Fall Quarter 2025

Description:

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.

Description TBA

Description:

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.

Description:

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:

This course is an introduction to the step-by-step methodology companies use to realign work flow, procedures, structures, and systems to fit the business. The course will look at how this process leads to effective organizations through: improved profitability; better customer service; efficient internal operations; and integration of employees with core business processes, technology, and systems.

Description TBA

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

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:

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.

Description:

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

Description:

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.

Description:

This course is an introduction to aesthetics and explores the philosophy of art and beauty. Questions we will explore include: What makes art art? Is beauty solely in the eye of the beholder? Are there specific, objective qualities that make something beautiful and, if so, what are they? Can beauty draw us closer to God? How do art and beauty relate to metaphysics? Are judgments of taste inextricably bound to subjective feeling or are they objective and intellectual? What can we learn from art and beauty? We will look at and critique various ways great thinkers have responded to these questions. Special focus will be given to the role beauty and art can play in coming to knowledge of God.

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

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

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description TBA

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

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

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description TBA

Description TBA

Description TBA

Description:

This class builds on the topics covered in Hard Surface Modeling I and introduces modeling with NURBS. Students will explore the pros and cons of working with NURBS and model several kinds of vehicles.

Description TBA

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description TBA

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

This course makes a rich study of screen dialogue. Students will read and screen a wide range of examples of extraordinary dialogue from film, television and the stage. They will analyze the variety of jobs dialogue performs in narrative and consider the principles they can apply to write effective dialogue for the screen. They will employ what they learn writing, rewriting and polishing dialogue for the screen.

Description:

This is a discussion-based class focusing on Plato’s Republic. While it is often thought of as a book describing a utopian vision, this work offers much more: a thorough analysis on everything from the nature of the human soul, the human desire for justice, and the ordering of human society. Systematic—and at points, outrageous—Plato challenges his readers to consider what it means to be just, how to best structure a society, how government ought to work, what are ideal standards for human lifestyle, how education should be carried out, and much more. What is justice?  Is it good to be just?  What is the best form of government?  The best education?  The best way of life?  What are the obstacles in the way of these things?  What is truth and how do we find it? This course offers a slow and close reading of the text, offering careful analysis of the challenging ideas Plato lays out in this landmark work.

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

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

Description:

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.

Description:

Building upon previous philosophy courses, this class examines the causes of human knowledge. Specifically, students will be introduced to philosophical solutions to questions relating to the nature of knowledge, the object of knowledge, the role of the internal and external senses, and the concepts of truth and certainty. After thoroughly examining the sophisticated understandings of the nature of truth and certainty found in Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas, we will closely examine the skepticism of the modern period through the writings of Hume, and the systematization of the structure of the mind in Kantian idealism, concluding in the 20th Century attempt to fuse idealism and realism in Martin Heidegger.

Description:

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.

Description:

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

Description:

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.

Description TBA

Description:

This course guides students through the preparatory process for writing a novel. Special attention will be given to writing pitches, building characters, finessing plot, and choosing point-of-view. We will also be reading successful novels and allowing them to guide us as we compose the scaffolding for the next great American novel: yours.

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

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

Description:

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

Description:

Applied Market Research offers students an overview of market research techniques and primary and secondary research strategies informed by a Christian code of conduct. The course is designed to provide them with the principles, vocabulary, tools and practice necessary to identify a market demographic, write a research brief, develop and implement a research study, and analyze the findings.

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

This course is structured as a non-technical introduction to investingconcepts, principles, strategies, and theories. Topics include: asset classes; portfolio construction; investor psychology and biases; risk and randomness management; real estate, and more.

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

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.

Description:

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

Description:

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. 

Description:

This course introduces the basic principles of economics and their applications to managerial decision making. It begins with an analysis of the decision making of individual consumers and producers and how they interact in a variety of marketing settings. Other topics covered include: decision making in risky situations; the complexity of pricing, production, and market entry and exit; and the relationship between market structure and the strategic choices that are open to the company. The course forces the student to think systematically about achieving competitive advantage through the management of the firm's resources.

Description:

Building on game design concepts learned in Fundamentals of Game Design, this course focuses on creating digital prototypes in order to test and evaluate gameplay mechanics, aesthetics, and control schemes. Prototyping for specific audiences such as investors, publishers, and churches will also be explored.

Description:

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. 

Description:

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.