Innovative Thinking and Problem Solving, Undergraduate Certificate

In addition to University Requirements:

• Complete individual plan requirements.

Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.

Purpose Statement

This certificate engages students from across disciplines to apply innovating thinking theory and the design process to a diverse range of disciplinary, inter-disciplinary, and multi-disciplinary issues and problems. Students will employ the design process to investigate, conceptualize, synthesize, and generate relevant solutions to issues and problems. They will obtain the skills to initiate and direct research and ideation; prototype and test solutions; and be able to articulately and strategically deliver the message/story/content of their project. Throughout their experience, students will consistently be empowered as leaders and collaborators, which will serve them in whatever future directions they choose.

Student Learning Outcomes

Discover, Empathize, Explore & Define: Understand and use human experience as the basis to develop and evaluate designs/solutions.

• Employ knowledge of human need and context to define design problems and questions
• Uncover and understand personal and organizational assumptions and biases around a specified focal issue or opportunity
• Understand human needs, wants and desires as they relate to disciplinary and inter-disciplinary issues and problems.
• Appreciate the value of unique points of view, and incorporate unique views into the creative process
• Recognize and incorporate diverse social and cultural perspectives
• Integrate an interdisciplinary approach to increase and incorporate global and multicultural concepts and perspectives.
• Identify and characterize the complex nature of problems and questions associated with human issues and interactions across a broad range of scales (disciplines, cultures,
• Articulate an understanding of identified problems and questions within the theoretical and historical contexts of varying disciplinary frameworks
• Research, plan and run needs assessments, clarifying discrepancies between current and desired conditions.  Perform design research that contributes to the definition and solution of design problems.
• Identify, collect, and analyze necessary information using appropriate technologies and analytical techniques as they relate to the identified problem or question
• Apply appropriate research methodologies to frame emerging needs, including observational, psychographic, and ethnographic data.
• Select and interpret results from scientific research and integrate quantitative and qualitative findings into a design project

• Use innovative processes and design methodologies to generate multiple solutions to design problems, synthesize solutions, and develop conceptually strong projects (including brainstorming, mapping, sketches, and synthesis/testing of many ideas)
• Recognize sparks and blocks to creativity
• Resolve competing values in design solutions
• Generate a prototype that is a quick and cheap model containing only available materials

• Evaluate design problems in terms of the solution’s fit in relation to: usefulness, usability, desirability, sustainability, feasibility, viability and so on.
• Value the ethical, ecological, economic, and cultural impacts of their work
• Examine how the solution or design affects secondary ethical, scientific, environmental, societal, economic, cultural issues encircling the primary issue or problem

• Justify and defend the proposed design or planning solution within the context of aesthetic, social, political, economic, environmental conditions
• Communicate the entire problem solving process or method of inquiry in written, oral, and graphic ways using appropriate media
• Articulately and strategically speak about their work
• Contribute to and broaden dialogues with an open mind and positive approach

Certificate Requirements

• Take the following 15 units:

  • ITG 121 (3 units)
  • ITG 201, ITG 301, ITG 490 (9 units)
  • Select from (3 units)
    • ITG 208, ITG 408
    • ITG approved 300-400 level coursework  

• This certificate may only be pursued and completed concurrently with a degree program. This certificate is not available as a stand-alone certificate.

• Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.