Critical & Creative Thinking — Graduate Certificate

The graduate certificate program is designed for practitioners who wish to pursue a coherent and substantial course of study, but for whom the master’s program is not desirable or practical.

Students seeking the certificate take a total of five courses (15 credits): a sequence of two core courses, CRCRTH 601 and 602 (Critical Thinking and Creative Thinking), and three other courses. Customarily, these include either PHIL 501 (Foundations of Philosophical Thought) or PSYCH L551/CRCRTH L651 (Cognitive Psychology), an elective course, and CRCRTH 698 (Practicum: Processes of Research and Engagement). Alternatively, students may, after consultation with their faculty advisor and with the approval of the Graduate Program Director, take up to three electives in one specialty area in addition to CRCRTH 601 and 602. Each certificate student also gives an exit performance, usually as part of CRCRTH 698, which demonstrates competence in implementing critical and creative thinking. This exit performance is reviewed and evaluated by a faculty committee.