I love Brent Strathman. His class was so hard but it was hard for good reason. All of his readings and assignments have meaning. He is an amazing lecturer and is extremely engaging. His tests are hard but if you do the readings you'll be okay. As long as you do all the readings in this class you'll get at least a B. Take a class with Strathman!!!!

Great lecturer! He is very fast-paced and does assign a lot of reading but if you put effort you'll be fine.

Professor Strathman is FANTASTIC! His lectures are super engaging and you'll leave his class having learned a lot. BUT, make sure you're ready to put in some effort, show up to class, and do the readings to get a good grade.

Strathman offers dynamic lectures that make it easy to pay attention. Yes, it is a difficult, intense class. If you do all the readings and take good lecture notes, you will be fine. Grading is tough, but he is very clear on what he wants from his students.

I took 121,126, and 127 last year and got a B+, A-, and A. You gotta go to most lectures if u want to do well. They are fast paced and interesting. He assigns a lot of readings, but read the conclusion and pay attention in section. I never read an entire reading and survived just fine. Memorize the main points of each author for in person exams.

Probably the hardest class I have ever taken at UCSB, but I'm glad I took it. The class/professor were super fascinating. You will 100% become an expert in foreign policy after this class. Honestly, if you're up for the challenge, take your time on the readings, attend lecture and office hours, I don't see how you could get less than a B overall.

Challenging, but memorable. If you decide to put in the work and memorize the concepts and authors from the readings, your grade will reflect that. He's got loads of charisma and his lectures are awesome, but fast-paced. Also definitely hit TA and prof. office hours for essay tips, it will help a lot.

EXTREMELY unrealistic grading expectations. For exams, rather than test on core concepts, hyper focuses on the most minuscule details briefly mentioned in class, either terms or exact quotes, and asks that you cite sources practically verbatim in in-person written exams. Average grades on exams are failing. Setting students up for failure!!!

Very funny guy, good lecturer but get ready to read, he is also a tough grader but his class was so interesting. If you want an easy A don't take the class. Overall I think he was a good teacher, good sense of humor and willing to help but doesn't really reply to emails.

Strathman isn’t as bad as everyone says. I took 126 in person and got an A- without drowning in work. As long as you get the main point from each reading you’re good. You have to do three strategy briefs which are short but challenging. No midterm, take home final (but it was two ten page essays) but straight forward prompts.

Strathman gets flack bcuz people aren’t ready to dig in and rly learn the material. His lectures are really engaging and focuses hard on authors bcuz it forces you to learn the theories, you won’t get away with surface level effort. 142 is the best class I’ve taken so far, it was a difficult but worked hard and earned my grade & you can too

The hardest that I have ever worked to get a c in a class. The tests he gives question you about things that he barely went over in lecture and that werent really even mentioned in the readings. He is also extremely arrogant and views his students as inferior, constantly insulting their intelligence. Avoid the wrath of strath!!

The professor gives you no guidance in terms of preparing you for the final as well as the midterm, the questions are incredibly vague and they focus one topics that are barely covered in lecture or reading. Only one or two students got an A on the midterm and final, the class average for both was around a 58, one of the worst teachers at ucsb!!

One of the worst polisci professors that I have ever taken, avoid this guy at all costs. On his tests he expects very specific writers to be introduced, and even if you get the concept on the test correct and introduce a reading that relates to that concept you will still loose point because you didn't introduce the reading he arbitrarily chose.

He really is an amazing professor. I actually learned so much from his class. The work is hard but doable, go see him or your TA's they help so much! It also helps to work with a group on the readings so that you are able to get the most through notes.

Best IR prof at UCSB. Took 121 126 & 127 in person. His lectures are dense but v thorough and give you a comprehensive undergrad level understanding of IR. For exams+papers, be prepared to cite authors & reference key concepts that he mentions in lecture without notes. Grades based on critical thinking+applying concepts, not just effort. Great guy

Despite the number of readings assigned by Professor Strathman, hes an awesome professor. I have taken 4 classes with him, and he never fails to make me feel passionate about my field of study. He is TOUGH but in a good challenging way. If you do poorly on an exam hes usually willing to help you out if you have improved over the quarter. Great guy!

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.

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.

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

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.