John Paul the Great Catholic University

As a two-​time alumna of John Paul the Great Catholic University, I received my Bachelors in Communication in 2009 and graduated with an MBA in Producing in 2011. What I love best about JP Catholic, is its entrepreneurial spirit. Not only is it a place where entrepreneurs are given the tools to do what they do best – discover new processes, improve on the past, and blaze new trails – as an institution it is constantly striving for excellence, continually seeking to improve its own processes and help its students thrive.
Challenging the students to be the best version of themselves, I learned from the generosity of my professors’ time both inside and outside of the classroom how to bring humanity back into business. Through my studies, and the examples of my classmates and instructors, I discovered that impacting the culture for Christ means being Catholic first and then going and doing something in the world. If my hands weren’t full at the moment with the job I got as a result of my time at JP Catholic, I might honestly be tempted to go back for more education.

In 2011 I graduated from JP Catholic with a BS in Communications Media with an emphasis in digital media.
JP Catholic provided me with an amazing foundation for both my spiritual life and my career in media, without compromising either one. The mission to «Impact Culture for Christ» is threaded through every aspect of the curriculum and student life, seamlessly bringing Christian influence into the way we tell stories and into our character.
I entered the university uncertain of what specific avenue of media I wanted to specialize in. The curriculum works like a funnel, starting broad and narrowing as you discover your talent and passion. In the end, I came out knowing without a doubt my passion for animation and design. Furthermore, with the help of the university’s enormous network, I began an internship with Drive Studio early into my Junior year, and I was working full time upon graduation.
The professors are experienced, demanding professionals who act as mentors above and beyond classes and into the industry– even after graduation. They are living and breathing the industry, and they desire to help students do the same.
The rest of the faculty treated me as family and were there to serve and guide me with a primary emphasis on my relationship with Christ.
I highly recommend JP Catholic to anyone looking to study film, business and/​or theology!

I did both my undergrad (entertainment media) and my MBA (film producing) at JP Catholic and secured a job in my field within a week of graduation — no joke.
The education I received was topnotch. The professors are not only experts in their fields and extremely gifted educators — they are genuinely wonderful people who care deeply about their students. They are 100% invested in the success and well-​being of their students. I felt comfortable approaching any one of my professors for personal and professional advice.
JP Catholic is also authentically Catholic. Mass and Confession were available to the students every day, and there’s a chapel on campus where students are free to pop in and say hello to Jesus at any time. The theology and philosophy classes are academically rigorous, fascinating, and always doctrinally aligned with the Magisterium.
Going to JP Catholic isn’t the right choice for everyone, but if you want an authentically Catholic education in media or business, I strongly recommend this school.

I’m alumni 2011, and you can’t find a better Catholic business school.
It’s really Catholic, people at JP Catholic love the Lord. It’s really a great learning environment for business, I got a good job, and all of my class mates did, too!
If you want to learn to be a visionary thinker, and be challenged to grow in your faith, JP Catholic is right for you. If you don’t want a challenge, there are plenty of other universities. And that is the truth.

I graduated from JPCatholic a couple years ago.
It’s not an easy school to go to for several reasons — one big reason is because the administration and professors demand excellence and expect you to live your life as an adult — or at least work on your maturity and spirituality — from the minute you step foot on campus. So, if you want to party, mess around, and not take your future seriously — this is not the school for you.
I came to school with a goal in mind — which was to move to LA and work in the media industry — with the hope to Impact a Culture for Christ. The school (staff, students, religious, classes, etc) helped me to grow spiritually and acquire the appropriate tools/​skills necessary to accomplish my goals.
The professors are incredible. Many of them work in the entertainment industry and have incredible real-​life experience that they impart on us students. The theology and philosophy classes/​professors are some of the best in the nation. Out of all the classes, I use what I learned in Theology and Philosophy the most — and I work in secular media.
All of the professors I had cared about my growth and my goals and did everything in their power to ensure I could make it. I loved the fact that the school was small — because that meant I got real one-​on-​one time with the professors if I needed. The professors and staff truly care about relationship — I know this because several of them had stayed in contact with me and have brought me in to their inner circles.
I can happily say that I have been a resident of LA for two years now, and have worked in the Entertainment Industry for just as long at one of the largest media conglomerates in the world. This would not have been possible without the connections and opportunities presented to me by the staff and professors of JPCatholic.
JPCU was hard but insanely rewarding. I have made lifelong friends there and we have continued to collaborate with each other and work on becoming the best artists that we are called to be.
This school will be perfect for you if you are serious about your faith and telling stories through entertainment media or business. It will set you up properly for your future and if you truly have a passion for living/​working in Los Angeles to impact the culture Christ, this school is the best bet.
If it’s His will for you to go to school there, trust in Him, and there will be much fruit. If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t change my decision about going to school at JPCU.

No stars?
Staff is mostly family.
They take every dime they can get out of students. Fines are often unfair and harmful. Have been charged with many surprises.
Theology professors are amazing but most other professors shouldn’t even be considered professors.
I have found myself lied to, taken advantage of, disrespected, stressed out, and not learning as much as I feel I should have. My education has been risked by this sad, sad university.
They act as a Catholic school, yet the staff couldn’t show a poorer example of what it means to «impact culture for Christ».
Also, not located in San Diego. Very falsely advertised.