International Politics

Mark was a great professor, but the readings are dense and your knowledge of the readings are crucial to your success in the class. He also loves to go over the designated class time, so don't schedule his class with another one right after it. It's very difficult to get better than an A- on any of his papers, but he is overall pretty fair with the grading. As a course requirement for my major, there could have definitely been worse classes than this to take. Fun class and good experience overall.

Mark was a great professor, but the readings are dense and your knowledge of the readings are crucial to your success in the class. He also loves to go over the designated class time, so don't schedule his class with another one right after it. It's very difficult to get better than an A- on any of his papers, but he is overall prett …Read more

Ridiculous amount of reading but its certainly readable. Three response papers required that are "ungraded" (you get a grade in reality). Got a "check plus" on all the response papers. Take home final and midterm that you have a week to write. One person got an A on the midterm (he tells you). Got an A- in the class and was super pressed because I dont think anyone got an A.

Kemi is amazing!! He is very passionate about his work which shows in his lectures; but also in the amount of readings assigned. There were 50+ pages assigned in the very first class and this trend was consistent throughout the semester. I never read all of the readings and I felt that if you just pay attention during the lecture Kemi does a pretty good job at summarizing them, but you are encouraged to skim them. The class is self-assessed and Kemi is very understanding when it comes to late assignments and anything really. I would definitely recommend taking International Politics with him!!

Kemi is amazing!! He is very passionate about his work which shows in his lectures; but also in the amount of readings assigned. There were 50+ pages assigned in the very first class and this trend was consistent throughout the semester. I never read all of the readings and I felt that if you just pay attention during the lecture Kem …Read more

Kemi is hilarious, brilliant, and an amazing lecturer. The readings assigned are a lot, and if you do them all, you can end up spending a lot of time on homework outside of class, but I found 97% of the readings to be extremely helpful in contextualizing not only what was taught in the class, but real-world events as well. I definitely learned a lot from this class, a large portion of which was thanks to the readings, but there were other people in my section who barely ever did the readings and also were able to do well, based on the lectures alone. Would definitely recommend this course.

Kemi is hilarious, brilliant, and an amazing lecturer. The readings assigned are a lot, and if you do them all, you can end up spending a lot of time on homework outside of class, but I found 97% of the readings to be extremely helpful in contextualizing not only what was taught in the class, but real-world events as well. I definite …Read more

Professor Williams was incredibly passionate about the material in the class and was an excellent lecturer. He’s fairly accommodating to all his students and tries his best to ensure to material is interesting. There was a large amount of reading every week and almost all of your grade depended on how well you did on the various papers he had you write. Overall his Int'l Politics class was extremely rewarding if one is willing to do most of the readings.

Professor Williams was incredibly passionate about the material in the class and was an excellent lecturer. He’s fairly accommodating to all his students and tries his best to ensure to material is interesting. There was a large amount of reading every week and almost all of your grade depended on how well you did on the various pape …Read more

Professor Yuen teaches this class well and with interest, though is occasionally limited by the material. Lectures don't cover that much material, but everything they do cover is necessary. Also, the readings are pretty essential to understanding the course and you'll be asked to pull them for essays and discussions. Sometimes the readings are pretty dense, but the important parts will be summarized. Practically, you have 2 essays (10 pages total) and 2 in-class exams, none of which were graded too harshly or particularly charitably. Good foundational class for majors, not hard for non-majors and Yuen is a good Prof to take it with.

Professor Yuen teaches this class well and with interest, though is occasionally limited by the material. Lectures don't cover that much material, but everything they do cover is necessary. Also, the readings are pretty essential to understanding the course and you'll be asked to pull them for essays and discussions. Sometimes the re …Read more

Easy and fun class, lots of readings but you can skim through them, professor is very passionate about what he teaches and make class material interesting. Highly recommend taking a class with him in order to learn more about diversity in international affairs

Kemi is a really good lecturer and overall professor. His lectures explain the material very well and often summarize the readings, which encourages students to attend classes and simply skim the readings. All assignments are self-assessed which makes the class a lot less stressful.

Prof Yuen is excited about the course material and eager to help with any questions. Her exams are a bit tricky but if you do the readings there are no problems. She is a wonderful professor and makes some of the terminology of the course much more engaging.

This class was very interesting, and it is clear the Professor Williams is extremely knowledgable and passionate about the subject matter. There is a large amount of reading every week, and the grading is based mostly on papers. Overall, the content is engaging.

I really enjoyed this class as Amy Yuen is very accommodating and understanding. The class is reading heavy but the exams weren't too difficult as it was writing based and not hard to understand. The essays weren't difficult as she explained clearly what she wanted to see and if you did that you'll do fine.

Amy Yuen is an incredible professor - smart, dedicated, fair, engaging, and happy to re-explain if necessary. She also takes no BS, which I love in a professor. The content was very concept-oriented, and while I love a good case study the WWI/WWII case study examples did feel a little rote. But I took this as a first-semester student and got an A.

Professor Fuentes-George is by far one of the best lecturers I have had at Midd. He is passionate about the material and makes class fun. Understanding the readings is critical to your success in the class since the essays rely heavily on them. while some of them are quite dense he is very open to questions and welcomes clarifying questions.

Professor Yuen was clearly very knowledgeable about international politics and enthusiastic about the subject, which in my opinion greatly added to the course. While this class does have heavy reading as political science classes tend to, you do not always have to do them, though obviously they do expand on the materials covered in lecture. Personally, I came into this class really only interested in learning the broad strokes on international politics, which I found tended to be covered very well in lecture and discussion. As a result, I got away with not doing the readings except for the ones required for the two essays we wrote. Professor Yuen's exams are short and fairly easy, only covering broad and important theories. She is a fair grader and I thought she gave good feedback on ways to improve in the future. She is very accessible both by email and in-person. She has designated office hours, but emphasizes that students are welcome to pop in whenever she is in her office, which she often is.

Professor Yuen was clearly very knowledgeable about international politics and enthusiastic about the subject, which in my opinion greatly added to the course. While this class does have heavy reading as political science classes tend to, you do not always have to do them, though obviously they do expand on the materials covered in l …Read more

Professor Williams is a very well-spoken and passionate professor. He clearly knows what he is talking about, and I always enjoyed his lectures. However, the required readings were almost never discussed in his lectures and only applied to the readings and discussion section. I would much rather have had the professor tie the readings in during lectures a little more since, during essays, he preferred we never even discuss information from the lectures and strictly from the reading. He grades essays harshly, but I still loved the content of the class.

Professor Williams is a very well-spoken and passionate professor. He clearly knows what he is talking about, and I always enjoyed his lectures. However, the required readings were almost never discussed in his lectures and only applied to the readings and discussion section. I would much rather have had the professor tie the reading …Read more

International Politics with Professor Yuen was definitely... something. As a PoliSci major, this is a required course but it's also a course that piqued my interest. While I will say I learned a lot in this class, it was very challenging (not hard, challenging). the readings are DENSE and LONG (in my opinion sometimes unnecessarily long), but nonetheless pretty interesting. Prof. Yuen is insanely knowledgeable (she's like a IR human encyclopedia) she is very passionate about what she teaches, and from my experience is very accommodating and understanding of students' circumstances. You can get away with not doing *some* of the lecture readings, but she cold calls in discussion sections, so make sure you come prepared. we have 2 essays and 2 exams (a midterm and a final) which I think were hard but very fairly graded. Overall, while the amount and complexity of the class readings were sometimes a bit too much, it is definitely a class that pushed me to think. 7.8/10 lol I WOULD 10000% take one of Prof Yuen's upper-level Poli Sci classes. While it is a challenge, I would highly recommend taking one of her classes!

International Politics with Professor Yuen was definitely... something. As a PoliSci major, this is a required course but it's also a course that piqued my interest. While I will say I learned a lot in this class, it was very challenging (not hard, challenging). the readings are DENSE and LONG (in my opinion sometimes unnecessarily l …Read more

William is a tough grader. For a class of 30 students, he gave out only 3 As in a midterm. The average amount of weekly readings is also way above the department average and this is coming from a political science major in his senior year. Course wise, like every intro class, it is definition heavy which requires a lot of work. Only take for major/minor requirement

I enjoyed Yuens lecture style, and found the material interesting. There are a decent amount of readings but they aren't too difficult to get through and you could get through discussion without doing them all throughly. This class isn't too difficult as an intro class and I would take it again. She grades mostly fairly a little on the tougher side but the exams aren't too difficult especially if you take good notes in lecture.

I enjoyed Yuens lecture style, and found the material interesting. There are a decent amount of readings but they aren't too difficult to get through and you could get through discussion without doing them all throughly. This class isn't too difficult as an intro class and I would take it again. She grades mostly fairly a little on t …Read more

Gary Winslett rocks, he very much holds an international perspective and mindset. I enjoyed this class with him, and you can tell he is very interested in the content of the course, which I think is a little rarer in intro courses like this one. I thought the essay exams were a little tough, but he gave us questions before to prepare so that took some of the edge off. There definitely is a lot of reading, and you should actually read it well to do well in this course.

Gary Winslett rocks, he very much holds an international perspective and mindset. I enjoyed this class with him, and you can tell he is very interested in the content of the course, which I think is a little rarer in intro courses like this one. I thought the essay exams were a little tough, but he gave us questions before to prepare …Read more

this course was definitely difficult, and mark Williams is a tough grader, very old school professor who expects lots of reading - but it set me up with skills I use in all other PSCI classes, and it was definitely worth it IF you want to do the PSCI major - otherwise not worth it just for the elective - very very very very much so a difficult class for the 100 level, my 300 level PSCI classes have been easier

this course was definitely difficult, and mark Williams is a tough grader, very old school professor who expects lots of reading - but it set me up with skills I use in all other PSCI classes, and it was definitely worth it IF you want to do the PSCI major - otherwise not worth it just for the elective - very very very very much so a …Read more

Prof Kemi is super chill. Like many poli sci courses, there are a lot of readings - but it's definitely possible to just skim them. Prof Kemi also allows us to self-grade, but will give comments on our essays/midterms. Overall, the workload is pretty average, and the class is insightful if you're interested in international politics.

Professor Kemi was such a chill and funny teacher. I thought I would struggle in this class, but he helped me through it. His office hours are super helpful, so I would definitely recommend him. I would recommend taking this class, very enjoyable.

I thought Mr. Williams was going to be a brutal professor, but after the first day I quickly learned he is actually quite nice. He is very passionate in his lectures and I find them engaging. There are a lot of readings, but I have found you can do as much or as little as you want, as long as you do enough to be able to understand the basic topics. All papers are based on the reading, so do enough so that you can cite those. If you have any interest in International issues, you will find this course very interesting. The course work isn't bad, just a couple short reading reviews and then a midterm and final-paper. I ended up deciding to take another course with Mr. Williams the next semester. His next class Future Great power Relations was also very good.

I thought Mr. Williams was going to be a brutal professor, but after the first day I quickly learned he is actually quite nice. He is very passionate in his lectures and I find them engaging. There are a lot of readings, but I have found you can do as much or as little as you want, as long as you do enough to be able to understand th …Read more

Very enjoyable. Yuen is obviously a professional teacher and knows her stuff. She is approachable. Her exams are very easy and there are only two of them. There is a bit of reading but very manageable and if you like politics they are also enjoyable.

Professor Williams really knows the material. His lectures are interesting if you are interested in the topics discussed. There are a lot of readings but you will definitely learn a lot in this class.

I love Kemi! Great professor and an even greater person. Readings are dense and difficult, but skim them, go to class, understand what's being said and you'll do just fine. All of of the essays are self-graded and fairly assessed.

This is a tough course, but one of the best I've taken at Middlebury. Set me up with theoretical knowledge and a broad overview of the problems in the world that help throughout the Poli Sci major, and taught me to think and write in a way that was helpful in classes outside the major too. Would come in prepared to work, but more than worth what you get out of it. Williams is an exceptional lecturer and discussion leader, somewhat tough grader, but is willing to work with you if you show you're trying.

This is a tough course, but one of the best I've taken at Middlebury. Set me up with theoretical knowledge and a broad overview of the problems in the world that help throughout the Poli Sci major, and taught me to think and write in a way that was helpful in classes outside the major too. Would come in prepared to work, but more tha …Read more

Prof. Yuen was very approachable and easy to talk to about the topics in the course and outside of it. She also was able to communicate the course material in a very clear way. Be ready to read a lot!

I really enjoyed the content and delivery of the course material. Yes, the reading were long however the content was often repeated in lecture. Overall the tests and essays were a fair assessment of our understanding and very helpful office hours.

He's a good prof but come exam time he wants you to be specific and reference readings which is fair. Not too much work outside of class just big assignments and readings that go toward you overall grade.

Williams can appear very strict but is actually really understanding of students' questions and confusion. He gives a lot of instructive feedback on papers and going to office hours helps a lot. There're a lot of readings but they're all very fundamental if you intend for IPE or just an IR track.

While Williams initially seems very no nonsense when you start, he is really one of the more interesting and passionate professors I've had. He will call you on it if you are bullshitting but, if you do the work, it is easy to get a lot out of this class and enjoy it

While this class is incredibly reading-heavy, much of the material is covered and clarified in the lectures. While Professor Williams initially appears strict, he is incredibly passionate and accommodating toward students. His lectures make the content interesting, and discussions are beneficial. Workload includes mandatory readings, three short (500-750 word) response papers, a midterm paper, and final paper.

While this class is incredibly reading-heavy, much of the material is covered and clarified in the lectures. While Professor Williams initially appears strict, he is incredibly passionate and accommodating toward students. His lectures make the content interesting, and discussions are beneficial. Workload includes mandatory readings, …Read more

Overall a pretty good class. I took it because I'm considering an IPE major. Williams is very good at lecturing, but lots of the reading is really theoretical and can be tough to get through. He's a fair grader, but he rarely gives extensions, which can cause problems if your workload lines up the wrong way. This class is interesting if you need the requirement, but upper-level PSCI classes will likely have less extraneous reading.

Overall a pretty good class. I took it because I'm considering an IPE major. Williams is very good at lecturing, but lots of the reading is really theoretical and can be tough to get through. He's a fair grader, but he rarely gives extensions, which can cause problems if your workload lines up the wrong way. This class is interesting …Read more

It was hard to engage with materials at first because the first two weeks were covering the Peloponnesian war but the course got increasingly more interesting as we progressed to more modern events. Assignments for the course consist of the weekly readings (which can be a lot), three smaller essays of 500, 500, and 750 words respectively, a midterm take home essay, and a final take home assignment. Overall, it’s a useful class for evaluating international systems and gaining a deeper understanding of history and the root causes of certain events.

It was hard to engage with materials at first because the first two weeks were covering the Peloponnesian war but the course got increasingly more interesting as we progressed to more modern events. Assignments for the course consist of the weekly readings (which can be a lot), three smaller essays of 500, 500, and 750 words respecti …Read more

Winslett is the best and I had fun in the class. He definitely knows what he's talking about and presents the information in an understandable way. There is a lot of reading, but you can get away with not doing them all. If I remember correctly there were only 3 big assignments for the class (Analytical Paper, Midterm, and Final. Discussion sections were chill, but you should come in knowing at least some of the content in the readings to talk about.

Winslett is the best and I had fun in the class. He definitely knows what he's talking about and presents the information in an understandable way. There is a lot of reading, but you can get away with not doing them all. If I remember correctly there were only 3 big assignments for the class (Analytical Paper, Midterm, and Final. Dis …Read more

International Politics is one of my favorite courses I have taken so far at Middlebury, due in large part to it having been taught by Professor Yuen. She can certainly be tough when it comes to grading, but it's because she expects a lot and is more than willing to help you get there. I would take another class with her in a heartbeat.

Professor Fuentes-George let us grade ourselves. This being said, he made the material so enjoyable that I found myself putting more time into this class than any other. He is a very good teacher; the only criticism I have of him is not teaching both sides of each argument.

She breaks down everything so that it is easier to understand. Her slide is also very well formatted and minimalist. But the down side is that when you want to go back and look at the slide, its hard to recall because the slides have very little words.

Kemi is amazing and everyone should take a class with him. He grades based on effort and assigns really interesting readings. I found the papers to be more exciting prompts than normal boring PSCI papers.

Gary Winslett is a G. Very fun discussion sections, he knows what he's talking about. The class assignments consisted of one big midsemester essay (3000 words) and one final essay assignment (3 short essays)

The exam was really easy as long as you studied. Most of it was based on the lecture and all you had to do was use the theory and apply it to the situation. The class is fast-paced and she doesn't give you the information from class so you have to write everything down.

There is a good amount of reading, but if you're interested in international relations or global politics, they are mostly interesting and relevant. Professor Williams is clear in the lectures, and will help to make sure you understand the material.

I enjoyed this class a lot, and love Kemi as a professor. I was worried at the beginning of the class as it was very theory heavy, which I was unprepared for. Once you get through the first bit of the course, it is amazing!

I found this course to be interesting and well taught. Exams and papers were challenging but not inappropriately so. It definitely felt like an intro course in that we spent a lot of time discussing how to do things.

The course was interesting and a good foundation for poly sci or IGS classes, but really fast paced and difficult to keep up with. Each week we learned about a different historical international conflict; but I found the course to be more like a history of wars class than about international politics.

I thoroughly enjoyed the course and found it very applicable to everyday politics. Standard intro course. Williams keeps lectures interesting and engaging. Tons of readings though and sometimes cold calls during discussion.

Lots and lots of reading; course is self graded though. Professor was pretty checked out and cancelled class all the time. I would take it with Yuen if given the opportunity; then again, it was perfectly adequate.

This class does a good job of outlining the fundamental topics you need to study international relations as an undergrad. It has plenty of reading like any other PolySci class, and other than participation, you are only graded on 3 shorter papers, a midterm paper, and a final paper. It's not that bad, but Professor Williams is a very old-school professor, so be prepared for him to not use any slides or visuals. He just talks to you in lectures, and the discussion sections often miss the opportunity to be interesting/engaging. I would recommend taking the class with a different professor if you want something more modern, but Williams certainly covers the IR foundation.

This class does a good job of outlining the fundamental topics you need to study international relations as an undergrad. It has plenty of reading like any other PolySci class, and other than participation, you are only graded on 3 shorter papers, a midterm paper, and a final paper. It's not that bad, but Professor Williams is a very …Read more

It's a very reading-heavy class, and it doesn't feel like you should do all the readings, but if you don't it bites you later on. The teacher seems to be mean, to begin with, and he has kind of a cold demeanor, but he's actually nice.