The Center for Applied Imagination credentials creativity through diverse programs that cultivate skills in creative thinking, innovative leadership practices, and problem solving techniques. Our Graduate Certificate Program in Creativity and Change Leadership provides students with the knowledge and skills that can put them in a better position to operate as change leaders.
Theory and application of the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) process; practice in both individual and group uses for either personal or professional contexts; group work and active participation are expected.
Theory and research that form the foundation of the discipline of creativity studies; development of awareness and understanding of basic principles, select definitions, models, and theories and practice in applying them in a variety of contexts. Group interaction, discussion, and project work are expected.
Practical information on methods and resources for creativity assessment; review of basic measurement principles and a critique of specific tools used to assess creativity in both education and business. Students receive personal feedback on a number of measures and develop a profile of their own creative strengths.
Advanced strategies for leading small groups through the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) process; mastery of facilitation techniques and skills. Students receive expert feedback on their facilitation skills as they apply creative strategies to real issues. Examines conceptual relationships between facilitation and change leadership; develops basic change leadership skills.
Culminating activities that cap the Foundations of Creativity strand of the curriculum; understanding and applying the characteristics of change leadership in the context of creativity and Creative Problem Solving (CPS); theoretical and practical launching point for students to examine their future contributions to the field, domain, and discipline by articulating their personal philosophy and definition of creativity; relation of the CPS process and other change methods to the challenge of making lasting change in other disciplines, such as business, education, psychology, sociology, history, philosophy, or the arts or sciences.
In-depth survey of current issues on the nature or nurture of creativity; skill development in research and scholarship to increase critical thinking skills and general content literacy of creativity practitioners in any discipline; review, analysis, and interpretation of findings from empirical and non-empirical sources, with some emphasis on the background and development of research at the International Center for Studies in Creativity.
Practical experience in using principles of creative learning, Creative Problem Solving (CPS), and leadership to facilitate groups; guided practice and independent work in realistic teaching/training situations to develop independent learners and reflective practitioners; use of CPS facilitation skills to develop instructional designs and examine ways to modify teaching and leading with CPS in various groups or situations.
**All courses are 3 credit hours unless otherwise indicated.
