Psychology, Creativity Studies Specialization, Ph.D.

Return to: College of Social Sciences

Specialization Coordinator: Contact: Israel Espinosa

This specialization is designed for students who want to learn how to accomplish in-depth research in a particular aspect of creativity and make a meaningful contribution to the field. The Department of HCP Psychology degree program encourages students to examine vital contemporary questions about creativity and investigate environments that support different kinds of creativity. Students in the Creativity Studies Specialization are focusing their studies on areas they are passionate about in order to take the careers they have to the next level or to go in a whole new direction.

Discovering Creative Solutions to Complex Problems

A complex and fast changing world demands new, creative approaches to everything from corporate strategies to household chores. From schools to big business, the importance of understanding and encouraging creativity has been widely recognized. There are opportunities at both the M.A. and Ph.D. level to earn a degree in Psychology at Saybrook University specializing in Creativity Studies. Saybrook’s rich tradition of humanistic studies includes its association with former faculty member Rollo May, who wrote the classic The Courage to Create. May, along with humanistic psychology pioneers such as Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow, proposed that expression of creativity is a key to self-actualization.

Saybrook’s unique approach to creativity goes beyond the arts to encompass “everyday creativity,” the originality of everyday life, which encourages personal and professional growth as well as health benefits. The program is designed to be applicable to a broad range of professional pursuits.

While creativity is increasingly recognized as a vital part of both a healthy psyche and a thriving economy, there are still many unanswered questions that need serious research. General learning goals include understanding the history, research, and practical application of creativity studies. Students enrolled in this Specialization will develop specific learning goals with a faculty member based on their interests, aspirations, and personal passion.

At the conclusion of your studies, students in this Specialization will be able to:

• Understand, critically analyze, and conduct psychological research.
• Be an expert in creativity in general and in a specific aspect of creativity in particular.
• Work to engage others in efforts to promote life-enhancing change.
• Bring innovation and creativity to your research, work, and personal choices, moving beyond disciplinary and paradigmatic boundaries.
• Combine critical, empathetic, and creative thinking with self-reflection to develop self-knowledge, self-realization, and expansion of consciousness.
• Place your work within a whole person perspective including multiple contexts, and acknowledge your own biases and unchallenged assumptions.
• Display an awareness of strengths and liabilities based on humanistic values, including authenticity and compassion.

Saybrook’s unique approach to creativity goes beyond the arts to encompass “everyday creativity,” the originality of everyday life, which encourages personal and professional satisfaction, as well as health benefits. The program is designed to be applicable to a broad range of professional pursuits.