Critical & Creative Thinking, MA (Organizational Science & Leadership)
Master of Arts Degree in Critical and Creative Thinking with a Concentration in Organizational Science and Leadership

University of Nebraska at Omaha
Overview
Admissions and Requirements
Courses You’ll Take
Tuition & Fees
Program Overview
The online Critical & Creative Thinking, MA (MA CCT) with a concentration in Organizational Science & Leadership program is designed to prepare students for leadership success in various organizational contexts across industries.
Through coursework, students will:
- Learn tools of social science and cutting edge scholarship in the fields of organizational behavior and leadership to understand both organizational-level and individual-level causes of employee behavior, performance and well-being
- Identify application to organizational contexts with a special focus on leadership challenges and opportunities
- Learn to question the status quo. Students will gain the ability to look at issues and tasks and solve them with a multi-disciplinary approach to the problem
Students completing this program must complete 30 credit hours, including the following requirements:
- Introduction to Critical and Creative Thinking
- 12 credit hours chosen from a primary concentration
- An additional 12 credit hours chosen through an array of electives from outside the primary concentration or from a secondary MA CCT concentration
- A graduate project
More about the graduate project:
The graduate project for the MA CCT degree is intended to represent the culmination of a student's work within the program. Students propose and produce an independent creative project under the guidance of a faculty adviser drawing on their experiences throughout the program of study. The project may take one of a variety of forms. Examples include (but are not limited to), a formal research paper, development of a mobile app, production of a film or development of a project or program to be implemented in the student's community or place of employment.
More about the Master of Arts in Critical and Creative Thinking (MA CCT):
The Master of Arts in Critical & Creative Thinking (MA CCT) embodies the College of Arts & Sciences' ongoing commitment to personal enrichment as well as to the practical application of analytical skills and knowledge in a diverse array of both for-profit and nonprofit professional environments. This interdisciplinary degree provides a unique opportunity to pursue both breadth and depth within the rich and diverse landscape of the liberal arts and sciences. Students pursuing this degree will enhance their career potential by developing advanced skills and abilities necessary for critical thinking, creativity and leadership.
The online Master of Arts in Critical and Creative Thinking offers six concentrations including:
- Cultural & Global Analysis
- Ethics & Values
- Health & the Environment
- International Migration, Development & Citizenship
- Organizational Science & Leadership
- Writing & Critical Reflection
Admissions and Requirements
To be accepted to this program, you must have:
A Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
3 GPA or above on a 4.0 scale
No GRE is required for this master's degree program.
NOTE: This program is authorized, exempt, or not subject to state regulatory compliance and may enroll students from all 50 states
Courses You’ll Take
Course Information
Core Courses
Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
---|---|---|
CACT 8520 | Organizational Psychology & Leadership | 3 |
This course is a graduate seminar on organizational psychology and leadership that focuses on the understanding and critical analysis of theory and practice pertaining to individual functioning at work. Positive organizational psychology theories and practices will provide the overarching framework in understanding potential solutions to challenges and problems facing leaders and their employees. | ||
CACT 8530 | Personnel Psychology & Leadership | 3 |
This course provides an overview of personnel psychology from a leadership perspective. Topics include methodology, employee selection, performance appraisal, organizational attitudes and behavior, motivation, and leadership style. | ||
CACT 8090 | Graduate Project | 3 |
The Graduate Project is an applied student project under the direction of a faculty adviser. In the project, the student will apply interdisciplinary knowledge and skills gained within the program to address a problem or to expand knowledge within or across disciplines. The product or artifact produced by the student may take a variety of forms. | ||
CACT 8506 | Creativity & Innovation in Organizations | 3 |
To provide a discussion of the antecedents of individual and organizational creativity, including measurement, models, characteristics of the individual and the environment that facilitate creativity and innovation in an organizational setting. Students in this course will be able to understand the research literature related to creativity and innovation and apply the findings to improve critical and creative thinking, implementation of creative ideas, and development of creative teams and organizations. | ||
CACT 8510 | Seminar in Leadership | 3 |
This course introduces students to classical and contemporary scholarship on leadership theory, research, and application. Students gain a foundation in models of leadership, assess their own leadership styles, and learn to integrate what they learn in corporate, governmental, non-profit, or community organizations. | ||
CACT 8500 | Complex Organizations | 3 |
This graduate seminar provides an overview focused on the understanding and analysis of intricate internal and external organizational forces such as organizational bureaucracy, organizational culture, autonomy and control systems, which affect performance of organizational members as well as influence organizational survival. | ||
CACT 8000 | Introduction to Critical & Creative Thinking | 3 |
This course is the foundational introductory course for the Master of Arts in Critical and Creative Thinking program (MA CCT). It focuses on the development of students’ skills as critical thinkers and creative problem solvers as well as the cultivation of students’ capacity to recognize and leverage tools, resources, and ideas towards finding innovative solutions to everyday problems. |
Tuition & Fees
Nebraska Residents
Per Credit Hour
- Tuition
- $375.00
- Fees
- $52.25
- Total
- $427.25
3 Credit Hours
- Tuition
- $1125.00
- Fees
- $156.75
- Total
- $1281.75
Out of State Residents
Per Credit Hour
- Tuition
- $617.00
- Fees
- $52.25
- Total
- $669.25
3 Credit Hours
- Tuition
- $1851.00
- Fees
- $156.75
- Total
- $2007.75
About Faculty
University of Nebraska online courses are taught by expert faculty who embody the qualities resulting from research experience and professional/field experience. Students learn from faculty with a variety of backgrounds, many of whom are published researchers in their fields. NU faculty who teach online do so in a way that optimizes learning within the online modality and because technology enables students to access education they may otherwise may not be able to pursue.
Application Deadlines
- Fall SemesterJul 15
- Spring SemesterNov 01
- Summer SessionsMar 01