About

Effective for students entering fall term 2009 and thereafter, all students seeking baccalaureate degrees are required to pass two critical thinking through writing (CTW) courses in their majors. Students should consult the section of this Catalog that describes their major for its CTW requirements. CTW classes are unique to Georgia State University and therefore students cannot transfer equivalent credit from other universities.

CTW courses are designed to develop students' ability to think critically in the major area they have chosen to study. CTW courses require that a significant portion of the course grade be derived from brief and frequent written assignments aimed at capturing evidence of critical thinking. These assignments challenge students to explore the course content in a new light and encourage them to think like members of their disciplines.

Every discipline defines critical thinking a bit differently, so Georgia State University decided to require students to take two Critical Thinking through Writing courses in their own discipline. On the whole, most disciplines would agree that the ability to think critically reflects one of the highest orders of learning. Most agree that students are engaging in critical thinking when they perform actions like synthesis, analysis, evaluation, and application. Some majors include other components of critical thinking and each discipline tends to define these components a bit differently according to the needs of their field.

To view CTW courses, descriptions, and sample syllabi, click HERE.

History

Georgia State University recently underwent re-accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) in 2008. As part of the re-accreditation process, the University was required to prepare a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). The University’s QEP, Critical Thinking through Writing (CTW), seeks to increase our baccalaureate students’ capacity for critical thinking as evidenced in their major field of study.

The strategy for achieving this goal was to implement a university-wide graduation requirement that undergraduates pass two critical thinking through writing (CTW) courses in their major. This requirement, approved by the University Senate in April of 2007, will take effect for students entering Fall, 2009. Each CTW course will be designed by the major department and approved by the General Education Subcommittee (a sub-committee of the University Senate’s Committee of Academic Programs).

The University hosted a luncheon for department chairs and school directors on September 11 & 12, 2007. Departments/schools were asked to identify at least one faculty member per undergraduate degree major to serve as a CTW Ambassador. The University has offered CTW workshops in September, 2007, October, 2007, and November, 2007, May 2008, October 2008, and January to prepare the CTW Ambassadors, as they assist in designing CTW courses and implementing assessments of student learning in their degree programs. The CTW Ambassador Workshops focused on what constitutes critical thinking through writing, including developing rubrics for assessment, sharing ideas for activities and assignments, and discussing methods for implementation in the department. All CTW Workshops are coordinated by a team of five faculty members, appointed by the Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness, in consultation with the deans and chairs. The coordinators consist of two faculty members with specific expertise in critical thinking and writing, and eight additional faculty members to represent the breadth of disciplines across the university.

If you would like further information on the Critical Thinking Through Writing (CTW) Initiative, please contact

CTW Courses

Below is a complete list of Critical Thinking through Writing Courses. To search for CTW courses by college, see course descriptions, and sample syllabi, click here.

Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
ECON 3900: MACROECONOMICS
ECON 4999: SENIOR CAPSTONE IN ECONOMIC POLICY
PAUS 3021: Citizenship, the Community, and the Public Sector
PAUS 4051: Evaluating Public Policy

College of Arts and Sciences
AAS 4980 Seminar and Practicum in African American Studies
ANTH 3033: Anthropology of Violence
ANTH 4970: Senior Seminar
ANTH 4980: Selected Topics
AL 3031: Language in Society
AL 4161: Practicum in Teaching ESL/EFL to Adult Learners
AL 4241: Senior Seminar in Applied Linguistics
AE 4200: Art Education for Preschool through 5th Grade
AE 4900: Art Theory and Criticism
AH 3000: Introduction to Art Historical Methodology
AH 4990: Art History Capstone
ART 4950: Portfolio II (CERM 4950/DP 4950/PHOTO 4950/PRT 4950/SCUL 4950/TEXT 4950)
BIOL 3810: Molecular Cell Biology
BIOL 4980: Biology Seminar
BIS 4995: Independent Directed Study
BIS Geog/HIST/SOCI 4768: Metropolitan Atlanta
CHEM 4000: Fundamentals of Chemical Analysis
CHEM 4160: Chemical Laboratory IV(A)
CSC 3410: DATA STRUCTURES
CSC 4350: Software Engineering
ENGL 3040: Introduction to Literary Studies
ENGL 3050: Introduction to Rhetoric and Advanced Composition
ENGL 4300: Senior Seminar: Literary Studies
ENGL 4310A: Senior Seminar: Workshop in Poetry
ENGL 4310B: Senior Seminar: Workshop in Fiction
ENGL 4320: Senior Seminar: Rhetoric, Advanced Composition and Technical Writing
ENGL 4330: Senior Seminar: Secondary English
FILM 4910: Senior Seminar in Film
FILM 4910: Senior Seminar in Film
FREN 3033: Introduction to the Analysis of Literary Texts
FREN 4103: French Civilization
FREN 4123: Contemporary France
GEOG 4764: Urban Geography
GEOG 4784: Climatic Change
GEOG 4830: Senior Seminar
GEOL 4006: Sedimentary Environments and Stratigraphy
GEOL 4830: Critical Thought and Analysis in the Geological Sciences
GRMN 3301: GRMN Advanced German I
GRMN 4402: Advanced Grammar: Morphology and Syntax
HIST 3000: Introduction to Historical Studies CTW
HIST 4990: Historical Research CTW
JOUR 4040: History of News Media
JOUR 4800: Media, Ethics and Society
MATH 3000: Bridge to higher Math
MATH 4991: Senior Seminar
MUS 4810: Music from 1750
MUS 4820: WORLD MUSIC
PHIL 3000: Introductory Seminar in Philosophy
PHIL 4990: Senior Seminar in Philosophy
PHYS 3300: Advanced Physics Laboratory
PHYS 4900: Research Project
POLS 4900: Senior Seminar in Political Science
POLS 4900: Senior Seminar in Political Science
PSYC 3530: Advanced Research Design and Data Analysis
PSYC 4000: Laboratory Experience in Psychology
PSYC 4800: Psychology
RELS 3750: Introduction to Methods and Theories
RELS 4750: Seminar in Religious Studies
SOCI 3020: Social Research Methods
SOCI 4800: Critical Thinking Through Writing in General Sociology: Wealth, Power, & Inequality
SOCI 4800: Critical Thinking Through Writing in General Sociology: Sociological Theory
SOCI 4801: Critical Thinking through Writing in Families, Health, and the Life Course: Birth and Parenthood
SOCI 4801: Critical Thinking through Writing in Families, Health, and the Life Course: Families and Society
SOCI 4801: Critical Thinking through Writing in Families, Health, and the Life Course: Cognition and Society
SOCI 4801: Critical Thinking through Writing in Families, Health, and the Life Course: Aging and Society
SOCI 4801: Critical Thinking through Writing in Families, Health, and the Life Course: Identity, Self, and Social
SOCI 4802: Critical Thinking through Writing in Gender and Sexuality: Gender and Society
SOCI 4802: Critical Thinking through Writing in Gender and Sexuality: Sexual and Intimate Violence
SOCI 4803: Critical Thinking through Writing in Race and Urban Studies: Crime and Punishment
SOCI 4803: Critical Thinking Through Writing in Race and Urban Studies: Race and Ethnic Relations
SOCI 4803: Critical Thinking Through Writing in Race and Urban Studies: Deviant Behavior
SOCI 4803: Critical Thinking Through Writing in Race and Urban Studies: Educational Sociology
SOCI 4803: Critical Thinking Through Writing in Race and Urban Studies: Activism, Protest, & Revolution
SOCI 4803: Critical Thinking Through Writing in Race and Urban Studies: Urban Sociology
SPAN 3307: Introduction to the Study of Literary Texts
SPAN 4407: Span for International Business
SPAN 4420: Medieval and Early Renaissance Spanish Literature
SPAN 4421: Early Modern Literature & Culture
SPAN 4432: Spanish Novel 20th Century
SPAN 4440: Special Topics: Spanish Literature
SPAN 4450: Special Topics in Linguistics
SPAN 4454: Contemporary Latin American Novel
SPAN 4456: Latin American Short Story
SPAN 4468: Hispanic Caribbean Literature and Culture
SPAN 4469: Afro-Hispanic Literature & Culture
SPAN 4470: Special Topics in Latin American Literature
SPAN 4480: Special Topics: Hispanic Culture
SPAN 4890: Contemporary Mexican Fiction
SPCH 3250: Persuasion
SPCH 4800: Communication and Diversity
THEA 3100: Play Analysis
THEA 4070: Western Theatre History
WSt 3010: Feminist Theories
WSt 4920: Senior Research
WSt 4950: Internship

College of Education
ECE 3601: Reading and Language Arts in Early Childhood Education
KH 3650: Physiology of Exercise
KH 3700: Sexuality Education Inclusive of Special Needs Students
HHS
CRJU 3020: Research Methods in Criminal Justice
CRJU 4930: Seminar in Criminal Justice
NURS 2080: Basic Concepts in Nursing Care
NURS 4600: Leadership & Management in Nursing
NUTR 3010: Introduction to Research
NUTR 4950: Senior Seminar
RT 3027: Pulmonary Disease
RT 4085: Professional Practice: From Current Trends to Extended Care
SW 3330: SW 3330 Human Behavior and the Social Environment I
SW 3340: Human Behavior and the Social Environment II
SW 3930: Social Welfare Policy

Robinson College of Business
ACCT 4610 Auditing and Assurance Services
BUSA 3000 Globalization and Business Practices
CIS 4980 System Development Projects
FI 4020 Financial Analysis / Introduction to Commercial Loan Structuring
HADM 4800 Hospitality Strategic Management
MGS 4320 LEGAL ENVIRONMENT OF HRM
MGS 4770 Service Operations Management
MK 4900 Marketing Problems
RMI 4350 Enterprise Risk Management