Will spend a whole lecture defining/ talking about how to use a concept to fix a problem, only to say in the last minute that this strategy is stupid and doesnt work. Then give you a final asking the right way to fix the problem when the only way you have learned about how to approach it is wrong. Never replied to my emails a/b mental health :))

Kind of wants you to read his mind. Lectures are interesting but only a quarter of the actual work is required to do well. He grades based on whether he thinks you have improved, and tests are insanely difficult.

If you like IR and are actually willing to put in the work, then Strathman's classes are the best PS classes you could take at UCSB. His tests are very difficult and heavily focused on lectures, so make sure to know them like the back of your hand. Would definitely recommend going to office hours as well, he's a really cool guy

I recommend avoiding taking his class if possible. There is a lot of reading and midterm and final are based on the reading with no study guide on what exactly from the reading should be focused on. Also there is a strict answer key to the short answer and essay questions and you are timed while doing it.

TONS of reading that are not covered by lecture or section, so you're on your own. sections consist of "games" to teach you concepts like prisoners dilemma/IR concepts, so u don't rly go over readings/material at all. grade is made up of 3 strategy brief papers, participation in section, and a final exam. lot of work for not much reward

This professor grades super super harshly. Take this class if you are willing to actively do every reading and watch every lecture.

Strathman gives 100+ pgs to read, but only 30 min worth of lecture, (both per/wk), that don't fully address readings. We were graded harshly, expected to cite most scholars/authors on tests (not open note), and quizzes ( 6 per/wk) had trick/vague questions. Class structure doesn't represent work put in nor one's mastering of material.

Strathman assigns wayyy too many readings and quizzes. Expect to sit through 100-200 pages and 6-8 quizzes per week. The readings are dense, dry, and difficult to get trudge through and remember. He then expects you to perfectly cite them on essay questions in exams. He also grades quizzes unfairly and grades op-ed assignments too harshly.

He needs to stop having so many quizzes it is so annoying theres like 10 quizzes every single week based on every single reading and lecture. It is really hard to get a good grade in this class because he grades really harshly on essays, and the only way to boost up your grade is quizzes.. which are also impossible.

I've had classes with most professors in the poli sci department and Strathman is by far the worst. He uploaded VERY short lectures that weren't much help so I basically had to teach myself the course material. We also had to complete many quizzes every week which kinda sucked. He's also a very tough grader who didn't give any helpful feedback.

They are other POLS professors at UCSB, and I would not recommend taking classes taught by professor Strathman.

HOLY COW! He assigns the most reading than any prof ever at UCSB! There was around 300 pages a week of dense academic journals. I guess if you want to spend countless hours every week reading this would be the class for you. Very cool guy and interesting lectures but if you don't read you won't pass.

Strathman is very passionate in IR, and it shows. His lectures are very interesting. But he falls short in the grading department. For the midterm and final he expected you to know all the readings and be able to readily cite them in order to get credit, but he did not make that known to us before the midterm.

Prof Strathman is very knowledgeable on Foreign Policy but makes his classes impossible to pass. You'll have about 100-200 pages of dense reading per week, lectures that are hard to follow, and no study guide for any of the tests. He looks for specific answers to his tests that he doesn't explicitly voice, and the TA's never know what's going on

Theres a midterm, paper, and final test. I went to every single lecture, took notes, and read and still managed to fail the midterm, the class average was a 67% (says more about him than me). Test preparation is extremely unclear, what he said to study was not on the test (no study guide either), TA's didn't know what was on the test either.

A great lecturer, but each lecture is stuffed with info. Randomly checks attendance. He is approachable and encourages questions. His tests are notoriously difficult, but if you do the readings and study extensively beforehand you should be fine. Sometimes curves grades based on your ability to improve throughout the course. Take him if you love IR

Very passionate professor and has amazing engaging lectures. He assigns more readings than any professor I've had before which he really cares about for the tests. He incorporates all the readings into the tests and really cares if you know the authors name, article name, subject. His tests are hard and if you do not study a lot you will not pass.

Strathman is a really nice guy both friendly and approachable. But the amount of reading given is ridiculous. I took two of his classes in one semester and I almost died lol. You MUST read to pass. You have to memorize the authors and article titles for exams except for PS 126 no test only strategy briefs which are short but very difficult.

Strathman is an incredible professor! His course was structured so that there were just readings until week 8 then a simulation and essay for the final. Always do the reading - exams are author focused. Pay attention in lecture. At first his structure seems confusing but once you get it down it flows really well! Always avaliable to help!

Strathman is my guy! One of the best Political Science professors I have taken at UCSB. He is passionate about the material and is very knowledgeable. He does assign a crazy amount of reading though. Make sure to stay on top of it and to study well in advance for the midterm and final. Not an easy course by any means but you will learn a lot!

Professor Strathman is a really great lecturer, but he talks REALLY fast y'all. He assigns a ton of reading, so be prepared. Although, he does cover some of the main points in lecture. Attendance is VERY important. Grading really depends on your TA, as usual, so be prepared. Participation, Midterm, Final, and 2 Op Eds make up the grade.

Professor Strathman is one of those teachers that makes you want to do well in his class. His lectures are engaging and he is extremely passionate about IR. His grading is fair and if you do the readings and attend lecture this class is very passable. Though it is not an easy A, I found his lecture actually insightful and useful towards my major.

He's such a nice guy. He's really passionate about the subject and always willing to talk to students. The biggest complaint is the amount of reading he assigns which is required to pass his test (especially the 2nd half). Its inhumane for someone taking only 1 class let alone 3 or 4. But at the end, you will feel like a foreign policy expert.

Strathman is by far the best professor I have ever had at UCSB. Take any and every class with him that you can. The political science department is lucky to have him!