Intro to Intl & Global Studies

I really liked the way both professors taught the class, and truly enjoyed everything I learned while taking this course. The workload was completely manageable, and readings were very interesting and relevant which made them easy to keep up with. I enjoyed how even the lectures were a form of discussion, and it allowed me to really process what we were learning. I don't think there really should've been two midterms, considering the multiple parts of the final project for the class, but that is my one sole complaint. Everything else was amazing!

I really liked the way both professors taught the class, and truly enjoyed everything I learned while taking this course. The workload was completely manageable, and readings were very interesting and relevant which made them easy to keep up with. I enjoyed how even the lectures were a form of discussion, and it allowed me to really …Read more

This is an incredible course. The two professors work really well together - they have their respective fields of expertise. The information is quite dense but by the end it begins to all connect. It is enjoyable going to this class and I learn so much from the professors.

As is the case in many intro classes, the quantity of material covered is quite high, but Prakash and Ramaswamy make it worthwhile. Both are excellent professors with a wealth of insight into the material. I found it to be manageable and made me want to take more IGS courses. Would recommend for a broad overview of many key themes at Middlebury.

I didn't plan to minor or major in IGS but found this course super interesting and touches on many significant concepts. Professor Prakash is super passionate and is an amazing teacher. The course consisted of long readings for each class and around three papers.

The course aims to briefly cover basically everything in the discipline of IGST, so the materials are very densely organized and the amount of readings exceed 100 pages at a few weeks; however, the readings could be speed-ran if you have prior knowledge in the week's topic (but it would be difficult to avoid them because papers and exams are centered around readings), and they are all very valuable resources that truly covers some core authors and their main points in the discipline. Professor Prakash and Professor Ramaswamy are both very efficient in teaching, although their style of giving lectures are different (the former tends to mix discussions inside lectures); the grading is pretty fair and the Professors are generous in granting extensions.

The course aims to briefly cover basically everything in the discipline of IGST, so the materials are very densely organized and the amount of readings exceed 100 pages at a few weeks; however, the readings could be speed-ran if you have prior knowledge in the week's topic (but it would be difficult to avoid them because papers and e …Read more

Professor Prakash is extremely enthusiastic about the course material, which makes listening to his lectures much more entertaining. There is definitely a lot of reading, however, the readings are reinforced by the lectures and then further reinforced in the discussion sections, which really help solidify understanding of the course material. The lectures are co-led by Prakash and Ramaswamy, each lecturing about their own areas of expertise (policing, border policy, etc for Prakash and econ for Ramaswamy), and they both grade papers and the midterm as well. Neither professor is a very harsh grader, and both professors provide lots of feedback, despite the incredibly large class size.

Professor Prakash is extremely enthusiastic about the course material, which makes listening to his lectures much more entertaining. There is definitely a lot of reading, however, the readings are reinforced by the lectures and then further reinforced in the discussion sections, which really help solidify understanding of the course …Read more

This is a big class and is extremely lecture heavy. I took it because I plan to major in IGS, but I would recommend taking a different course if this isn't your intended major. It doesn't really discuss global issues within regions and is mostly an overview of econ, nationalism, borders, sovereignty, etc. There are a lot of dense readings per week, but you can get away without doing them for short periods at a time. There are weekly discussions, two short papers, and a midterm, so you need to be able to know what's going on.

This is a big class and is extremely lecture heavy. I took it because I plan to major in IGS, but I would recommend taking a different course if this isn't your intended major. It doesn't really discuss global issues within regions and is mostly an overview of econ, nationalism, borders, sovereignty, etc. There are a lot of dense rea …Read more

I think the content itself was really interesting, but it was not the class I had wanted. If you are not planning to take IGS as major, it is not worth the struggle. There are so much reading every week and if you don't catch up with them, it can be detrimental when you are taking exams.

Professor Prakash is a wonderful professor, he is extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic. The lectures in this class are pretty heavy and fast paced but I found the content engaging. A lot of reading assigned every week, but you do not need to do all of it, just have the main ideas down for discussions. Only two papers which are not long, plus a midterm and a final.

Loved this class! Had both Prof Prakash and Prof Kemi. You do get a good introduction to many international affairs topics, and the readings are good. Papers are also graded fairly easy, and the mid-term covered exactly what we learned in class. Overall really enjoyed it.

Professors Prakash and Ramaswamy are both extremely strong professors. They put lots of time into crafting lectures and leading discussions, but ultimately it was difficult for me to fully engage with the class. If you are not an IGS major I would suggest not taking this class. Although I've learned information that will prepare me for other humanities-related courses at Middlebury, we covered such a wide range of topics that make it difficult to make clear connections between different course sections.

Professors Prakash and Ramaswamy are both extremely strong professors. They put lots of time into crafting lectures and leading discussions, but ultimately it was difficult for me to fully engage with the class. If you are not an IGS major I would suggest not taking this class. Although I've learned information that will prepare me f …Read more

Out of the two professors teaching the course, I prefer Professor Prakash. He is very enthusiastic about both lectures and discussions and allows breaks between the slideshows. His grading is quite fair, and he accommodates any extension request. However, if you are not a reader (like me), you will find the midterm very nerve-racking as it randomly pulls materials from the assigned reading pile, and you have to know it beforehand.

Out of the two professors teaching the course, I prefer Professor Prakash. He is very enthusiastic about both lectures and discussions and allows breaks between the slideshows. His grading is quite fair, and he accommodates any extension request. However, if you are not a reader (like me), you will find the midterm very nerve-racking …Read more

The readings were too long. I was struggling to remember all the authors and their specific arguments. I had a hard time following along in lectures sometimes. Otherwise, this was a good experience. Maybe I struggled because I was taking STEM-heavy courses at the same time.

The course is taught by both Professor Fuentes-George and Professor Prakash. covers a broad range of topics about different international and global issues. Most of the topics are complex but the professors share the presentation slides which makes everything easier. The professors are also very kind and accommodating. The description the professors gave about the midterm makes it seem scary at first, but if you know the material from the the lectures and can supplement with evidence and analysis from the readings, you will do fine. The course material is useful if you want to study political science, IGS, IPE, or History.

The course is taught by both Professor Fuentes-George and Professor Prakash. covers a broad range of topics about different international and global issues. Most of the topics are complex but the professors share the presentation slides which makes everything easier. The professors are also very kind and accommodating. The descriptio …Read more

This course is thought in unison by both prof. Fuentes-George and prof. Amit Prakash (when i took it at least). I have to say that prof. Fuentes' teaching style was far more engaging and easier to follow, however, they are both highly knowledgeable in their fields, fair graders, approachable and willing to accommodate their student's needs and help you out with anything. Good foundational course for anyone interested in intl politics, but if you've had previous experience with this area it can be quite boring at times since the focus is very general, but at the same time they kind of fail to explain foundational knowledge & basic concepts to those who have no previous knowledge of intl political theory. Do NOT skimp on the readings for this lol

This course is thought in unison by both prof. Fuentes-George and prof. Amit Prakash (when i took it at least). I have to say that prof. Fuentes' teaching style was far more engaging and easier to follow, however, they are both highly knowledgeable in their fields, fair graders, approachable and willing to accommodate their student's …Read more

Amit was a great instructor and if you are up for a decent amount of reading this course it worthwhile. I intended to major in IGS and this cemented my decision to do so. At times the lectures were boring, but the concepts were never difficult.

The course is taught by both Professor Fuentes and Professor Prakash and both are very well-informed about the content and enthusiastic to teach it. The material we cover is extremely broad and there is a lot to go over. Lectures cover a lot of information and things information sometimes get lost in the mix. I found most of the information interest, but I feel like we could have spent more time on foundational ideas and theories. There are so many readings for the class which you need to know for the assignments.

The course is taught by both Professor Fuentes and Professor Prakash and both are very well-informed about the content and enthusiastic to teach it. The material we cover is extremely broad and there is a lot to go over. Lectures cover a lot of information and things information sometimes get lost in the mix. I found most of the info …Read more

While the class in itself is fast-paced Professor Prakash did a very good job of explaining course material. One thing to know is that this class requires you to read in the range of 40-80 pages of pretty dense reading a week. While this may seem like a lot Professor Prakash does a great job, especially in the discussions about breaking down those readings and explaining them in a more connected manner. As for Professor Prakash, he is extremely knowledgeable and also extremely passionate about the topics covered which makes for a much more enjoyable experience in the class.

While the class in itself is fast-paced Professor Prakash did a very good job of explaining course material. One thing to know is that this class requires you to read in the range of 40-80 pages of pretty dense reading a week. While this may seem like a lot Professor Prakash does a great job, especially in the discussions about break …Read more

Professor Prakash is one of the best professors I have had at Middlebury so far. He is so knowledgeable about what he teaches and is very passionate. He also often offers unique insights to various topics learned within this class. This class might be a little repetitive if you have taken other political science courses but overall is a great experience. I would just make sure to keep up with readings to participate in discussion and do well on essays. For essays it also helps to focus on making sure your writing is clear and concise to really demonstrate your understanding.

Professor Prakash is one of the best professors I have had at Middlebury so far. He is so knowledgeable about what he teaches and is very passionate. He also often offers unique insights to various topics learned within this class. This class might be a little repetitive if you have taken other political science courses but overall i …Read more

The class covers a big variety of topics in such a short period of time. The lectures are sometimes too shallow, but I really enjoyed how multidisciplinary the contents are. Both Prof. Prakash and Prof. Fuentes express a clear and critical perspective of the topics. The content is fairly international and diverse. Get prepared for so many readings, they are really necessary for exams.

The class covers a big variety of topics in such a short period of time. The lectures are sometimes too shallow, but I really enjoyed how multidisciplinary the contents are. Both Prof. Prakash and Prof. Fuentes express a clear and critical perspective of the topics. The content is fairly international and diverse. Get prepared for so …Read more

Overall, the professors were good. They were very informed and educated on the topics. The reason why I did not enjoy the course is that it felt very broad. It felt like a mix of a lot of subjects at once. However, there really isn't a way to avoid it because it is an intro class

I really enjoyed this course with professor Prakash. I definitely feel that I gained a lot from it and have a solid understanding of the fundamentals required for future IGS classes. I definitely recommend taking this class your first semester if you can though; it is extremely similar to other introductory political science courses (such as Comparative Politics) and can seem extremely repetitive if you've taken those types of classes though. This does not detract from the quality of the course though, and is more so a consideration for your own learning needs.

I really enjoyed this course with professor Prakash. I definitely feel that I gained a lot from it and have a solid understanding of the fundamentals required for future IGS classes. I definitely recommend taking this class your first semester if you can though; it is extremely similar to other introductory political science courses …Read more

I enjoyed this course and I felt that it gave a broad but simultaneously in depth overview of International studies, which would probably be useful for any class in History, Political Science, and other social sciences. Professor Prakash’s teaching is heavily based on his verbal lectures and he doesn’t put everything on the slide so attention is really needed during his lectures. It’s a lot of ideas about the world spanning different disciplines in a short amount of time, but I appreciated his historical approach in explaining where each ideology emerged from.

I enjoyed this course and I felt that it gave a broad but simultaneously in depth overview of International studies, which would probably be useful for any class in History, Political Science, and other social sciences. Professor Prakash’s teaching is heavily based on his verbal lectures and he doesn’t put everything on the slide so …Read more

Amit Prakash gives the best lectures I've ever seen. Despite his academic vocabulary, he is incredibly down-to-earth and accommodating. The course met twice a week with a lecture involving the 25-60 pages of reading that were assigned. It helps to have done them before the lectures, but they are especially important for Friday's discussion. His three essays (one was just called a midterm) require an understanding of the material and precise writing. I grew as a learner by taking this course.

Amit Prakash gives the best lectures I've ever seen. Despite his academic vocabulary, he is incredibly down-to-earth and accommodating. The course met twice a week with a lecture involving the 25-60 pages of reading that were assigned. It helps to have done them before the lectures, but they are especially important for Friday's disc …Read more

Professor Prakash is a true veteran in his field and has a real passion for what he teaches. This is an intensive reading class, and you can expect up to 100 pages of dense material some weeks. This, combined with the fact that Prakash's lectures are fast-paced and highly centered around his oration and not slides, can make interpretation of the material very difficult at times. That being said, Prakash makes up for this with fair and lenient grading. I personally learned a lot from this course, but that knowledge came at the price of heavy effort and engagement to interpret course material. Overall would recommend it, but only if you don't mind reading...

Professor Prakash is a true veteran in his field and has a real passion for what he teaches. This is an intensive reading class, and you can expect up to 100 pages of dense material some weeks. This, combined with the fact that Prakash's lectures are fast-paced and highly centered around his oration and not slides, can make interpret …Read more

I found that Prakash's teaching and discussion styles were extremely informative and did a great job of catering to the interests of all the students who would take the class. One potential issue with the course was that it had a ton of reading, but I feel like it was necessary to learn the course material.

This course is pretty theory-heavy and throws readings at you at a torrid pace. Exams questions tend to zone in on one or two of these readings at a time so understanding them is crucial. Kemi is a stellar and engaging lecturer who frames IR through some pretty intriguing topics while Amit's lectures are a little more traditional and tend to be more complicated. Both professors are fair graders and give good feedback and this course is valuable, especially if you don't have a strong background in IR or polisci.

This course is pretty theory-heavy and throws readings at you at a torrid pace. Exams questions tend to zone in on one or two of these readings at a time so understanding them is crucial. Kemi is a stellar and engaging lecturer who frames IR through some pretty intriguing topics while Amit's lectures are a little more traditional and …Read more

I took this with both Professor Prakash and Fuentes-George. Both were excellent lecturers, and had very interesting insights into what they were teaching. Prakash was very easy to talk to, but Fuentes-George was difficult to get ahold of, and was generally unreliable when I went to office hours.

Amit Prakash is a very passionate in IGS and his teaching style is evident of that. His lectures were very interesting and gave me a new perspective on international relations and how countries interact with each other then and now. The class is heavy reading based so be prepared for that. So if you're interested in IR, take this class and you'll learn so much

Prakash is great. He knows what he's talking about and is eager to engage with his students. So much reading but honestly you can get away with skimming for a good chunk of it. He grades fair, as long as your writing is comprehensive and concise, you are set.

Intro to IGS is a very broad course that covers a lot of information in not very much depth. It can be hard to see where everything is connected at times and what its relevance is -- the class structure could be better organized. That being said, Prakash is a very kind and understanding professor who truly has passion about these topics. He makes the lectures and readings come to life.

Intro to IGS is a very broad course that covers a lot of information in not very much depth. It can be hard to see where everything is connected at times and what its relevance is -- the class structure could be better organized. That being said, Prakash is a very kind and understanding professor who truly has passion about these top …Read more

The course is taught by both Professor Fuentes-George and Professor Prakash. Both professors are very knowledgeable on the topic, but Kemi's lectures were far more engaging than Amit's. I thought the lectures were interesting, but the class had an unnecessary number of readings.

Prof. Prakash & Prof. Fuentes-George are equally enthusiastic about their subject material. Going to their office hours is highly recommended. Lots of readings that you don't NEED to read entirely each week, but definitely should in order to be prepared for the papers.

Very reading heavy, and papers and midterms often focus on specific authors from the weekly readings. As this is an intro course, the course content is very broad and that makes it difficult to narrow down during discussion sections, but generally takes a valuable lens of being critical of traditional IR theory. Depending on how familiar you are with certain polisci topics, some lectures may be unengaging as they have to go over the basics.

Very reading heavy, and papers and midterms often focus on specific authors from the weekly readings. As this is an intro course, the course content is very broad and that makes it difficult to narrow down during discussion sections, but generally takes a valuable lens of being critical of traditional IR theory. Depending on how fami …Read more

I found the lectures to be quite boring, even though the professors both seem passionate about the material. The amount of assigned reading is quite tough to handle if you have other reading-heavy courses, and if you fall behind it becomes nearly impossible to catch up. Keeping up with the readings is crucial, as the exams and papers are centered around the different authors and ask you to compare/analyze. The final project was very straightforward and the grading is friendly.

I found the lectures to be quite boring, even though the professors both seem passionate about the material. The amount of assigned reading is quite tough to handle if you have other reading-heavy courses, and if you fall behind it becomes nearly impossible to catch up. Keeping up with the readings is crucial, as the exams and papers …Read more

This course is quite intense, despite it being introductory level. There are many dense historical readings to do per week, and while the lectures themselves are helpful in explaining the material, the content is still quite difficult. Super interesting class with a lot of topics covered, but be ready to read a lot.

I took this class with Kemi Fuentes George and Prakash and they were great. I enjoyed the material and the class in general. They gave a large amount of feedback on my papers which was helpful for improving them!

Professor Prakash was such a fantastic teacher, you can tell he truly cared about his students. Although the reading was dense, he helped you through any struggles! I loved his class and him as a teacher!

I took the course with Professor Prakash- he's a really nice guy and is super understanding if things ever come up. However, I didn't love his teaching style- his slides are pretty minimal, it's mostly based on what he's saying which can make it hard to follow. Also the readings he gives us are so dense and long they can be brutal. The discussions can also be painful because literally none of the class does the readings. If you have to take it you'll be fine but avoid if possible

I took the course with Professor Prakash- he's a really nice guy and is super understanding if things ever come up. However, I didn't love his teaching style- his slides are pretty minimal, it's mostly based on what he's saying which can make it hard to follow. Also the readings he gives us are so dense and long they can be brutal. T …Read more