Overview
Boost your problem-solving skills with thoughtful and innovative approaches
Building your creative, critical and design thinking skills will enhance your ability to solve intricate problems. Equip yourself to succeed with our online Creative, Critical & Design Thinking program.
- Employs the same tools used by leaders in government, healthcare, the arts, technology and more
- Teaches you the systematic and human-centred processes that allow you to:
- Empathize with people
- Identify and frame problems
- Seek different viewpoints
- Identify alternative explanations
- Generate test ideas
- Take actions that add value to others and promote positive outcomes and opportunities
- Earn a Certificate of Professional Learning or a Diploma in Business Administration with a concentration in Creative, Critical & Design Thinking
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Program highlights Learn More
- Innovative, solutions-focused problem solving
- Online courses taught by industry experts
- Earn a certificate of professional learning
Creative, Critical & Design Thinking program features:
- Learn the same reasoning tools and techniques used by leaders in business, government, healthcare, the arts, technology and more
- Opportunities to compile a toolkit of creative thinking techniques to generate, evaluate and develop new ideas and solutions
- Practical activities that include case studies, group discussion and projects to enhance critical thinking skills for working and living in today’s complex world
- Flexible options to complete as a certificate of professional learning or apply courses toward electives or concentration of the Business Administration Diploma

Learning outcomes Learn More
- Leverage a design thinking mindset for problem-solving
- Creative thinking, problem-solving toolkit
- Develop design solutions and construct prototypes
Through our Creative, Critical & Design Thinking program, you’ll learn to:
- Develop competencies in critical, creative and design thinking to investigate an idea and transform it into meaningful action
- Apply divergent and convergent thinking tools to situations within a variety of fields and settings
- Examine principles and models of creative, critical and design thinking to effectively solve problems for users and stakeholders
- Practice using the tools, frameworks and processes needed to develop solutions to industry problems and complex situations
- Construct and execute innovative strategies in relation to problems and situations
- Become aware of, and leverage, the role(s) played in creative processes and teams
- Reflect on and meaningfully communicate your experiences of creating, problem solving and designing
- Recognize how to identify, participate in, and support communities committed to sustainable change
Learn more about the Creative, Critical & Design Thinking program
- Anyone working in business, marketing, government, health care, the arts, technology and more
- New and current managers
- Recent college/university graduates
Earning a Certificate of Professional Learning in Creative, Critical & Design Thinking demonstrates to employers that you have the skills they are looking for in a wide variety of industries and especially in-demand for the following roles:
- Marketer
- Sales professional
- Customer Service Representative
- Information Technology Professional
- Portfolio Accountant
- Controller
- Financial Analyst
- Team Leader
- Manager
Check out our latest Program Preview webinar recording to learn more about the Creative, Critical & Design Thinking program
What Our Recent Graduates Say
“The flexibility of the course helped me a lot to balance my work.”
The flexibility of the course helped me a lot to balance my work. Our field in data is continuously changing. I found that sweet balance in terms of the focus of the course. It’s a life cycle of how the data is coming in all the way to make it a service or a product. The course gives you that 360 spectrum.
Zaki
Big Data graduate

Krystal
Health and Social Service Skill Development graduate
“I wanted to reinvent myself and change my career path and I was able to do that.”
I wanted to be able to reinvent myself and change my career path and I was able to do that because of McMaster Continuing Education. Being a nurse, there are so many different avenues of nursing that I can try new things and continue to learn. The instructors were really understanding. When you’re working full-time, having someone that will promptly answer your questions and make time for you when you need it, they made it really easy.
Krystal
Health and Social Service Skill Development graduate

Tracy
Project Management graduate
“I am constantly reinventing myself. McMaster Continuing Education has been transformative.”
I am constantly reinventing myself. McMaster Continuing Education has been transformative. I was introduced to new ideas and new skills. Because of that, I’ve had new opportunities in my career. McMaster Continuing Education is the best place to take professional development courses. The programs fit into your life.
Tracy
Project Management graduate
“The flexibility of the course helped me a lot to balance my work.”
The flexibility of the course helped me a lot to balance my work. Our field in data is continuously changing. I found that sweet balance in terms of the focus of the course. It’s a life cycle of how the data is coming in all the way to make it a service or a product. The course gives you that 360 spectrum.
Zaki
Big Data graduate
“I wanted to reinvent myself and change my career path and I was able to do that.”
I wanted to be able to reinvent myself and change my career path and I was able to do that because of McMaster Continuing Education. Being a nurse, there are so many different avenues of nursing that I can try new things and continue to learn. The instructors were really understanding. When you’re working full-time, having someone that will promptly answer your questions and make time for you when you need it, they made it really easy.
Krystal
Health and Social Service Skill Development graduate
“I am constantly reinventing myself. McMaster Continuing Education has been transformative.”
I am constantly reinventing myself. McMaster Continuing Education has been transformative. I was introduced to new ideas and new skills. Because of that, I’ve had new opportunities in my career. McMaster Continuing Education is the best place to take professional development courses. The programs fit into your life.
Tracy
Project Management graduate
Other programs you may be interested in
Certificate in Creative, Critical & Design Thinking
CERTIFICATE OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING IN CREATIVE, CRITICAL & DESIGN THINKING
Pursue your Certificate of Professional Learning in Creative, Critical & Design Thinking with McMaster Continuing Education
Explore the requirements below and register today!
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Certificate of Professional Learning in Creative, Critical & Design Thinking
Earn your Certificate of Professional Learning in Creative, Critical & Design Thinking by completing all 3 courses listed below. Courses can be taken in any order.
Certificate of Professional Learning in Creative, Critical & Design Thinking Requirements
Academic Credit – 9 units
The Creative, Critical & Design Thinking courses can also be completed as part of the Business Administration Diploma with a concentration in Creative, Critical & Design Thinking
Courses can also be taken as general electives in the Business Administration Diploma
Courses (Complete all 3)
3.0 UNITS
CCD 101
Cultivating Creative Thinking
3.0 UNITS
CCD 103
Design Thinking
Creative, Critical & Design Thinking Courses
Creative, critical & design thinking Courses
Advance your career with online Creative, Critical & Design Thinking courses
Explore course options below and register today!
Information Box Group
3.0 UNITS
CCD 101
Cultivating Creative Thinking
3.0 UNITS