such as the protection of property rights, corruption and the effects of political institutions. Particular attention will be given to China’s influence on global markets and its economic ties to the United States. The role of international institutions such as the IMF and World Trade Organization also are discussed. Public policies and institutions that shape competitive outcomes are examined through cases and analytical readings on different companies and industries operating in both developed and emerging markets.

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.

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

Recent popes have emphasized the necessity of personal encounter with Jesus Christ. This course considers how such an encounter can be fostered within a university community, and how such discipleship might be lived in an ongoing way. It therefore doubles as an introduction to university community and to Catholic theological study, connecting faith principles with lived experience so as to bolster faith and support vocational discernment.

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.

Recent popes have emphasized the necessity of personal encounter with Jesus Christ. This course considers how such an encounter can be fostered within a university community, and how such discipleship might be lived in an ongoing way. It therefore doubles as an introduction to university community and to Catholic theological study, connecting faith principles with lived experience so as to bolster faith and support vocational discernment.

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.

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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.

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.

Recent popes have emphasized the necessity of personal encounter with Jesus Christ. This course considers how such an encounter can be fostered within a university community, and how such discipleship might be lived in an ongoing way. It therefore doubles as an introduction to university community and to Catholic theological study, connecting faith principles with lived experience so as to bolster faith and support vocational discernment.

What is exactly is the “New Evangelization”? This course addresses that question by exploring the history of evangelization in the church, as rooted in the ministry of Christ and his Apostles and how it builds into later periods of Christian history. With the origins of evangelization as a backdrop, this course shifts focus into the origin of the new evangelization in the Second Vatican Council and in the writings of Pope Paul VI, particularly his Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Nuntiandi (1975). Finally a detailed introduction is given to the concept, methodology, and challenges of the New Evangelization as discussed in the writings of Karol Wojtyła, Joseph Ratzinger, and other Catholic writers.

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.

Description TBA

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.

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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.

This course provides students with a fundamental approach to playing Shakespeare. Particular emphasis will be placed on a rhetorical approach to text and punctuation utilizing Shakespeare's First Folio as the key to unlocking the text in a presentational actor/audience experience.

Creating skeletal structures for humanoid characters. Mastery of a wide range of rigging techniques such as reversed foot lock, wrist control, spline IK, facial controls, and weight painting.

Monumental dramatic works of ancient Greece—works by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and others—provide students taking this course with a lens through which to examine aesthetic, spiritual and social dimensions of narrative art. Special attention will be paid to the function of the theatrical performance in ancient Greek culture, the phenomenon of transgression, the influence of Greek dramatic forms on culture in our own day, and the relationship of individual literary artistry to an abiding tradition.

The purpose of this class is to review current information about companies and business trends, to learn important lessons regarding the products they are selling and the markets they are serving. Students will use real-world and timely experience from a variety of businesses by reading the Wall Street Journal. Students will also become proficient in brief Power Point presentations.

This course introduces students to the motion graphics industry through a study of various trends, techniques and programs, as well as hands-on design and animation projects that will guide students through industry standard workflows using Photoshop, Illustrator and the fundamentals of After Effects.

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.

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.

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 I is the pre-production phase. Instructor approval is required to take this class.

This course offers a comprehensive study of the nature of being and its characteristics. After examining the subject and scope of this branch of philosophy, the course will cover topics such as the problem of the one and the many, the analogous nature of being, the attributes and divisions of being as well as the causes of being. The course also provides a basic introduction to natural theology, that is, what can be known about God through reason apart from divine revelation. Texts used begin with Plato’s Timaeus, continuing through the Classical period by means of Aristotle, the Middle Ages in St. Thomas Aquinas, the end of Scholasticism in Ockham, the Renaissance via Hume and Kant, and concluding in the 20th Century in Martin Heidegger.

This course will prepare you to act both strategically and tactically - utilizing social media tools like blogs, microblogs (Twitter), vodcasts, video, and networking sites to engage with your audience and sell your products and services.

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.

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.

Hollywood spends hundreds of millions of dollars making Christian movies every year… they just don’t know it yet, and neither do most audiences. Many writers aspire to write stories with deep faith and spiritual themes, that will speak to a wide audience. Very few, however, succeed at doing more than preaching to the choir, if their films ever get made at all. This course is meant for students who wish to write faith-based stories that will speak to — and get made by — people who wouldn’t be caught dead anywhere near a “Christian movie.”  This course will offer tips for the aspiring Christian screenwriter, not only for how to craft such stories, but how to survive as a Christian in an industry that seems completely unfriendly to them.

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This class is designed to help students develop 3D modeling skills to produce low and high-poly hard surface models for animation and games. Students will learn to model using proper topology and be introduced to methods of speeding up workflow while creating props, buildings, and other hard surface objects.

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).

This course provides a framework to develop greater emotional resilience and lower stress and anxiety through prayer and meditation. Compassion training develops the strength to be with the suffering, the courage to take compassionate action, and the resilience to prevent compassion fatigue. Actors are strongly encouraged to take this class to prepare for the demands of accessing authentic emotions in their work

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.

Introduction of managerial accounting information for planning, controlling, and making decisions within a firm. Focuses on cost terms and concepts, cost behavior, cost structure and cost-volume-profit analysis.

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.

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.

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.

This course builds on the work completed in Fundamentals of Story Development. Students will at a minimum write the first two acts of a screenplay. They will read classic and modern screenplays. Class time will be dedicated to covering intermediate topics including scene transitions, writing with subtext, visual writing, and further developing skills in scene and dialogue writing and script formatting, and finding solutions to writer's block. Students will critique one another's work in small groups, with instructor supervision and guidance. Considerable time will be required for students to write.

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.

A combined screening, lecture and workshop series. In this guided workshop course, students develop an understanding of the science fiction genre and undergo creative development, writing, and re-writing to craft a high quality screenplay in that genre. The class will explore shaping a story through speculation and world-building. Screenings and class readings will analyze popular sub-genres in science fiction (e.g., post-apocalyptic stories, space opera, near-future and “hard science” vs. science fantasy), with an eye toward acquainting students with the conventions and cliches of their chosen arena.

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

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.

This course focuses on issues central to an enterprise’s long- and short-term competitive position. Students learn the importance of sound strategic thinking and apply this knowledge to classroom exercises.

Students learn to analyze and exploration directorial approaches used in film and television, looking particularly at the creative use of cameras, sound, composition, and communication with those in front of and behind the camera. They explore, from a directorial perspective, the expressive potential of the image within. They learn methodologies, which stimulate visual creativity and positioning the image as the fundamental element of cinematic expression. They engage in exercises in the analysis of script and for purpose of directing actors to obtain the best possible performance.

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.

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 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.

This course will explore some of the basic teachings of St. Teresa of Avila and St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein). Topics covered will include stages of spiritual growth, mental prayer, the Cross and its role in the spiritual life, mystical experience, union with God, and women in the Church. The Interior Castle and selected writings of Edith Stein will be read.

Exploration of the history of electronic game technology, game genres, major hardware gaming platforms, major software game engines, various game developers, game publisher, and the work of leading exponents of game/animation design to broaden students’ vision, understanding, and appreciation of game art & design evolution.

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This course allows students to learn about the publishing industry, branding, self-marketing, and the process by which literary works are brought to the public. Special focus is given to providing students with practical tips and tools for sharing their own original work with a wider audience.

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

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 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.

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

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.

This course outlines fundamental differences among developed and developing countries, starting briefly with broad historical differences and moving on to specific issues such as the protection of property rights, corruption and the effects of political institutions. Particular attention will be given to China’s influence on global markets and its economic ties to the United States. The role of international institutions such as the IMF and World Trade Organization also are discussed. Public policies and institutions that shape competitive outcomes are examined through cases and analytical readings on different companies and industries operating in both developed and emerging markets.

Monumental dramatic works of ancient Greece—works by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and others—provide students taking this course with a lens through which to examine aesthetic, spiritual and social dimensions of narrative art. Special attention will be paid to the function of the theatrical performance in ancient Greek culture, the phenomenon of transgression, the influence of Greek dramatic forms on culture in our own day, and the relationship of individual literary artistry to an abiding tradition.

Recent popes have emphasized the necessity of personal encounter with Jesus Christ. This course considers how such an encounter can be fostered within a university community, and how such discipleship might be lived in an ongoing way. It therefore doubles as an introduction to university community and to Catholic theological study, connecting faith principles with lived experience so as to bolster faith and support vocational discernment.

This class is designed to provide students with the opportunity to further their drawing skills. Students will draw architectural structures, landscape and people on location from direct observation.

Description TBA

A course designed for an aspiring entrepreneur to apply a proven process to generate leads for possible sales. Upon completion of the course, students will be prepared to assess marketing opportunities and target markets, as well as know how to integrate marketing and sales tactics/strategies to support business development. Students will implement a lead generation strategy for their individual venture or example business, and design a multipronged approach to reach the sphere of influence.

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.

Recent popes have emphasized the necessity of personal encounter with Jesus Christ. This course considers how such an encounter can be fostered within a university community, and how such discipleship might be lived in an ongoing way. It therefore doubles as an introduction to university community and to Catholic theological study, connecting faith principles with lived experience so as to bolster faith and support vocational discernment.

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.

Recent popes have emphasized the necessity of personal encounter with Jesus Christ. This course considers how such an encounter can be fostered within a university community, and how such discipleship might be lived in an ongoing way. It therefore doubles as an introduction to university community and to Catholic theological study, connecting faith principles with lived experience so as to bolster faith and support vocational discernment.

Recent popes have emphasized the necessity of personal encounter with Jesus Christ. This course considers how such an encounter can be fostered within a university community, and how such discipleship might be lived in an ongoing way. It therefore doubles as an introduction to university community and to Catholic theological study, connecting faith principles with lived experience so as to bolster faith and support vocational discernment.

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.

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.

This class is designed to provide students with the opportunity to study principles of traditional animation and incorporate those principles into computer animation. Students will produce several cyclical and performance-based animations.

This class is designed to help students understand basic programming concepts and programming tools. The class will focus on object-oriented programming.

This class will approach the fundamentals of acting, structured for students outside the acting emphasis. Tools learned in class can be applied to directors, screenwriters, and storytellers of various genres.

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.

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.

The second in a sequence of three 3-unit classes offered to upperclassmen, generally seniors. This course works towards creating a product or service prototype, which allows for an assessment of customer reaction to your value proposition. The team will seek to build relationships with external collaborators, develop a market entry strategy, and develop a clear awareness of the challenges of delivering your product or services idea to the market.

This course is designed to help teach students about the process of level design and various styles of types of level design that are used in the games industry. This class will utilize various methods of design and understanding from various sources and will attempt to test and implement the knowledge from previous classes to attempt to solve practical level design problems

This course consists of rehearsal of scenes from classic and contemporary American playwrights including Miller, Williams, Shepard, Foote and others. 

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

Students will learn how to effectively communicate visually through a brand to create several compelling and cohesive identities.

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.

While mainstream 21st century life operates in the arbitrary and meaningless condition that Pope St. John Paul II called a “culture of death,” the Catholic tradition holds out the enduring reality of human nature and its supernatural vocation to beatitude. Starting from Part Three of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, this course introduces the Catholic vision of morality centered on the virtues and the attainment of the beatific vision. In his “theology of the body,” our university’s patron insists that the Catholic view of moral action centers on the meaningfulness of the human body. As such, the course gives special attention to JPII’s teaching on the “nuptial meaning” of the body as an alternative to postmodern voluntarist individualism.

This seminar course examines the cultural history and the cultural significance of important world literature. It asks students to study texts in the context of the period in which they were written as well as to consider them in relation to contemporary discussion and response. Although emphasis will be upon the primary texts in the seminar, students will undertake their own research projects that allow them to explore further the materials introduced and discussed in the seminar.

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.