Critical Thinking
UndergraduateLTU-PHI1CTO2025
Course information for 2025 intake View information for 2024 course intake
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Enrol by
- 20 July 2025
- Entry requirements
- Prior study needed
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Price from
- $2,124
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Critical Thinking
About this subject
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Analyse and evaluate arguments pertaining to a wide variety of topics and drawn from a wide range of sources (e.g., books, newspapers, podcasts, videos).
- Produce clear, precise and well-informed writings that analyse, critique, and develop arguments on a wide variety of topics.
- Demonstrate an understanding of elementary technical concepts pertaining to argumentation, including deductive soundness and inductive strength.
- Represent complex arguments in visual form, using argument diagramming techniques.
- Argument Formalisation
- Argument Mapping
- Cognitive Biases
- Cognitive Virtues
- Fallacies
- Logical Reasoning
- Probabilistic Reasoning
Psychological studies have repeatedly shown that our thinking can be biased, distorted, and misinformed. This subject introduces you to some of the most common mistakes that people make in reasoning and equips you with essential tools to recognise and sidestep these errors. Among other things, you'll master the use of argument diagrams and basic logical principles to dissect and assess arguments as they occur in everyday life.
Throughout this subject, you will improve your ability to think with clarity and autonomy, and to participate constructively in discussions and debates. Though critical to the practise of philosophy, these competencies are also vital across all disciplines in academia and are highly sought after in numerous professional fields. Consequently, students often report that the skills they acquire in this course prove to be of extraordinary benefit, regardless of their future career paths.
This is a level 1 subject and includes live sessions with the expectation of student attendance and participation.
- Early Assessment Quiz (equivalent to 500 words) (10%)
- Weekly Quizzes (equivalent to 1250 words) (30%)
- Argument diagram (equivalent to 750 words) (20%)
- Two short essays (equivalent to 2 x 900 words each) (40%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
The third university established in Victoria, La Trobe University has a diverse community of more than 38,000 students and staff. Its commitment to excellence in teaching and research prepares students to make a bold and positive impact in today's global community. La Trobe provides Open Universities Australia with its core tenets, entrepreneurship and sustainability.
Learn more about La Trobe University.
Explore La Trobe courses.
- QS Ranking 2024:
- 17
- Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:
- 18
Entry requirements
Others
Past La Trobe University students who have previously completed PHI1CRT (Critical Thinking) are ineligible to enrol in this subject.
Additional requirements
No additional requirements
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
What to study next?
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
UndergraduateLAT-ART-DIP
UndergraduateLAT-ART-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-HSC-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-BUS-DEG
Bachelor of Information Technology
UndergraduateLAT-TEC-DEG
Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Health Sciences
UndergraduateLAT-AHS-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-CYS-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-HSC-DIP
Bachelor of Psychological Science
UndergraduateLAT-PYS-DEG
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