Creative Inquiry (CI) is a discovery-oriented approach to learning that promotes an understanding of the methods of scientific research. CI provides opportunities in the form of open-ended problems that extend beyond the classroom.

The IE curriculum offers both universal CI experiences, and the potential for an individualized experience. The sequence of design courses, Systems Design I and II, afford everyone an opportunity for a CI experience, and thus is universal. The individualized experiences, on the other hand, are research  oriented.