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.

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 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!

Best professor Ive had at UCSB. Classes are very challenging but he is so knowledgable and effectively educates students. After each class I leave genuinely thinking about the lecture material because its so interesting. The classes effectively incorporate history and opposing views too, making it unbiased and enjoyable to learn. Highly recommend!

super well respected, very reading heavy but you'll learn more in a 10 week Strathman class that you'll learn in a year with anyone else. do not take if you're wanting a light quarter. also everyone falls in love with him by finals week

Strathman is the old-school breed of professor, you didn't read, you didn't take notes, then here is your well-deserved F. But he isn't a stick in the mud, the material and lectures are interesting and engaging, and if you put in your dues, you'll do good. Also, he curves now, so don't get discouraged if you get a grade lower than you expected.

Literal love of my life. Lectures are so interesting & he's so passionate about the material. I am genuinely excited to go to class bc I know I'm gonna learn a lot from the lecture. Lots of reading & it sometimes gets boring or confusing, but then you go to lecture & it all makes sense. Exams aren't too bad as long as you do the readings. Love him.

Strathman is easily the best professor in the department. Do the readings and go to lecture. His classes can be difficult, even the brightest don't get As. But that's fine - enter lectures with an open mind and think for yourself. Usually a couple small essays and mid term plus final. Go to his office hours and just talk, best advice I can give.

Amazing lecturer! Speaks somewhat fast at times, but you can ask him to slow down. His lectures are never dull despite the subject. He's a very outgoing professor and extremely knowledgeable. However, there is a ton of reading involved which is the worst.

YOU ***MUST DO THE READINGS*** Tests require you tie the readings directly into the answers. Prof is helpful and tries to make the lecture as interesting as possible for everyone.

Amazing professor. Gives great lectures and is so approachable outside of class.

Strathman is my favorite professor in the department. I genuinely enjoy his lecturing style and the slides/concepts are straightforward. There is a lot of reading but knowing the gist of it is enough for exams. Not super easy, but I learned a lot and he made it fun. Excellent at presenting many diverse opinions and theories. Highly recommended