MS in Professional Studies: Creativity Studies Concentration
The Creativity Studies Concentration is designed to meet the needs of today's working professionals across many fields. Creativity is integral to competitive advantage in today's fast-paced, dynamic working environment. Organizations that harness and nurture the creative potential of their human resources are leaders in their respective fields. This program provides the most contemporary knowledge and skills needed in this important area.
In a world of increasing complexity, change, and competition, generating new ideas and bringing them to the table is now essential for corporate management. Creativity is multidisciplinary – it is in all professional fields from chemistry to engineering, from education to computer science, and from sociology to business. Successful organizations, in all fields, view creativity as vital and are the ones that instill creativity throughout the organization. The application of creativity skills distinguishes managers who maintain the status quo from leaders who inspire a new direction or vision. By internalizing the spirit of creativity and the principles of creative problem solving, individuals can be transformed into change leaders.
Upon completion of the degree, students will have formed an in depth understanding of creativity, enhanced communication, creative problem solving, and how these may be applied to practical situations that further their workplace culture. Participants will use their newly enhanced creative thinking skills to reflect critically on existing workplace practices and express coherent and cogent ideas and suggestions for continuous improvement. Specific outcomes include the following:
- Form a body of knowledge of leading creativity researchers and their theories, specifically Sternberg, Torrance, Amabile, Csikszentmihalyi, Guilford, and Gardner
- Develop skills in problem solving and how these may be applied to practical situations
- Become aware of ways to enhance one’s own and others’ creative strengths
Who Should Choose the M.S. in Professional Studies: Creativity Studies Concentration?
Individuals from any industry, with a bachelor’s degree in any field, who want to enhance their personal creativity skills and infuse creativity throughout their organizations will benefit from this program. In addition, students from other master's programs at Drexel, such as the M.S. in Communication, could use their free elective credits to earn the Certificate in Creativity en route to their master's degree.
Program Features
Drexel is headquarters to the American Creativity Association (ACA), affording students access to some of the world’s most prominent thinkers, researchers, and writers in the field of creativity and innovation. Moreover, the Drexel/Torrance Center for Creativity and Innovation, Directed by Dr. Fredricka Reisman, is housed directly in the Goodwin College. The center promotes creativity using programs that cultivate skills in creative thinking, innovative leadership practices, and problem solving techniques. Through the process of creative thought, the Center’s work enhances an individual's ability to imagine new ideas by learning to envision that which cannot immediately be seen.
The Applied Creativity Graduate Student Association (ACGSA) offers students an opportunity to promote creativity within and outside Drexel. In 2008, the ACGSA sponsored a community-wide event featuring keynote speaker Keith Sawyer, a world renowned creativity author and scholar.
