This intensive writing course offers the opportunity for MSW students to strengthen their critical thinking and writing skills required for social work practice.  This course will enhance students’ ability to think and write thoughtfully about diverse populations at the micro, mezzo, and macro level of practice. Critical thinking and writing for social work will also increase students’ ability to make appropriate decisions that will impact individuals, groups, and communities. Furthermore, this course will help students focus on anti-racist and anti-oppressive approaches to thinking and writing. Students will gain a deeper understanding about the way the human brain operates in order to apply anti-oppressive strategies to social work practice through the application critical thinking skills that will be evidenced through their behaviors and in their writing. Through individual and peer review, readings and writing exercises, students will apply these skills to the key competencies of social work practice (engaging, assessing, intervening, and evaluating) using a strengths perspective that will advance human rights.

Prerequisite: Admission to MSW Program