makes learning enjoyable!

I learned more in a quarter of his IR class than a year in an advanced one

Very pasionate. Great lecture abilities!

young and makes it fun

Didn't like him at first but ended up loving him and the class.

His passion for teaching inspires you to learn. Very oppinionated, but very good.

really tries hard to make sure you understand the lectures and readings...good professor!

Great lecturer. Very interesting. Always excited to go to class to learn. Dynamic Hand gesturing makes him more interesting to listen to and look at.

Entertaining

Take the honors section if you can, it's totally awesome

very enthusiastic about teaching, and an awesome class!

i was so sad when i realized that he is 40 and **** cause i had a big crush on him. He knows EVERYTHING--he can answer any question. he's awesome.

Amazing and amusing. I would take his class even if I knew I was going to fail.

Huge sensationalist. Readings for the class were interesting but biased. I think the souce of his enthusiasm is his blatant activism and provocative nature.

this guy is very very smart, he can answer anything thrown at him, even by the tas! Take his class if you want to learn quality info.

Belkin is a great professor. He outlines is lectures very well although he does not use powerpoint. Essays are assigned every week on difficult topics but the length is only one page. Very interesting topics enjoyed the class very much.

Besides his continuous liberal comments, Belkin is an articulate prof who makes one think outside one's comfort zone. Amazingly interesting!

Best professor I've ever had!!

Probably the best professor I've had so far. He is very well-spoken and truly, very inspiring. I actually enjoyed going to lecture.

INTIMIDATING in a good way. The hand jestures he makes during lectures contributes to his personality. He has a simple and conservative wordrobe that just enhances his respectable yet approachable demeanor.

Very good lecturer. This class got me really interested in International Relations. Essay topics were pretty interesting and final exam was easy and fair.

Whether or not you like this guy, your grade doesn't depend on him or what he says; it is all about the T.A. Get a T.A. that is easy going and the class will be enjoyable. You learn very little about I.R. for an I.R. class with Belkin.

most amazing class i've taken at UCSB! Belkin is a genious yet made himself approachable to the students and encouraged the class to "push back" during lecture. He's very passionate about the topic and puts all of his heart and soul into this class - take it!!

belkin rocks my world, in a very waltzian way. he makes the topics very interesting, and he's mad spicy.

Belkin is absolutely awesome. I enjoyed going to lecture and was never bored. There was only one test and it was not too hard. I would recommend this class to everyone. He is the best teacher I have had so far.

Belkin is by far the best professor that I've ever had! He is smart, funny and loves to push buttons. The one class that I showed up to everyday. He does have a bias but he gets it out there and asks students to challenge his views. His only pet peeve is people talking during his lectures. This class will open your eyes, take it!!

Even though he's gay and I'm a girl, he rocks my world!

GREAT! funny, captivating, I looked forward to class... Learned a lot..great reading assignments. Would reccommend it even to non pol sci majors.

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I took poli sci 7 intl. relations and 129 gays in military. i would take the anatomy of a rock if this man taught it!! amazing professor

Grades easier than his TAs, so go in and have your papers looked at by him personally. He's an all around good guy who actually gives a**** about students and their lives.

One of the more inspiring professors at UCSB.

He's Super Gay and Super Cool

he is not only gay but jewish. he's a all-around good teacher.

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oh my god, belkin is the best professor EVER.

belkin is awesome. interesting, smart and liberal to the core. i would take him again. francois as a TA sucks though.

preaches more than he teaches. if your looking to find support for your liberal beliefs, he's your man. if your serious about getting a well-rounded course on IR, avoid his class. on second thought, you may want to switch schools.

AMAZING! My fav prof, he challenges students but teaches in such an interactive and objective way that I couldn't help but love his classes :)

Belkin is the most thought-provoking and inspiring professors I've ever had at UCSB. It's not wonder he is so widely recognized for his work. His "big points" make the lectures easy to follow, and his grading is fair. He does a good job at making sure that he has differing opinions discussed during lecture. I highly recommend Belkin's courses.

Belkin and International Relations is the best combination I could have asked for! I absolutely loved the class, even though it definitely did take some reading and studying, it was well worth it. By far my favorite class thus far, and he's an awesome professor!

Belkin is an inspiring professor. Yeah, yeah, he's liberal. Tell me something I don't know about every professor on campus. I learned a lot from his class and he made an extra effort to make sure everyone understood what he was lecturing on. TONS of reading, but I only did half of it and got by just fine. I HIGHLY recommend him!

International relations isnt just about con vs. liberal and that is the way he makes it out to be. Everyone here says how fantastic he was, he really isnt that great. He is funny and thought provoking, but he is nothing out of the ordinary. LD class should give you a much more broad view of concepts, not a liberal one sided view. Wait for UD 4 that

His lectures rock. He really made me think.

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Loved Belkin. Made class very interesting through his skill as a lecturer and the material presented. Grading was fair and reasonable. Has a bias admittedly but not in a way that silences other voices or is especially intimidating. I second the anatomy of a rock comment, I would take anything from this man, he is that interesting!

I LOVE Belkin. He is one of the major reasons why I am majoring in Poli Sci. Take his class! It's not an easy-A class or anything, but you will learn so much. All teachers should be as passionate about their subject as Belkin. Totally recommend.

This was a amazing class. I had his PS 7 and wasnt too thrilled, but this class is much better. This is an area where he has done extensive reseach and has firm grasp of concepts. If you can take this class, it is a must. Reading isnt too bad, and actually relatively short compared to most poli sci classes. he gave a few quizes that were easy

One of the best poli sci courses I've taken. He was extremely interested and knowledgeable on the topic. Some reading was dense, but he explained it really well and always answered questions. Taught with a passion which made him relay the material well. Gives the mid term and final questions a week before so there is plenty of time to prepare.

I consider this man an unusually gifted lecturer, very articulate, he does a great job of making ideas accessible to us. His use of powerpoint is effective. Has a strong leftward bias that he makes no attempt to conceal, and I consider that a bad thing. I love how his course makes you write a large number of short essays, instead of one huge paper.

he actually made a large lecture really interesting. i enjoyed going to class and learned a lot

He is one of the best professors i've ever had in my 3 years at UCSB. His lectures are extremely thought provoking and I learned soo much from his class. I love that he doesn't try to be funny but his random comments make lecture so much more entertaining.

he makes the topics interesting and explains them clearly. It was my favorite class this quarter

Great class. You definitely have to work for your grade, but he makes the class extremely engaging and interesting. He has a definite bias and isn't afraid to express his opinion, but he definitely encourages you to push back.

Fascinating material presented clearly and appropriately. Extremely left leaning class which irritated me at times, but everything he presented with his bias had reasonable evidence supporting the claim. He allows for people to disagree without slander. Recommended professor.

He's very engaging, makes the material interesting, and presents good outside material to the class rather than simply reading from a textbook. Very funny and friendly, very accommodating in assignments, favorite professor of mine.

Very good professor, but a little too liberal at times. Class is set up very fair with one essay a week and a comprehensive final exam, but the class is difficult to get an A in. He wants the students to do well and always opens the class up to discussions. Class is interesting but he can be a little intimidating if seen during his office hours.

Very knowledgable and articulate. Although he does hold a bias, he recognizes it and welcomes challenges to everything he presents. Interesting movies in class, regular weekly reading and papers, but the material isn't difficult if you pay attention during lecture. Belkin is great.

Belkin is wonderful! Loved his class, I highly recommend taking PS7!! the work is manageable, just a one page paper every week (this comes to like 7 total), no big paper, no midterm, and a final... pretty good!

Interesting material, but I wasn't a fan of his policies. Section grade is collective and worth 25%, so if some people dont show up or participate the whole section's grade goes down.

Super interesting, gives his opinion and asks you to argue it. Open minded and passionate.

Amazing professor! Makes the class worth attending I agree with other people on here that if Belkin taught the anatomy of rock I'd sign up too! He gives his opinion but asks you to challenge it, great class and professor overall! highly recommend this class!

Belkin is awesome.Yes, he is liberal, but quite a few of the readings were from the opposite point of view.Not only that, but he encourages and welcomes students to "push back" if they disagree. His lectures are easy to follow and take notes on, no midterm, and a fair final. I highly recommend him.

amazing teacher

Best Professor at UCSB. His lectures and reading material are very interesting. He demonstrates both sides of arguments and welcomes student's input. Definitely take his class if you can!

Belkin is awesome. His lectures are engaging and interesting, I dont understand how people don't attend. Just be careful not to be chatting with friends or texting because he has no problem calling you out during lecture..which is humorous for the rest of us.

is a very good teacher, lecture is KEY in passing the class. lectures can be dry at times, but is very good at getting information and concepts across with clarity.

Really interesting class, but DIFFICULT. Papers due every Monday, but no midterm. He gives you the essay question for the final in advance. Go to lecture because he explains everything very well and is very organized. Plus, Belkin is amazing!

This class was one of my first classes at UCSB and it will most likely stand as one of my favorites. Professor Belkin really knows what he's talking about and enjoys the subject. Lectures are necessary b/c of how much he talks about & lots of reading & a 500 word paper a week but it wasn't too bad. Gets involved with class & answers any question.

The class itself is extremely interesting. Professor Belkin is really passionate about the issue and going to the lectures really helps you conceptualize the concepts. You must do the readings because there are online quizzes on them everyday. They are useful though and help you prepare for the midterm/final. There was no paper and no sections so t

Don't let him intimidate you

Professor Belkin makes lectures entertaining through his enthusiasm for the subject matter. He pursues controversial subjects to challenge people to think for themselves.

Great Professor I ever had back in UCSB political science. Very insightful and he gives very substantive and clear lectures. His assignment is very challenging but it definitely enhances your critical thinking. Great to have him!

Aaron Belkin is by far the best professor I have had at SFSU. This is a class to take strictly if you are a student who cares about their education. This course has made me realize a lot of things and inspired me in ways I never imagined. I hope Professor Belkin teaches different courses next year because I would love to take more courses with him