Synthesize New Modes of Thought
Cultivate new approaches to education and learning through the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota's online Critical, Creative, and Design Thinking certificate. With these strategic, empathy-based problem-solving methods, you will prepare your students and colleagues to consider the input and perspectives of multiple stakeholders. This interactive certificate is a part of Saint Mary’s Accelerators carefully crafted series of master's-level graduate certificates. Designed to advance your career to help you meet personal and professional goals, the online critical, creative, and design thinking certificate can be applied to the Master of Education in Learning Design and Technology degree program.
Spark Innovation in the Classroom
Analyze the different connections between critical and creative thinking and their applications to innovative problem-solving skills. Through this lens, you will adopt dynamic approaches to facilitate a focus on the principles of design. Moreover, as you engage with topics that focus on divergent, convergent, metacognitive, and synthesized modes of thinking, you will be prepared to bring different perspectives into your own classroom and educational environments.
The central goal of the Critical, Creative, and Design Thinking graduate certificate is to equip you with the skills and confidence to guide your students to think and identify solutions differently while strategically addressing problems in the workplace, organization, and community. For educators aiming to teach their students the fundamentals of creative problem solving and critical thinking, this certificate program will help you accomplish your career coals and find advancement opportunities.
One of the hallmarks of our “accelerators” is that they are stackable into or onto full degree programs. Students can pursue a graduate certificate and then decide to continue into a full degree program in the same or a different discipline.
-Michelle Wieser, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Business and Technology
To learn more about Saint Mary's graduate certificates check out this interview with Michelle Wieser.
Curriculum
The core courses that students explore in the online Critical, Creative, and Design Thinking graduate certificate encompass an array of topics that educators employ to teach inquiry, investigation, and evaluation. As a result, this degree prepares not just problem solvers but change agents who are capable of forward-thinking leadership in their organizations and the world.
Certificate Courses
LDT 600 Inquiry and Information (3 credits)
In this course, students learn to advance their own learning, practice, and the profession by uncovering, critiquing, synthesizing and incorporating new information into current knowledge, experience, and values. Students integrate technology and multimedia communications as continuous learning tools.
Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:
- Evaluate the traditions and practices in the field that are often accepted unquestioningly.
- Formulate viable, significant questions.
- Construct advanced searches to yield pertinent information.
- Evaluate the quality, relevance, and perspective of resources.
- Synthesize a variety of points of view to broaden thinking.
- Use current awareness technologies to stay versed in research.
- Combine text, audio, and graphic modalities in multimedia communications.
- Evaluate the ethical, privacy, and intellectual property issues of digital media.
LDT 602 Investigations of Teaching and Learning (3 credits)
In this course, students explore how to re-invigorate themselves and their teaching by developing research skills and habits to contribute to their success as learners and professionals. The course focuses on research-based rationale and study of the selection and utilization of technologies for designing, implementing, or evaluating instruction.
Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:
- Differentiate between types of research.
- Critique educational research.
- Form a research strategy, including the selection of appropriate research tools.
- Articulate how research influences teaching mindset and practice.
- Share research work with peers in digital formats.
LDT 630 Interdependence & The Collective Advantage (3 credits)
In this course, students use collaboration strategies focused on student success to enhance teaching and learning perspectives, techniques, and connections. Students explore their own self-efficacy as a team member, promoting educational success for all pre-K-12 learners, and learn to identify and integrate available resources from the school and community. Students utilize collaborative technologies to communicate, problem-solve, and showcase learning excellence.
Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:
- Devise and implement a technology-enhanced collaborative problem-solving strategy that promotes optimized learning design and student success.
- Assess one’s own collaboration skills and evolving mindset and the relationship to the mindsets of others to work together effectively for change.
- Locate and integrate learning and community resources.
- Employ collaborative technologies to advance learning and to communicate among community members.
- Present, as part of a group, a collective vision for advancing technology as a learning tool.
LDT 640 Rethinking Education (3 credits)
In this course, students analyze educational institutions and expectations to foster policy and systemic changes. Students evaluate change processes to engage colleagues and the school community in educational innovation. The role of an ethical educational leader in a school community is explored. Relevant trends from arenas such as the arts, science, or business enrich the possible approaches.
Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:
- Articulate a personal philosophy regarding the 21st-century teacher’s role based on learning throughout and beyond the program.
- Identify systemic changes required to achieve transformational goals in education.
- se an ethical approach in educational decision making.
- Apply change processes used in other fields or arenas to educational systems.
- Initiate a lifelong learning practice that taps into the capacity of current technologies and the power of the internet while honoring principles of systemic change, ethical leadership, and goals that align with one’s personal philosophy regarding the 21st-century teacher’s role.
LDT 642 Advocacy and Sustainability (3 credits)
In this course, students consider how to use their own design thinking project as a dynamic learning opportunity to initiate change. Students propose an advocacy plan, which includes how to sustain the project and a professional support network during change.
Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to do the following:
- Engage in a new design thinking project.
- Synthesize literature from the entire program along with multiple additional perspectives to expand one’s viewpoint, question assumptions, and reflect on research-based themes related to a design thinking project.
- Create an advocacy and sustainability plan/activity to advance the findings or application of a design thinking project.
- In an interactive digital/public format, publish themes uncovered in an investigation of literature to demonstrate how it is initiating change coupled with a design thinking project.
Current Certificate Requirements
For current certificate requirements, visit the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota course catalog.
Program Outcomes
Upon completion of the certificate, graduates are expected to be able to do the following:
- Analyze connections between critical and creative thinking and their applications to problem solving.
- Reflect on mindsets, dispositions, and thinking skills to help lead in complex times and situations.
- Create solutions to design thinking problems by synthesizing research and considering perspectives and issues related to the environment.
- Employ technology to communicate effectively with various audiences in multimedia formats.
Prepare the Leaders of Tomorrow
Across a variety of industries including education, health care, business, social work, and public service, the online Critical, Creative, and Design Thinking certificate will prepare you to inspire empathetic perspectives in your students. As you develop the skills applicable to diverse learning environments, you will adopt the confidence to advocate for your students' and colleagues' success as critical, creative, and design thinkers.
While this certificate program can certainly prepare you for work in traditional educational environments, many graduates have moved into roles in the private sector. As a training and development manager, you would be responsible for planning, coordinating, and managing training programs for employees requiring critical thinking skills. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, training and development managers earn an average salary of $113,350 per year. Additionally, the positions are expected to expand by 8% until 2028.1
Certificate Requirements
The online Critical, Creative, and Design Thinking certificate is an asynchronous and part-time program that typically takes students three semesters, or 12 months, to complete. Students can expedite this process by taking more courses each semester to finish the program in two semesters or eight months.
To be admitted into the program, students must have:
- An undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited university
- A 2.75 GPA on a 4.0 scale
- Transcripts
- A written statement: Your personal background and future goals all impact your success with Saint Mary's and inform your education. As you prepare your written statement, think about including previous experiences, education, and your personal strengths and interests. Share your motivations for entering the online Critical, Creative, and Design Thinking certificate program and how it will contribute to your career.
- Application fee