Numerous studies and United States Department of Education reports indicate that university graduates lack critical thinking and problem solving skills that are needed for success in both the classroom and the modern workplace. Success in the classroom and workplace is a function of many attributes that change with the situation, but the ability to synthesize complex relationships and identify potential solutions to problems or innovation is a core competency. In this action research project, the curriculum in three business courses were modified to include and emphasize activities that research suggests help develop critical thinking. The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) (Pintrich, Smith, Garcia, & McKeachie, 1991) was used to assess changes in 15 learning constructs during a class and correlated with grades. A modified MSLQ (Boyer & Usinger, 2012) was administered at the beginning and end of eight-week courses to provide insight into how students self-assess constructs for success. Results from classes over a 15-month period in 2013 and 2014 indicated improvement in 14 of 15 elements for success with three (intrinsic goal orientation, self-efficacy, and critical thinking) statistically significant.