Very hard class, learn A LOT

This is one of the best USD has. He is absolutely incredible. However, he is very challenging, the workload is intense, and he runs class like a law school class. But do yourself a favor and take him!

My only regret is that I only took one of his classes. He is one of the best. More teachers should try his approach. Dickson's class left me well prepared for the rest. If you want to learn and have an edge in other classes take him. A++

If you're up for the challenge and have time to devote to studying, then Dickson's the best. You will learn more in one Dickson class than the rest of all your classes combined. If you can't handle it, then you need not apply to law school.Don't be absent

Amazing, awesome, wonderful! Can't guarantee you will get an A, most likely you won't, but in Dickson's class it doesn't matter because you learn so much! Readings are hard, tests are hard, he expects a lot. Not for the weak-willed!

This class will kick your tail. Daily list of "victims" could have your name on it, so you must always be prepared. Definitely helps you prepare for any other class, discipline. Also incredibly funny and memorable. Creates bonds between &quo

If you are not a fan of reading, then you should probably not take this class. You are expected to read anywhere from 40-60 pages between classes. He randomly selects people to sum up the reading in class, and you have to talk for a good fifteen minutes. Great teacher, but he will challenge you!

Dickson is an excellent teacher! The class is very difficult with a great deal of reading but if you put the effort in, the amount you will learn is so worth it. It is run in the socratic style like a law school class. Don't take as a GE but take if you can if you are Poly sci major.

Amazing teacher! I learned so much! Tons of reading, when you think about all you learned it is rewarding. Try to do all the reading and not be absent. U can be randomly selected to talk about the reading and it sucks to be picked on when you don't know what you are talking about. Definately take it

Awesome teacher, good class, hard as hell, but well worth it, if you have the time.

SUPER HARD class, but worth it if you have the time to do the 1000+ reading during the course. has a list of names from the beginning of class, to call on, to discuss the readings, so you have to be prepared everyday (big part of your grade)...overall nice, funny professor.

This is one of those classes which consumes ALL of your time. If you don't have time to devote to reading upwards of 60 COMPREHENSIVE pages a night, its a no go

Great professor! Be prepared for a ton of readings and take good notes becasue he asks that students don't use the book during calss. His tests are all essay and anything is fair game.

one of the best teachers usd's got. he will make u work but u learnmore than you ever have. if you are thinking about law school this is the best prep you can get. the socratic method in full effect...

If you are going to go to law school, take Dickson any chance you have. I am in law school now and his classes definitely prepared me.

Socrates could not have done it better himself.

My favorite prof while I was at USD.

this class is hard...he assigns about 40 pages of reading a night...and its boring and some of it is hard to understand...you CAN get by in class without reading...he gives you hints and stuff and you can use common sense so if he calls on you (he uses socratic method) you're not totally screwed...but if you dont read you'll be screwed for tests

he is a great teacher. i have it at 8 am and he is animated and engages his students. the lecutures are really clear and helpful so go to class. theres a sh*t load of reading,that you have to do, but its ok if you pace yourself. Take him. hes a funny guy and you learn a lot.

Constitutional Law I. My favorite professor on campus! Lots of reading, but very interesting. Animated, and he really knows his stuff. Take his classes if you can!

He's really great, but there is a TON of reading to do at night (up to 80 8 1/2 x 11 pages). If you love political science and reading take it otherwise I'd stear clear. You'll learn a lot but it's a tuff class.

This class was very hard but Dickson is such an amazing teacher. You do you will learn so much in this class. Dickson is funny, helpful, and knows his stuff. Good class and worth the insane amount of work.

Good prof, very knowledgeable, very helpful if you need it. Gotta read, he's a Socratic method teacher so he picks a couple students each class and grills them with questions. The class covers a lot of material, tests are all essay/short answer.

animated and fun prof. very knowledgeable and helpful.

Dr. D is very knowledgeable of the course material, and his lectures are excellent.

This class takes most of my homework time. You have to take notes on the reading every single class. Expect to be put on the spot as part of your grade. I know I'm getting a lot out of the class, but it is hard getting there. Do not take with a full schedule.

Cool guy and one of the smartest people I've ever met. Be prepared to read a lotttt in this class. Concepts are hard and he demands a lot on his midterm and finals. Final counts for 40% so definitely be prepared. Tough class but enjoyable.

Very smart professor and probably the best at teaching what he knows in all of USD. WHile, I'm all for a serious class, and I think casual teachers let things get out of control, ****son can sometimes be to authoritative. i.e. no credit for all my notes and participation when i walk in 30 secnods late to class because of broken printer network..

One of the best teachers I've had. Teaching method is tough at first, but if you're up for a challenge, do it. Spend about 30hrs/week preparing.Most people say its a good way to prepare for law school.Final is 50% and midterm is extremely long for the allotted time. Totally worth the effort.

I learned alot but in the end was not worth it for me. He stresses attendance but I honestly tried as hard as I could and could not gert over a C- on any of my tests. His tests are managable until his ID (vocab words, meanings) They are completely random and he gives you no help at all. Everyone does a terrible job on them and they are not helpful

****son is the most amazing and interesting teacher I've had in my college experience. Scared of the socratic method? dont take him, but it makes the class easier in the long run. I've never learned more or been more interested in any other subject. I wish he taught more classes

I took ****son back in 2002. Best teacher ever, normally I would never write a comment but seeing that I am surviving law school on the work ethic he hammered into me I am very thankful. I learned to breakdown the issue and find the general rule that ties all fundaments in Intro to Poli Sci. Recommend him for any aspiring lawyers.

great teacher but very difficult. if you work hard in his class he will take notice and curve your grade up. make sure you participate in class and do all the readings.

The best teacher I've ever had. The hardest teacher I've ever had. The reading is long, the lectures are interactive, but the man is great. I've had him for both intercession and first semester freshman year. He's fantastic. If you're serious about poli sci take Dr. ****son.

Dr. ****son is by far the greatest teacher you will ever take. Had him my first semester of College, got a B- on the midterm and got an A in the class. Make sure you go to class, and do the readings. GO TO HIS OFFICE HOURS! He will tell you what he is looking on his tests. You will be nervous before ever class, but you will learn the stuff.

Dr. ****son is smart, funny, caring, and his class is a high energy place for students to challenge themselves and each other. He is very funny, and really cares about his students success.

By far the best teacher I have had. Doing the readings and participation are a big deal and while this class was not easy at times, it is well worth it. Extremely helpful in office hours and willing to explain things if you don't get it. GO to class, and participate!

Not for the easily discouraged... lots of reading assignments and attendance and participation is mandatory. With effort, though, you will learn a lot, and Dickson is hilarious.

Dr. Dickson is the greatest teacher I have ever had, but also the hardest. The readings are tedious and sometimes confusing, but the discussions are interesting and Dr. Dickson makes them entertaining. I recommend Dr. D if you are a political science major but if you aren't then don"t take him because his class is time consuming.

I took several classes with Dr. Dickson. He will give you the 3rd degree during lectures/discussions, so you better have your readings completed and notes ready. He is great, though. His teaching method's different than most of the other professors, but it's great if you like getting involved in discussing the topic. I would recommend him.

There are not many grades in this class and the readings can be very difficult and lengthy but the class is very engaging and he is one of the best teachers i have ever had.

Great professor!!! Very easy to talk to outside of class and his class is very easy to understand. I would not say it is the easiest class because of his teaching method; he picks on random people in the middle of class to teach the lesson and if you don't know anything cause you didn't read, it is pretty embaressing.

Copious amounts of reading, difficult teaching style. Overall Dr. Dickson is a good teacher if you are very interested in the material, can keep up in a fast paced environment

Great professor, not to hard of a class if you read all of the handouts and study before the big tests

Extremely difficult for a GE...very interesting lectures though and awesome prof in you enjoy the material! No textbook. Waaaay too much reading required before every class. ID's on exams are impossible. Overall the readings are tedious, lengthy, and dull...a couple of fun plays, books, and long readings though!

Hardest class of my life!!!! tons of reading (1000s of pages literally) and the tests are very stressful. the vocab on the test is almost impossible to study for and the tests are long and hard. do the readings no matter how long they are and write down EVERYTHING. two papers for the honors class that are pretty easy and will support your grade

One of the few teachers I've had that really earned my respect. He is extremely hard but his pure intellectual ability and brilliance is second to none.

Great teacher, the readings are long and he expects you to take good notes on them so you can answer his questions in class. Tests are challenging and require you to have a good knowledge of the past readings. Class is definitely worth it if you want to go to law school.

Mr Dickson may be a "good" prof,but he is NOT a good person.He favors & gives unfair treatment.As the fill in head of the Poli Sci dept. SPR '09,he would not even LISTEN to my concern,while he fixed the same issue for another girl.He refused to have an adult conversation with me & had the attitude of a 13yr old girl. Mr. D, why are you so angry? :)

This was the hardest class I've ever taken. I spent more time reading and studying for this class over all the others. Dickson is an excellent professor; it is clear that he loves to teach. If it weren't for the amount of reading he requires, I'd take all of his classes. I learned a lot but the workload was incredibly demanding.

Di*kson is one of the best and hardest professors I've ever had. His knowledge of the subject matter is remarkable and lectures are fun and engaging. Very willing to help out during his office hours. However, his classes require A LOT of work. The exams were extremely difficult. I highly recommend him and his classes, but be prepared to work.

Dr. Dickson was a fantastic professor. His class was very demanding, and had a ton of reading - hours of reading per class period. He teaches in a Socratic style and has 3 or 4 names that he calls on everyday. Plan to work hard. He is very helpful in his office hours, so make use of those. Great class! Would definitely take his class again!

One of probably the greatest teachers on campus has to be Dr. Dickson. His class is very demanding and will take most of your time, so plan on having little of a social life while you spend most of your time sifting through the material. If you are looking for a class to learn a lot from rather than getting an easy A, Dickson is your man.

Dr. Dickson is demanding when it comes to work, class participation, and tests, but I didn't find his expectations unreasonable. If you put in the effort to succeed, I think you'll get a lot out of the class, and hopefully won't find it too challenging.

Oh the Socratic method!!! Be prepared to read min 40pgs a night. Make sure you understand because the class is a student-led discussion (yep, you're on the spotlight). He is helpful and his lectures are interesting although the readings are tedious and extremely time consuming. Worth taking for the experience. Builds character :)

Dickson is amazing. I've never learned so much in a course- don't leave USD without taking a class with him!

Great professor with a lot of teaching energy, I've taken all three of his classes and it gets easier! You must read the books or else you will sink. This is not a class that you can just sit in the back and not read. You WILL read the entire book but it will be fun. If you plan to go to law school take his classes!

Dr. Dickson is the best professor I have ever had. If you want to be a political science major, TAKE HIM for your intro class. His class is a lot of work (50pgs of reading a night) and he randomly selects people to answer questions in lectures, but you also learn a lot. His midterm is hard, but he does that just to scare you. The final is easier.

Most demanding professor. Spent 10~ on average to read a week (with taking notes because he asks randomly in class). I loved every class, he always makes them fun & interesting. I'd definitely recommend him if you're serious about studying. Materials and class are always interesting. don't recommend if you have many classes, it's hard.

I had Del first semester freshman year and was terrified by the workload- it ended up being one of my most difficult college courses but also one where I learned the most! Uses the Socratic method in class. He is very caring and remembers you long after the course. Great guy, but if you refuse to read or study you won't do well.

He is the best, his classes are demanding but worth it. He cares about everyone and is always there to help. He expects a lot out of everyone but he will help you through things you don't understand without making you feel stupid. His classes are daunting but TAKE HIM!

A ton of reading involved - this class was all supreme court cases and the federalist papers (all of them). teaches socratic style and picks 3 people per day to summarize a part of the reading. stressful if you don't do the reading. Participation can help save your grade if you don't do well on the exams; which are difficult. good law school prep

Professor is a great guy but his class is very demanding. In his honors class there were nightly readings that could take several hours to read and understand. He also uses the socratic method so you have to make sure you do the reading for every class and are prepared for interrogation. Two lengthy essays but not worth much.

He took a very different approach to a college course that I have never experienced. The readings were awful his teaching method requires you to be able to think on your feet, or acquire a major drop in points in your grade. The final grade was based almost 90% on the midterm and final which were very difficult. This is not a class for first-years.

Great teacher. Teaches using the Socratic method (as many law school professors do), so you better come to class prepared. He challenges your understanding of the material. I learned more from his classes than any other professor I have ever taken.

Probably one of the most difficult classes I have ever taken and I can't imagine that I'll ever have a class that has such a heavy workload again. That being said, I've also never learned as much in one class as I did this semester. If you do the readings and pay attention in class it is possible to get a good grade. Great teacher.

Overall great professor and really nice guy. But the readings in his constitutional law class were excessive and were too much to get done all in one night. There would be like 100 pages of readings a night for each case it would be expected to be done by the next class. Very Time consuming. Would not take this course if you want an A.

Loved this class, you get out what you put in. If you stay up on reading this becomes a really fun class. Del is very respectful

Hands down the best professor I've taken at USD. If you are interested in going to law school, I highly recommend taking this class. If you don't enjoy it or find it unbearable in terms of reading assigned, then law school isn't for you. That being said, I have taken both POLS321 & POLS322D and could not speak more highly of the lectures & Del