There is a reason he is notorious for teaching one of the hardest classes in the entire major. The other reviews are accurate in their own assessment of him. He is a "true scholar" and so to well in this class you do have to fully immerse yourself in this course. Very heavy on the readings and quizzes. Definitely not a class to d*ck around in.

Norris inspired me to pursue political theory as my concentration in my major. All of the other reviews that rate him poorly are from low-IQ frat bros who couldn't handle the heat or from students who can't read. I am going to take multiple more courses with Norris because he is just that good. A true scholar. I was fortunate to learn from him.

I understand the low rating- he assigns a lot of reading. But he's a great guy, very kind, and is willing to go outside of his office hours to accommodate you. His lectures are interesting, informative, and very helpful with writing the papers. As a poli sci major, I look forward to taking more of his classes in the future.

This was my absolute favorite class in 4 years at UCSB. The class invited in a bunch of foreign policy experts that Professor Narang worked with in the Pentagon and Washington DC to talk about nuclear weapons. Also, Narang is amazing. He's really nice and caring. I would take the course again in a heartbeat.

I didn't think it would be as bad as Rate My Prof said. It was. He assigns a HUGE amt of reading for EVERY class. I am a poli sci major used to reading, but the daily pop quizzes are excessively difficult. No reason to take if you're not a poli sci major and if you are a poli sci major wait to take it with another prof. Nice guy 1 on 1 though.

Norris is very knowledgeable. You cant afford to miss more than one class due to the quizzes. I went into his class thinking it would be a breeze, so wrong. Go to your TAs office hours and make sure you know how to write your paper. If you do your readings and go to lecture you should be able to get a decent grade in his class, hes fair.

Professor Norris is exactly the type of professor I expected at a college level. His class is quite difficult but pushes you to actually think. Most students struggled with the rigor and thought that it required. His lectures are vital to understanding how to approach the readings (SUPER IMPORTANT). Don't be afraid to ask questions. Enjoyed overall

every lecture is mandatory so you have to go to because there are quizzes on the reading, so you cant slip up AT ALL. he is the worst professor I have EVER had at UCSB!! if you can avoid him, PLS DO! he never takes responsibility for a students confusion but puts the blame on the the student slacking off and not reading what is assigned

I've had many classes with prof Norris and they are definitely not easy, but many of the comments on here are very unfair. The few times I've seen him upset with a student resulted from that student asking questions that did not apply and slowed the whole class down bc he/she did not even skim or pay attention. Interesting, insightful prof, fun guy

Every lecture started with a quiz for attendance and make sure you read, but the questions were confusing even if you read. The class was graded by 2 essays, daily quizzes, and a final. I don't know anyone who got an A on the first paper, and the grades for the second paper didn't come out before the final. Hardest class I've ever taken.

Great class. The lectures are interesting, and he posts everything online to study. Completely agree about office hours. He is really nice and he gives great advice. Would definitely take another class with him.

Narang is one of the most interesting and fair professors I've had at UCSB. If you show up to lecture and do the readings, a goof grade is very attainable; just requires a lot of memorization. Great class and great professor, I would definitely take another class from him again.

Could not recommend Narang more. Inspirational, funny, and very fair. UCSB is very lucky to have him!!

Asks you to read 2 chapters (80 pages) from the book each week. It's not necessary to read both the textbook and go to class. His lectures are exactly the same as the book. I wouldn't take this class again because his tests consisted of only a few questions but the study guide had you memorize 80-100 terms (definitions + examples)

This is the worst class I have ever taken. Professor Norris is arrogant and outright offensive. He honestly believes that he is superior to the rest of the class, not to mention society. His lectures are convoluted at best. I do not know how he has remained employed at this school. He devalues the Political Science department. I do not recommend.

Narang was a great professor, made lectures super engaging and really dove into the otherwise dry textbook readings! Difficult grading on paper assignments, but super straightforward. Possible to do really well if you put the work in!

One of the worst profs I have had at UCSB. Where to begin... absolutely no flow to his lectures, just writes random things on the board (will they be on the final??? who is to say). A ton of reading, has said some pretty insensitive/offensive things in class & overall an arrogant fast paced guy who generally does NOT want his students to succeed.

While I found his lectures to be a bit boring, he is a really great guy, and cares about his students and makes sure that everyone understands the lessons. I highly recommend going to office hours, it's what helped me get a good grade in his class. The daily quizzes are a bit annoying but definitely bearable, and sparknotes will definitely help.

If you've ever wondered why arrogant academic self-referential pretentiousness has a bad name, well then, just take a class from Andrew Norris and the scales will be lifted. The guy can't even be bothered to be polite to students.

Overall, Neil was a really awesome professor who seemed genuinely passionate about the course's material. He also seemed a little inaccessible outside of class, probably bc he is pretty busy but i think he really cares about his students and made sure that we understood the important points. Pop quizzes weren't too tricky if you did the reading.

He was just politically driven and really abstract assignments. Didn't learn much

Narang is the boy! Best Political Science Professor I have taken a class with at UCSB. His class is a bit tough but it isnt impossible to do well. The quarter I took his class, it was at 8 AM which sucked but he tried his best to make the class engaging.

This is a great class. I was undeclared before taking it, but then switched to Political Science afterwards. Professor Narang will make you want to study international relations. He's really engaging and gets you excited to come to class (even at 8am). He can be a bit intimidating in lecture, but he's really approachable in office hours. Highly rec

An empiricist and an academic at heart, Narang's lectures are informative and articulate. He's a fantastic professor and a great guy: it's very clear he cares about his students and genuinely wants us all to succeed in his class and life.