Arts & Humanities
To study music, theater, communication and design is to echo the creativity of God. Your artistry is a gift that has a place in Jessup’s Arts & Humanities program. Your creativity isn't separate from your faith, it's a calling. It can turn a stage, a classroom or a page into a career and a place of real ministry.
A CALLING TO CREATE AND UNDERSTAND
An arts and humanities degree develops performers, designers, writers and researchers who read closely, think critically and communicate well.
Jessup's arts and humanities programs span music, theatre, digital design, digital humanities, English and history. Jessup pairs hands-on creative work with a liberal arts education and a Christ-centered view of culture. Students learn in small classes on campus in Rocklin.
FALL PREVIEW DAY
Friday, October 16, 2026 · 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. · Rocklin, CA. Experience Jessup for a day and receive a $500 scholarship when you register and visit.
Why Jessup
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Faith First
Since 1939, faith and learning haven't lived in separate rooms here. They're woven together in the classroom, in chapel, and in the way our faculty teach. You won't have to choose between growing your mind and deepening your faith. Here, they grow together.
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Affordable Excellence
We're the most affordable private Christian university in Northern California, and we don't make you guess what it'll cost. Nearly every student receives aid, and we get you clear numbers early so you can plan with confidence. Exceptional education is within reach.
Safe All Around
Safety here means more than a secure campus in one of California's safest cities. It's a place that's safe spiritually, safe emotionally, and safe to take the risks that help you grow. This is somewhere you can stretch, stumble, and become who God made you to be.
Community
Small classes mean you're known by name, not lost in a lecture hall. Faculty who mentor, friends who show up, a campus where people actually see you. You'll find your people here, and they'll walk with you.
Regional Proximity
More than 60% of our students come from within a hundred miles, so you're close enough to home without being right on top of it. You'll be rooted in a NorCal network of churches, employers, and internship connections across the Sacramento corridor. Familiar ground, with room to grow.
Mentorship
From day one you'll have advisors, internships, and a clear path toward a career that matters. We focus on high-impact fields like health sciences, business, psychology, leadership, and aviation, and every student is grounded in Bible and theology. We don't just hand you a degree. We help you find your calling and walk with you toward it.
On campus or online, the same Jessup
Choose the format that fits your life. Every program is built on the same Christ-centered foundation, whether you study in Rocklin or fully online.
What to Expect
On Campus
Online
MEET YOUR FACULTY
Learn from working artists, directors and scholars who bring stage, studio and research experience into the classroom.
Dorisa D. Costello
Associate Professor, School of Business, Arts & Humanities
Norm McDonald
Faculty of School of Business, Arts & Humanities, Program Director of DCAD
Cameron Wilson
Program Director of Digital Humanities, Professor, School of Business, Arts & Humanities
Jennifer Blair
Program Director of Theatre, Associate Professor, School of Business, Arts & Humanities
FAQs
Answers to what prospective arts and media students ask us most.
What arts and media programs does Jessup offer?
Three fine arts and media programs, each a Bachelor of Arts with a minor available and taught on campus in Rocklin: Music, Theatre and Digital Communication Art & Design.
What specializations does the Theatre BA include?
Four: Acting, Musical Theatre, Theatre Design and Technology, and Theatre Management, taught through a hands-on, entrepreneurial approach to theatrical storytelling from concept to performance.
What is Digital Communication Art & Design?
The media arts program is at the intersection of creative visual content and contemporary digital media channels, where digital art and design meet communication, preparing students for careers across graphic design and digital media.
Can I be part of music at Jessup without majoring in it?
Yes. Jessup music groups welcome students across the university, offering musical training, performance courses and a way to serve the campus community.
What courses will arts and media students take?
Courses span music performance and ensembles, theatre courses from acting to design and technology, and digital media courses in visual content and design, with hands-on experience woven through every fine arts pathway.
How does Jessup compare to an art school?
Unlike a standalone art school or art university, Jessup pairs arts courses with a full liberal arts education and a Christ-centered community, so an arts degree here builds both creative skill and breadth, with artists close to faculty who practice what they teach.
Can I minor in the arts?
Yes. Music, Theatre and Digital Communication Art & Design each offer a minor, letting students in any major add media arts or fine arts training to their degree.
What careers do arts and media graduates pursue?
Graduates perform, design and create as theatre practitioners, musicians and digital media professionals, with career paths across the stage, the entertainment industry and the media industries, carrying a Christ-centered approach into creative careers.
How does faith shape the arts at Jessup?
Creative work at Jessup grows from a Christ-centered foundation, where artists develop their skills as a calling to create and serve.
YOUR NEXT STEP, MADE CLEAR.
Your faith. His calling. Our community.
Faith that steadies you. A calling worth stepping into. Community that knows your name. That's Jessup: ready for the world, rooted in the word.
