The most lecture dependent class I've taken but super manageable. Weekly quizzes that aren't hard if you do readings. Two in person midterms and take-home final which was nice. If you go to lecture and read, even if you don't completely understand everything, you'll get an A in my opinion. Not too hard
This class is very rewarding but very tough. I came into this class my first quarter as a first year pre poli sci student, and I don't know if that was the best choice. You will have to read a lot, but the professor's lectures do help break everything down. Make sure you have effective college - level essay writing skills before you do this class.
Go to lecture!! The biweekly readings are a lot to digest (by nature of the class) but works to explain nuances thoroughly. Weekly quizzes on said readings, two midterms, and a take home final essay. Straightforward grading and often opens the floor to discussions in class. Silly fella that I learned a lot from in a course that can be daunting.
Professor Hobbs-Morgan is truly one of the best teachers and lecturers I have had. I am only a first-year student, and I can tell you he is one of the most caring professors at UCSB. He is truly passionate about what he teaches and your success. Don't get me wrong; this class is quite difficult and tedious, but Hobbs-Morgan makes it so worth it.
A difficult but rewarding class! His lectures are so good and really helps you better understand the tough weekly readings! He really cares about the subject and students. There are weekly short quizzes, two exams, and one take-home final essay.
attend lecture and you will do well
10/10 in every way 😏
I love the way he prances around the stage during lecture! He was super engaging and made the material easily digestible. You have to put in the work to get an A, but if you engage with the material it is so worth it. He is super passionate about political theory- it rubs off for sure!
I ADORE Prof M-H. Sure isn't an "easy A" class, but that's never fun & he REALLY cares about his students, and goes out of his way to help. You will pass the class if you put in effort. Super likable, engaging, caring. Lectures are soooo good. It's a fun challenge. Fair grader. If I could take his other courses for credit I would.
He's an amazing professor, however the grading is way too harsh for the class. He said himself average grade is a C+ for an introductory lower division pre-requisite.... Part of the grading is weekly quizzes about the readings but they catch you off guard since they're not what was mainly talked about in lecture, some being random/weird questions.
Genuinely a brilliant lecturer, I've never engaged with a class more. Expectations for papers/exams are really clear. Grading is harsh but fair, and you'll get rlly helpful feedback if you ask for it. Never thought I'd care about political philosophy, like ever, but here we are. 11/10 would def recommend taking as many classes with HM as you can.
Nice and caring person and a good lecturer but the class is graded too harshly for what it is. A lot of time has to be spent reading and the final (take-home essay) is an unnecessary amount of work.
Hobbs-Morgan is one of the best lecturers in the PoliSci department right now. Their lectures are so well crafted and organized that it seems as if they're reading out of a book during the lecture. Because of this, lecture slides are sparse in information so make sure you really listen in order to get the most out of lectures.
His lectures are interesting enough and he seems to really care about his students. We had in-person midterm/final consisting of short answers questions and an essay. One longer 5-7page essay and another 2-page write-up. Easy and straightforward grading guidelines. No section was so nice.
I can not give Professor Hobbs-Morgan enough credit. Although his classes are very difficult, his passion for teaching and his care for his students is apparent. If you are a Political Science major please take one of his classes because you will not regret it.
I can not recommend Chase enough. He is the most engaging lecturer I have ever had at UCSB and teaches with such enthusiasm and kindness. I genuinely started tearing up when I finished his class because I love him so much. He cares SO much about his students and about the subject. Its definitely not an easy class but so incredibly worth it.
What I found really off-putting about this class was that he taught as if it was a small class despite it having 100+ people. His slides are pretty much useless and he spends much of the class just engaging one on one with students instead of lecturing. Was never able to take substantial notes and had to teach myself the material.
Lectures were super dry and information-heavy. Doesn't explain concepts very well during lecture. Not very accessible over email. Will regrade papers if you think you deserve a better grade but has a terrible late policy. Not only of the hardest Pols classes but on top of that, he's a ridiculously hard grader. You either love his class or hate it.
Hobbs-Morgan is an amazing lecturer, very engaging and knowledgeable. Be prepared to read a lot of dense texts. The bulk of the grade was 2 essays and highly depends on who your TA is. Just make sure you actually read and understand the texts, all of which are provided on GS.
Hobbs-Morgan wants his students to succeed. Lectures are reading based so comprehension is best achieved if reading is done beforehand; however, each lecture goes through great detail about the readings and its relevance so you are left with a full understanding. Super attentive to student opinion and attends to students' needs and requests.
He is a beast lecturer
This professor is one of the best I've had during my experience at UCSB. His lectures are very organized and explained well. I learned so much in this class and it was interesting material. However, it is a lot of reading so beware and it is on the harder side. I took this as a requirement and would take it again, because of the professor.
im a poli sci major and this is definitely one of the tougher lower div classes. He does give interesting lectures, but there's so much reading and he takes attendance in lecture. if you want to take this as a GE, you have been warned.
hobbs morgan is easily the best professor i've ever had. i took their pol s 1 class in-person and i totally loved it. it wasn't an easy A and there was a lot of material to read, but the in-class discussions really dig deep and clarify any difficult concepts. do the readings, go to class and section, and it'll be great. don't take for a GE probs