Critical & Creative Thinking — The Program

The Graduate Program in Critical and Creative Thinking (CCT) is a unique interdisciplinary program that provides its students with knowledge, tools, experience, and support to become constructive, reflective agents of change in education, work, social movements, science, and creative arts.

Critical thinking, creative thinking, and reflective practice are valued in all fields. In critical thinking one seeks to scrutinize the assumptions, reasoning, and evidence brought to bear on an issue—by others and by oneself; such scrutiny is enhanced by placing ideas and practices in tension with alternatives. Key functions of creative thinking include generating alternative ideas, practices, and solutions that are unique and effective, and exploring ways to confront complex, messy, ambiguous problems, make new connections, and see how things could be otherwise. In reflective practice one takes risks and experiments with putting ideas into practice, then takes stock of the outcomes and revises his/her approaches accordingly.

An explicit and sustained focus on mastering and applying tools of critical thinking, creative thinking, and reflective practice allows students involved in a wide array of professions and endeavors to develop the clarity and confidence to make deep changes in their learning, teaching, work, activism, research, and artistry.

Although each CCT course is self-contained and is open to students from other graduate programs, students matriculated in the program benefit from extended relationships with core CCT faculty and fellow students that support their process-learning. Students learn to experiment and take risks in applying what they are learning, reflecting on the outcomes and revising accordingly, and building up a set of tools, practices, and perspectives that work in their specific professional or personal endeavors.

The foundational knowledge emphasized in the field of critical and creative thinking includes psychological studies of the scope, limits, and techniques of critical and creative thought, information processing, and conceptual learning in children and young adults; philosophical studies of reasoning, argument, logical thinking, valuing, and judging; and work with cognitive structures and metacognitive techniques for stimulating creativity and critical thought. This knowledge base is expanded through elective courses that take students into areas of specialization and through required courses in research, implementation, evaluation, and communication. The program further stresses inter- and intra-personal dimensions of critical and creative thinking and reflective practice (such as empathy, listening, dialogue, and facilitation of group processes) and contribution to constructive social change through anti-racist and multicultural education and involvement of teachers and other citizens in debates about science in its social context.

The CCT Program appeals to students looking for professional and personal development and interested in learning from and with others of diverse backgrounds and interests. Many are mid-career educators: teachers and college professors, curriculum specialists, teacher educators, museum educators, or school administrators. Others are policy makers or personnel trainers in government, corporate, or non-profit settings. Some are artists, musicians, or writers.

Graduates leave CCT well equipped for ongoing learning, addressing the needs of their schools, workplaces, and communities, adapting and contributing to social changes, and collaborating with others to these ends.

CCT courses are open to non-degree students and students from other graduate programs seeking to fulfill requirements, particularly in teacher- education programs.

To accommodate the schedules of teachers and other working professionals, courses are offered after 4 pm, as well as in intensive sessions during the summer. While it is possible for a full-time student to complete the master’s program in one calendar year, most students combine the program with their ongoing careers and therefore take two or three years.