 | |
| Motto | Impact Culture for Christ |
|---|---|
| Type | Private university |
| Established | 2003 |
Religious affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| President | Derry Connolly |
| Undergraduates | 296 |
| Location | , , United States |
| Campus | Urban |
| Colors | Red, Gold |
| Mascot | Pelican |
| Website | www |
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John Paul the Great Catholic University (JPCatholic) is a private Roman Catholic university in Escondido, California. It offers Bachelor of Science degrees, a Bachelor of Arts degree, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
John Paul the Great Catholic University was founded in 2003 under the name "New Catholic University." After the death of Pope John Paul II in April 2005, the board of trustees decided to change the name to honor the late Pope, while retaining the word "Catholic" in the official name to emphasize the priorities of the school. [1] JPCatholic officially opened its doors with its first classes on September 21, 2006, with a temporary campus in Scripps Ranch. [2] The university moved to a permanent campus in Escondido in 2013, holding its first classes there at the start of the Fall 2013 academic quarter. [3]
JPCatholic is located in downtown Escondido, a city immediately north of San Diego, California and approximately 30 miles (48 km) north of downtown San Diego. [4] Classrooms, sound stage, and chapel are located in a former Mingei art museum on Grand Avenue, the heart of Escondido's historic downtown, while administrative offices and a student life center are housed in two buildings across the street. In early 2016, the university purchased a long-vacant furniture store with the intent to renovate the space into a Creative Arts Academic Complex. [5] Renovation began in 2024 and is currently expected to be completed in early 2025, doubling the academic space on campus. [6]
The school has also purchased the campus of the defunct Center City High School to serve as the campus chapel. [7]
Students live at the latitude33 apartment complex approximately 0.5 miles (0.80 km) away from the classrooms. [8]
JPCatholic operates on a non-traditional year-round schedule, with three 10-week quarters per academic year and four quarters per calendar year. [9] Students graduate in three years, beginning the program at the start of a fall quarter and graduating at the end of their third summer quarter. Consequently, there are never more than three "academic classes" of students on campus at any given time.
| Calendar Year | Fall Quarter | Winter Quarter | Spring Quarter | Summer Quarter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Freshman, Q1 | Freshman, Q2 | Freshman, Q3 | Sophomore, Q1 |
| Year 2 | Sophomore, Q2 | Sophomore, Q3 | Junior, Q1 | Junior, Q2 |
| Year 3 | Junior, Q3 | Senior, Q1 | Senior, Q2 | Senior, Q3 |
JPCatholic offers two Bachelor of Science degrees, one in Business and one in Communications Media, along with a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities and a BFA in Visual Arts. These degrees contain a total of 18 areas of emphases, including Film Production, Animation, Game Development, Illustration, Graphic Design, Acting, Digital Music, Creative Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Creative Writing, Screenwriting, and Theology. [10] Undergraduate students also take core curriculum classes in philosophy, literature, business, and humanities, with a heavy emphasis on Scripture and Catholic theology. [11]
In 2021, JPCatholic launched its Feature Film Program, a platform integrating feature film productions into the curriculum. [12] Students collaborate with alumni and professors to write, pitch, create, and distribute full-length movies. [13]
In 2022, the movie O, Brawling Love! was produced through the program, with another movie No Reception produced the following year. The films were staffed by a majority student crew, and were shot in the University's soundstage and various locations in the Escondido area. [14] [15]
JPCatholic is noted for its focus on business entrepreneurship, and offers an educational track and resource hub for entrepreneurial students called the Business LaunchPad. Seniors business students work with faculty to develop viable business plans, and use university resources to launch a company. [16]
U.S. News & World Report 2024 ranks the school as #15 (out of 103 schools listed) in its "Regional Colleges West" category, these being "colleges which focus on undergraduate education that grant fewer than half their degrees in liberal arts disciplines." This category is not to be confused with Regional Universities West (120 schools), which "offer a full range of undergraduate programs and some master's programs but few doctoral programs", or National Liberal Arts Colleges (211 schools), which "emphasize undergraduate education and award at least half of their degrees in the liberal arts fields of study." [17]
JPCatholic is listed on The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College, a resource which "helps Catholic parents and students find a pathway to a seamless faithful Catholic education, and it recognizes model institutions that refuse to compromise their Catholic mission." [18]
The university is ranked among the "Absolute Worst Campuses for LGBTQ Youth" in the US by Campus Pride. It was granted an exception to Title IX in 2016 which legally allows it to decline LGBT students for religious reasons. [19]
JPCatholic is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission. [20]
In 2021 JPCatholic received notification from the WASC Senior College and University Commission that JPCatholic’s accreditation was reaffirmed for a period of eight years. The next reaffirmation review will be held in 2028-2029. [21]
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