UMass Boston

Critical Reading and Writing (CRW)

Critical Analysis courses introduce students to the principles of college-level learning and provide them with intensive practice in the use of those principles. 

Critical Reading and Writing: CRW 112

The goals and capabilities of Critical Reading and Writing (CRW) 112 are the same as those of First-Year Seminars. Students learn how to engage with and evaluate texts and issues drawn from the social sciences, humanities, and physical sciences. This course includes computer lab and library research components.

In CRW 112 – Critical Thinking II, students gain experience in the processes of intellectual inquiry as it is practiced in the liberal arts and sciences.  Based on the course’s theme, students analyze and interpret readings drawn from different disciplines in the college curriculum. Students learn to distinguish the methods authors use in developing their ideas, and the differences and similarities among perspectives of various authors, as well as to recognize implications and to question authors' purposes. 
3 Lect Hrs, 3 Credits. This course should be followed by a First-Year Seminar.

Recent CRW 112 course topics include: Decision-making in the Courts and Other Contexts, Exploring Identity, and Reading American Culture. Contact the Center for Academic Excellence  for information on current CRW 112 topics and schedules.

First-Year Seminars

The Center for Academic Excellence offers first-year courses that focus on critical reading, the analysis of texts, and the writing of academic papers. These courses introduce students to the principles of college-level learning and provide them intensive practice in the use of those principles in their other courses. CRW 112 introduces students to the elements of academic thinking, with materials drawn from courses across the liberal arts curriculum. The topically focused First-Year Seminars offer instruction in the capabilities spelled out by General Education and are a natural progression for students who have begun a course of study with CRW 112 or ESL Center courses.

  • SEMINR 114G Investigations across the Curriculum
  • SEMINR 120G Mind-Body Connection
  • SEMINR 125G Defining Freedom
  • SEMINR 126G Aging & Wisdom
  • SEMINR 127G Food Matters