Critical and Creative Thinking (Graduate Certificate)

The objective of the certificate program in CCT is to allow 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. They achieve this through an explicit and sustained focus on learning and applying ideas and tools in critical thinking, creative thinking, and reflective practice. The experience gained through the pursuit of the graduate certificate in CCT leads students to discover new ways to approach their current fields, establish interdisciplinary connections between existing and emerging interests, and bring new, more flexible thinking into their professional and personal lives and organizations. A study of critical and creative thinking leads to new perspectives and more flexible thinking in one’s field of expertise; the graduate certificate provides an edge to students as they come to understand their previous knowledge in novel ways as well as explore innovations and new directions.

Note:

Online sections make it possible for the certificate to be undertaken by non-resident students.
Certificate students may count CCT courses that they have taken toward completion of their MEd or another UMass Boston Master’s degree toward the certificate.
CCT certificate students who subsequently apply and are approved to transfer to the MA program may apply the credits from their certificate studies.

Online Tuition:

Students who are earning the certificate online, pay different fees than matriculated students. See

College of Advancing and Professional Studies

for complete information.

Foundation Courses

Other Course Requirements

Three other CCT courses are required. Customarily, they include the following two courses plus an elective from within the CCT program:

Note

Students may, after consultation with their faculty advisor and with the approval of the program director, take up to three electives in one specialty area.

Exit Performance

Each certificate student also gives an exit performance, usually as part of

CRCRTH 692 Processes of Research and Engagement

, which demonstrates competence in implementing critical and creative thinking. This exit performance is reviewed and evaluated by a faculty committee.

Admission Requirements

Please see the general statement of admission requirements for all graduate programs in the “Admissions ” section of this publication. In addition to submitting all application materials as described in th general requirements, please note the following.

The Critical and Creative Thinking Program will recommend for admission those applicants who present evidence of their ability to do graduate work with distinction. Such evidence will normally include:

A distinguished undergraduate transcript with a grade point average of at least 3.0.
At least three positive and informed letters of recommendation submitted by persons with whom the applicant has worked closely and who have direct knowledge of their abilities. Recommenders should be able to comment in detail about an applicant’s academic strengths, work, and/or life experience. For graduate certificate applicants, at least two such letters.

Optionally, applicants may submit results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) and/or evidence of teaching or other examples of workplace competence, such as curriculum projects and lessons or business plans, to strengthen their application.