Since this was his first semester at UCF and experienced a myriad of unexpected problems with university admin, he was handicapped in much of his ability to run the class the way he wished. Regardless, he is an interesting and funny prof that know how to engage students. Taking him again next semester. Easy group project & final was 90% of grade.

Fun class, very interesting. Marien is a good professor - sometimes a little hard to understand because he has a French accent. He's really smart though. Lots of group work - discussions and a Wiki project - plus two exams (midterm and final). Interesting class - I would recommend this as your theory class for political science. Got an A.

The class is challenging, but fair. Grade is based on 2 exams, group discussions on the text, and a final Wiki team report. Professor Marien is very knowledgeable about the subject matter and does a good job at keeping the class interesting and informative. I would definitely recommend this course.

I must say that I really enjoyed taking this course. There were some difficulties regarding its organization that needed to be fixed, but it was the first time it was taught and the professor was very inviting of students' suggestions for improvement. Overall, I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in environmental politics.

Prof. Marian is great. He is understanding and real. Occasionally, there were mix ups with assignments, but he always gives the students the benefit of a doubt and allowed those problems to go in our favor rather than risk negative consequences for students. I'm taking him again next semester.

Dr. Marien is a really nice guy, and he's happy to entertain any viewpoint in the frequent class discussions. Be aware that he is quite liberal, however, and has the advantage of studying the material as part of his job. Sometimes disorganized, but always engaging. He wants students to learn to work in groups, so don't expect to fly solo.

Professor Marien is great. Class is fun, but attendance is mandatory, so long as you read the books he assigns you're in the clear. Grading is based on weekly quizzes and midterm/final debate papers.

Good professor - knowledgeable about the subject, timely on e-mail responses and maintains frequent communication and updates in the course. But beware - his online courses are absolute ball-busters. A week's worth of work includes a documentary, forum posting and responses, 100+ pages of reading and quizzes, at a minimum. Informative, but hard.

On a personal level, I liked Dr. Marien very much. He takes a strong interest in his students doing well, and he put a lot of effort into helping us with our research projects. However, the class was conducted as a discussion-based class and we often got onto nontopical tangents that really consisted of him arguing with the conservatives in class.

Not an easy online class. "Discussion" posts are 800 word minimum every week and there is a weekly quiz. The professor gives you a lot of reading every week yet never gets back to you with feedback on your group summary.

Dr Marien is exquisitely intelligent and deeply enamored of the idea that university students might have to do a little thinking in one of his classes. Despite being an online course, our critical engagement with the material was solicited often and clearly relished by the instructor.

Each week there is a quiz and discussion. Read the directions for the class and follow them! He does not have expectations that are too high, but he does expect you to do the work and be thorough. Really funny and always eager to help! Great class. Final project at the end seems tough, but sit down and do it and you will be fine.

Contemporary Political Theory was an odd class. He's very liberal and so is the textbook so, if you're conservative, get ready to be frustrated. Weekly quiz and discussions aren't difficult but require you to show up. Not sure if I would take him again or not.

Deserves much better reviews. This class was straightforward, and there was an opportunity for extra credit, which many did not complete. Dr. Marien is also extremely nice, and is willing to help if students have questions. He also offered great feedback on all the assignments. From the start of the class you will know what is expected of you.

I really enjoyed Dr. Marien's class. The textbook was interesting, and the discussions helped you think about the assigned material. The TA gave great, detailed feedback, which helped tremendously. We had a discussion and a quiz every week (during he eight wk course, probably different in fall/spring) by don't be intimidated. He really cares!

I learned a lot more in this course than I thought I would. For this class we read a total of 4 books, around 10 online articles, watched about 3 videos (all spread throughout the course-easy) and did weekly group discussions with about 7 questions and a weekly quiz with around 10 questions. No final exam but a final paper 1.5 to 2k words max.

The Professor has only one expectation, and that is showing up to class. I barely paid attention or studied and received an easy A. The class subject is all about the 2nd amendment, and he lets students go at it during debates which was awesome. Definitely not a class for thin skinned people though because during class discussions he calls ppl out.

Dr. Marien is one of the best professors at UCF. He cares about your grade and is absolutely willing to help you understand the course material. This created this new course and I really enjoyed the content he chose. The tests were designed weird but they make sure you know EVERYTHING he wants from the chapters. I'd absolutely take him again.

Very nice man who will extend deadlines and take his time to answer questions or explain things. He is a very smart man and a great teacher, just a difficult class. Very interesting material but just make sure to do the reading (he makes you buy like four books but you will use them all). I feel like I learned a lot

Approachable and flexible, he is a great professor who works with you and communicates well. Be ready to work/read though! Long (multiple) readings, 500 to 800 word assignments every week, and occasional quizzes. Interesting subject nonetheless. I would recommend him, but be prepared to put in time/effort.

Very interesting class that I'm glad I was able to take, as it's not typically offered. Light workload, with weekly quizzes and short writing assignments. I probably spent two hours per week on the class. The final was a book review based on a book you got to choose from a list, which was cool because you had options and could pick what you liked.

Professor Marien really does deserve better reviews. His class is very straightforward, you just have to come to class. He is very understanding and truly does care about his students. All you have to do is listen, but people seem to have trouble doing that. I would take him again for sure!

I enjoyed the course, it wasn't too difficult. There's a discussion and exam every week. At the end of the semester, there's a 1,500-2,000 word paper due.

Lots of discussion posts about every other week close to 500-700 words each. This would be based on close to 50-100 pages of reading. Very time consuming but doable. He is very helpful and answers all questions and enjoys having a discussion with students even if it is online.

Your grade consists of an easy weekly quiz and moderate discussion post, 10 class engagement points, and a final paper. From what I can tell by various typos, the course is recycled every semester, with the TA doing all the grading. Dr. Marien was quick with feedback and answers, however. The course has interesting material and is very fun to learn

Dr. Marien takes seriously his job and cares for his students. I absolutely loved his class. I have no words to express how much I have learned and how great of a teaching style he has. I wish he teaches another class online because I will jump right into it. He is very knowledgeable, funny, and gives great feedback in a quick manner. Amazing

The course isn't too difficult, 6 discussion posts and online quizzes, 1500 word paper & source bank. Marien & his TA were a little knit picky on the discussion posts. Quizzes had a few obscure questions. Easier grading on the final paper & source bank. Marien is very liberal & it creates bias in his evaluation of Republican presidents (Ex. Reagan)

Marien is my favorite professor at UCF. He assigns a lot of reading, but it is normal books rather than a textbook. He does his best to help his students succeed and is pretty funny. Great guy who tries to make class fun. Discussion posts and quizzes biweekly, no midterm, final essay.

Decent online class. Every week there is a chapter, discussion and quiz. Some of the discussions can be a bit tough, and the TA that grades them tends to nitpick them. Got full credit on the final paper, so he isn't too harsh of a grader on that.

He's a good professor and gives extensions if you need them. There are no tests, but a few quizzes. The discussion questions and readings every week are not hard but it would be good to start more than one day before the due date. As of spring 2020, it was a service-learning class (final essay is based on it), I don't know if that will change.

He's a good professor and gives extensions if you need them. There are no tests, but a few quizzes. The discussion questions and readings every week are not hard but it would be good to start more than one day before the due date. As of spring 2020, it was a service-learning class (the final essay is based on it), I don't know if that will change.

Dr. Marien did a great job adapting to online class. He's very lenient with extensions and his requirements for assignments are super clear. Nothing about this class is super difficult and you know exactly what he wants from you. He's a super nice guy and he takes the time to respond to questions and submissions with feedback and nice anecdotes.

You have weekly discussions that are usually 4-8 questions, and you find the answers in the text. I recommend buying the online version of the textbook so it is easier to navigate to find your answers. Overall an easy grader. Also there are weekly quizzes that quizlet can help with. I've learned so much in this class. 10/10 recommend

Dr. Marien's online Political Ideologies course was fantastic. There is quite a bit of reading in this class (you will be graded weekly on a discussion post and a quiz covering a particular chapter/ideology). However, the book is actually very interesting as well as the supplementary materials assigned! Get your ECPs done early for full credit!

Very nice class. Introduced aspects of policy and not just environmental issues. The tests were clearly based off of the reading. The final research paper was one of six major themes in the class that you're able to choose from. Dr. Marien is AMAZING at giving feedback and open to questions and discussions prior to work being due. Loved this class

This professor gives a TON of readings. However, these readings are indispensable to understanding the American Presidency and surprise you time after time with just how interesting they are. I came into this class with little information of past presidents and now I feel like I came out a champ! A professor who challenges and rewards you fairly.

My dude is totally chill, super laid back, and distracted as a squirrel. He's really quick to email back, will help out when you ask, and the TA is open t dispute your grade if you can prove why you deserve to have it change. Would def take him again. Lots of discussion writing, tests aren't bad, and only a few papers.

Dr. Marien is first of all, a respectable dude. He is funny and his lectures are fun to participate in. There are 3 books, I suggest you actually read (but skimming is fine). Biweekly discussion posts and quizzes, easy if you read the text. "Mandatory" attendance but not actually bc COVID policies don't allow that. Very fun class and love him.

This was a very interesting course and I enjoyed the content. This course is pretty assignment heavy & you HAVE to read the chapters completely and thoroughly

Marien is a good lecturer, he seems to truly love what he teaches. My main problem with his class was the quizzes which made up almost half of our entire grade & were difficult with unclear & confusing answers. Besides that, there's 1 case study with clear instructions which I enjoyed writing, and no exams. All in all, a good class.

I found Professor Marien to be super straightforward and his assignments to be quite simple. Each week there is one quiz, one 200-word discussion, and a few activities in Packback. The Packback was the most time consuming out of the three but still super simple. His expectations were clear and the information was easy and engaging.

I loved Professor Marien, you have to be present in his lectures to actually grasp the concepts, I didn't really read the textbook and did well on his quizzes solely based off my notes on the lectures and paying attention. There is a case study at the end that is your "final".

Extra credit for coming to class. No midterm or final. Quiz & 2 discussions each week, one in packback. French accent, easy to understand but I think it's why the quizzes are sometimes worded poorly/wrong but email him after and he'll fix it. Overall easy class, the material and lectures can be a little boring but they're interesting enough.

Marien is a hoot. He gave us extra credit for near perfect attendance. If you listen to the lectures you'll understand enough to pass his weekly quizzes w/o reading his LONG assigned reading. NO FINAL EXAM!!!

my second time taking prof. marien. writing assignments only but they're easy; discussion post due every monday & interactive Q&A w/ 3 parts due every thursday. you need the textbook, i found it online for free. his grading criteria is simple, just do the assignments & you'll be fine. no exams.

prof. marien is engaging & had entertaining lectures. attendance was extra credit. 1 online quiz & discussion each week, case study at the end of the semester based on a movement of your choice. i enjoyed this class, the quizzes were a little difficult, but i was able to finish with an A. i have since taken marien again for POT3302.

Not sure why this professor has many bad reviews, I took his politics online course for 8 weeks over the summer and it consists of 2 part assignments and a quiz weekly. First part is a discussion and second is packpback. Besides there's no midterm/final. He grades last minute, but his TA gives good feedback. Make sure you read the book! Easy A

One of the best professors I have had so far. He is very interactive with the class; the lectures are fun and super informational. He posts his lecture notes in case you miss the class. His assignments are relatively easy if you go to class or brush up on notes. The professor will answer your emails and questions in a timely manner.

Funny guy, fairly simple class

This is the fourth course I have taken with Prof. Marien, and I have to say he is my favorite professor at UCF. He is very funny, and makes the lectures entertaining. Attendance is part of your grade but if you have a valid excuse he is very understanding. He has weekly quizzes and discussions that are based off assigned readings that are easy.

You will get an A in this class, the material is easy. He uses: YellowDig, discussions, and quizzes. That's it. The only issue with this dude is his mistakes on quizzes, emails, and other things so he added to my stress but the class content is easy. Ended with a 99. Any class I end that high in is still good.

He is a good professor overall, with the grade mostly based on online quizzes and class discussions.He definitely has a left leaning bias, however. There were no exams or final, as it was a media dossier final paper project. Overall I would recommend this professor for his Protest movement course.

Idk why people are complaining that he's left leaning when he teaches a protest class and a conspiracy class? Regardless, his class is quite simple 10% of your grade through yellowdig is purely participation, the final is open book and extremely easy, and attendance isn't necessary. Only issue is that he isn't good with technology at all.

This course covered the heavy topic of the backsliding of democracy. It was a lot to keep up with readings, while also taking in the news of current events but the discussions we had helped bring great historical context. Dr. Marien was light on assignments so this is not a hard class but be ready to read and discuss because participation matters.

this professor goes out of his way to get to know his students and help them in whatever way they need. his class was really easy. it consisted of yellowdig, a quiz, and a posting every other week. everything is online.

Great professor and lectures are almost based on the book, get ready to read

Such an understanding and accommodating professor. 100% recommend

This class was pretty straightforward and easy to do well in, with quizzes, discussion posts, and a final. His lectures are very engaging and he is pretty funny. He takes attendance, but its not for a grade rather to use it do decide whether he'll write a letter of recommendation. I would recommend this professor.

Very chill just lots of yap. No papers and no tests besides the final. Online quizzes on canvas and yellowdig due once a week. A small amount of participation in the lectures will take you far. There isn't much of a penalty for not showing up aside from being lost on the topics at hand. I didn't read any books and I was fine. Final is open note.

He yaps a lot in class LOL Attendance taken but for letters of recommendation, not for a grade Few assignments (a few quizzes and a few discussions) all open note Interesting readings though!

Very good professor. I enjoyed his class as it was only a few assignments with a big project at the end that was graded very fairly. Attendance is not mandatory, but will give extra credit at the end if you show up. Very lenient with yellowdig and, the books he uses are cheap and found online. Quizzes almost every week and are based on the book.