Loved his class. There's a lot of reading, but every history class is like that. He's young, fun, and really wants to help you do well. He frequently asked for the class's opinion on how tough assignments were and what he should change. Open book quizzes every 1-2 weeks, open book final and midterm, and one short paper were the only assignments.

There was a good amount of reading, but it was all applicable. He always asked and heard everyone's responses in how we felt about the readings and if it was too much. He would cut a lot of things down and all the tests were open book and open note. He is quick to respond to emails and always wanted people to come to his office. Very helpful.

Dr. Madsen is awesome. The class was Economic Policy from Roosevelt to Reagan, and never has a class given such a wonderful narrative of where we are in the world as this class has.

This class was fantastic. I never thought that historical consideration of different economic theories and their application to US policy could be so interesting. Also, Dr. Madsen has the best stories and anecdotes of all time. Ever.

Amazing, maybe my favorite I've taken at BYU. Small class size, discussion based. I found myself actually wanting to do the readings so I could participate in class. No textbook. He's laid back, funny, and has hilarious stories. I often found myself staying long in a 75 min class. Fun and learned a ton. I wish all classes at BYU were like this.

By far one of my favorite professors on campus. Definitely not an easy class- although at first it may seem easy, the tests are difficult. Going to class is well worth it.

He is an excellent and engaging teacher. His laid back discussions were always interesting. His midterm was a little difficult but I found his final a bit easier. Both are open book so it is manageable.

He is the best teacher I have had at BYU. He knows how to make history fun and interesting. If you do the readings, the tests are not that hard at all. The final is a seven page paper, which was surprisingly fun to write. The class was amazing and I loved every minute of his lectures

Madsen is such a good professor! He makes History so entertaining and understandable. There are 10 quizzes and 2 tests, all online. One "big" paper (5 pages), and reading everyday. I found that the reading was sometimes long, but interesting. Madsen is funny and so good to talk to. I would recommend him to everyone!

376 revolves around historical themes rather than cold facts. The only way to do well is to take notes during his lecture, go to TA reviews, and learn these themes that makeup the 3 midterms and final. Madsen is a great teacher, fun and enlightening. But I wouldn't call the final "fun" like some other history zealots, though it is all very doable.

This class has probably been the best history class I have ever taken. I feel like I have gained a firm grasp on not only what happened, but why. Dr. Madsen is a fantastic teacher. His class is realistically difficult, but not impossible. I highly recommend Dr. Madsen.

Dr. Madsen is awesome. His classes are always interesting. He tries to get good discussions going instead of just lecturing all the time. He also has great stories. He is extremely helpful and does his best to help you really understand everything and succeed.

Madsen is awesome, really. Multiple tests and lots of reading, but it's all interesting. Tests are online and he gives you the questions beforehand. I would highly recommend this class. We covered tons of cool things like punk rock and talked a lot about American presidents. Take this class from Madsen!!

Dr. Madsen is credible, efficient, and effective. He shares only what is important, and his passion for History is more than evident. Lectures are enjoyable, and concepts are clear if you stay on top of the readings. By far, best professor that teaches American Heritage. He doesn't waste time and masterfully chooses examples to help understanding.

Lectures are really interesting, definitely worth going to, which is good, because they're essential to passing the midterms. Reading is also essential, particularly for passing the weekly quizzes in labs. But. This is an amazing class. Dr. Madsen is the best teacher for this class. He's really passionate, and explains things well. Recommended :)

Madsen was amazing! Because of his class, I decided to double major in history. He didn't teach just history, but about human nature and how that makes history and cultures. Many readings, some dry, but he goes over them in class so you should understand them. Lectures are interesting and he personally teaches a review for each test-super helpful!

Gives good lectures, but if you don't go to class and your labs getting a good grade will be super hard.

Dr. Madsen has been one of my favorite professors at BYU. His lectures are always well-prepared and fascinating. You can tell he puts a lot of time into each lecture. Although a few readings are long, they are rarely just busy work. The readings were interesting and directly applied to the class. The class is hard, but it is fair. UTILIZE YOUR TA!!

You can tell he really cares about his students. He's teaching because he loves it not because he wants to show off. If you study for the tests you will do awesome. If not, you will probably fail. GO TO THE REVIEW ROOM! I'd heard American Heritage is a nightmare, but not from Madsen. It's super interesting and I really liked it. Take Madsen.

Dr. Madsen is a genius and one of the best professors I have had. He's great at looking at the overall picture, and I really liked his approach at focusing on understanding important concepts and ideas rather than memorizing names, places, and dates. He's your guy for American Heritage.

I liked his approach. He was more concerned with application of philosophies and ideologies than remembering names and dates. He was always focused on the why and how it appears in our lives today. That made his tests different from any history test because he would ask you, "What would Jeffersonetc. do in this situation?"

Professor Madsen is the man. This class is notorious for being hard but I would definitely recommend taking it from him. If you utilize your TA and read his power points, which he posts on the American Heritage website, then it is possible to get a good grade. Also you can visit him in his office throughout the semester to talk about the content.

Grand Madsen is my favorite man in the whole world and if you can't take American Heritage from him don't take it at all. He's nice and understanding and just the greatest guy. Take it from him I'm serious.

Prof Madsen is easily the best AHTG teacher! If you have the chance, take it from him! He makes it interesting and fun to learn the material. A lot of reading but you won't get any less from a different professor and he explains the readings really well. If you do the reading and attend labs and lectures, this class is completely doable.

Dr. Madsen ROCKS! His lectures are so entertaining and really easy to understand. Before taking this class I was really scared because I had heard horror stories of people failing. But I was so pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the course with Dr. Madsen. Grading and tests are totally reasonable and the TAs are super helpful.

He's very passionate about history. I thought I was going to hate American Heritage, but he made me actually kind of like it. He likes the overall picture and connecting different ideas together rather than specific dates and details, which I liked. Just had to make sure you knew each of the readings. Definitely glad I took it from him.

Take American Heritage from Madsen!! I wasn't excited for this class at all, but I liked going to the lectures and learned a lot!! He's SO smart and he truly cares about his students! My Advice: go to the review room lots especially right before the test and you'll be fine! Quizzes in lab, 2 midterms, 1 Final, 2 papers, and 4 hours of service.

I loved this class. It's super fascinating and kept my interest the entire semester. There is quite a bit of reading, but you use it all on the quizzestests and it's usually pretty interesting. I'd say attendance is not mandatory but that's only if you read, and going to the review room is a MUST- definitely most helpful thing in the course.

Madsen is the bomb. He really opened my eyes to why Americans think the way they do. He's totally willing to help, but he wants to make you think. Use the TA's, make sure to do well on your papers, and be able to make connections. This class is not about memorizing, it's about analyzing and synthesizing. He's a great professor!

I love how Professor Madsen teaches. He focuses on the problems society has faced and the solutions they found and uses that dialogue to explore who they were and how it applies to us today. I loved every minute of lecture, and occasionally he had discussions with us rather than going through the powerpoint all the time. Lot's of good readings too.

Professor Madsen is a super cool guy. He really cares about the students and is willing to work with you. He understands what college is like and tries to make it easier for the you when he can. American Heritage is a hard class no matter what, but he did his best to make it both interesting and doable. Definitely recommend him.

Professor Madsen is great! I loved his focus on where ideas came from and how they have evolved through time. I really enjoyed his lectures and he has a great dry humor. His two papers are short and graded fairly easily. He gives a lot of help in preparation for his exams, which I feel are pretty fair. Take Madsen for American Heritage!

I was anxious about taking American Heritage. But Prof. Madsen made this class actually enjoyable! It didn't take over my life. Yes, there was a lot of reading, but even if you skimmed the readings you could still do well in the class. His lectures covered most of the material that was on the midterms and final. Take American Heritage from Madsen!

I was so nervous for American Heritage but it ended up being one of my favorite classes! Dr. Madsen is also one of my favorite professors. I feel like I learned so much! It is a difficult class, but if you try you will do well. Do the readings BEFORE class! And study the Powerpoints and you will be golden. Did just that and passed with a 99%

A lot of people give American Heritage a bad rap, but it turned out to be one of my favorite classes, largely due to Prof. Madsen. I looked forward to everyone of his lectures. The midterms and final definitely aren't easy, but if you do all the readings and pay attention in lecture then you're golden. I would take another class from him any day.

TAKE THIS CLASS! Bro Madsen is the best professor I've ever had. By nature, the class is difficult, but he makes it so interesting, I actually enjoyed attending class! He's always willing to help and if you pay attention in class and do the readings, you'll ace the tests. If you take AHTG, make sure you take it from Bro Madsen HE'S THE BEST!!!

Professor Madsen is a very talented teacher. He truly cares about his students and cares about their learning. He teaches in a way that makes the subject material incredibly interesting. He asks that you understand principles ideas and make connections rather than memorizing facts. If you put in the effort you will learn so much from his class!

I LOVED this class. He brought his (very interesting) lectures full circle to help you see the big picture. His exams were definitely not easy, but if you knew the concepts of the course well you could get good grades. The online reading was more important to be familiar with than the textbook. This course definitely opened my eyes.

Dr. Madsen is awesome. He made AHTG so much fun. It was my favorite class I've ever taken. I didn't think the class was too hard but I took it as a sophomore. Dr. Madsen has inspired me more than any other professor. Always takes time to talk with students.

Dr. Madsen is hands-down the best professor I've ever had. He's very entertaining and makes even boring subjects relatively interesting. He's clear about his expectations and very open to input from the class when it comes to writing papers and when to take tests. I'd take any class that he taught.

Dr. Madsen is seriously the funniest teacher. (check out #quotesfromhist221 on twitter) But he also makes it very interesting and doable. BUT DO THE READINGS. Participate in class. Come to class and take good notes.

Great Professor!! I wish there were more like him.

Easy to listen to. Great lecturer and loves to show funny videos in class. Thoughtfully answers questions and explains topics well. Assigns lots of tough reading and test questions can be somewhat difficult, but I would recommend this professor because the class is a GE requirement and you're not going to find anyone better.

There are a lot of readings for this class, but Madsen ties all of the readings together and if you don't get the readings, it is no big deal because he goes over it in class.

Lectures are generally pretty good, engaging students with iclicker quizzes. DO THE READINGS though, or you won't pass the tests.

Best professor I've ever had. Yeah, the class sucks but I learned so many life lessons from Madsen. Would take again.

Dr. Madsen does a really good job of taking a class that most people hate and actually making it pretty good! I enjoyed learning from him about American history. The lectures were engaging and he was very open to questions. The tests are tough and there's a lot of reading, but I like the class.

His class is mostly conceptual ideas. You must be able to mesmorize people and their opinions and be able to compare and contrast their veiwpoints. Test are very difficult, out of the hundreds of people in the lecture no one got a 100.

Madsen's lectures were super interesting; I learned so much about American history that I didn't know before. His tests are tough, so don't expect an easy A, but there is help available if you're struggling. There is quite a bit of reading. I would definitely recommend taking this from him. It's not easy, but at least it's interesting.

Dr. Madsen was phenomenal. He gave me a whole new lens to view politics and culture through. It was a hard class, but totally worth it. Pay attention in lectures. 99% of what he tests comes from his lectures. You will learn how he tests also. The first test I got an 85, then a 93, then a 98 on the final. Fantastic class.

Dr. Madsen is a great professor who knows the material well. Without a doubt I would take a class form him again. Everyone says the class is hard but if you just do the readings you will do fine. He is very pragmatic, so he gives very un-biased information about the class and the material. You will learn so much from Dr. Madsen, take AMHER100!

I really liked Dr. Madsen's pragmatist approach on American history and for the first time I actually felt engaged and motivated by a history class. His lectures are not boring at all and encourage you to question and think more. Sadly, grading heavily depends on the Ta's who grade the papers and can be very inconsistent in their grading .

Tests were the hardest. They were very conceptual and analytical. Not so much about facts and dates but more about word problems that make you think. For midterms and finals, study his lectures and power points. For quizzes, do the as much of the readings as you can. Only 2 papers are required.

I love Professor Madsen! He's an incredible lecturer and so funny and intriguing. I learned SO much from his class. The midterm is tough, but you can study in groups and he gives all the questions before hand which makes it much more manageable (plus the final is easier). I would highly recommend to anyone!

This is by far the best history class I have ever taken. Dr. Madsen has awesome lectures and is hilarious. I learned so much! Make sure you do the readings, class discussions are based off them, and take really good notes. The midterm and final are more difficult than the quizzes so study hard for those and you will be fine. Amazing professor!

Don't let it's rep scare you! A HTG turned out to be one of my favorite classes. It was a mix of history, economics, and politics. Pro. Madsen was very engaging and taught it well. If you do the readings, attend the lectures, and study for tests you'll do fine. Its a unique testing style, so there's a bit of a learning curve, but he accounts for it

Dr Madsen was great. I was really nervous about AmHTG but he made it very interesting. He had a great perspective on how to study American history. There are two major papers and recitation is mandatory. I found this class very interesting.

Lectures were amazing, I really felt like I learned a lot! I was nervous about the tests, but they weren't too bad. He gives you the questions beforehand and you can go over them with others. Make sure you take really good notes though! Write down as much of what he says as possible.

Prof. Madsen was very personable even for a class of 500. It's somewhat of a tough class mainly because your grade sometimes depends on the TA's opinion of what Dr. Madsen teaches, but it was very enjoyable. Great lectures with video content included. A lot of reading homework.

Prof Madsen's class is a real gem. You will see that each document, general text reading, and lecture is designed in such a way as to shape your view towards understanding history in that unique, interdisciplinary, and moral-shaping way that is indicative of his Chicago education. If you can grasp that view, consider it a life-changing success.

His lectures are very "interpretative," and sometimes hard to follow. All test questions are taken from our lectures so record them! Biggest tip I have: go talk to him about the paper/midterm/final. If you get him talking he'll be super helpful. Your only hw is video quizzes (videos are about an hour) which can take a while and LOTS of reading

It wasn't easy but was DEFINITELY manageable. Read (or at least skim) the readings, TAKE NOTES IN CLASS, and go to TA reviews. Video quiz once a week, a paper (30%), midterm (20) and a final (30). Paper, midterm & final are based totally on class discussion. Madsen is hilarious and makes the class really enjoyable. He is a solid guy who cares.

Madsen cares about history, and teaches it fairly. The class was not easy, and I feel as though I deserved a higher grade, but Madsen never wasted my time by coming to his class. He is fantastic, and I would take another class from him in a heartbeat. Be prepared for video quizzes, which can be long, long readings, which are discussed in class.

Dr. Madsen's class is tough, but absolutely worth it. He encourages students to meet with him outside class and gives great feedback. His tests are hard and there's a lot of reading, but he really focuses on learning, not just rote memorization. Also, he's hilarious. One of my favorite professors!

Dr. Madsen is very accommodating and entertaining. His class is tough, but totally worth it. He's a gem! Get a study group to prepare for tests. All exams and quizzes are online. Even though class has no attendance, pls go to class. He tests are based on what we discussed in class. Lots of readings, but if you just get the gist your good. Loved it.

Professor Madsen is one of my favorite professors! He's funny and caring, and very willing to talk to students outside of class at any time. His class is difficult, but as long as you take good notes in class, read (or at least skim) the important stuff, and go to TA reviews/study groups it's very doable.

I absolutely loved Dr. Madsen's class. His lectures are fascinating, well-put together, and really capture history from a big-picture perspective. You have to do the reading and spend time studying for the tests, but this class was amazing. Madsen is also really approachable and funny.

American Heritage is hard no matter who you take it from. But Madsen cares about his students and really tries to help us out, grade-wise. Loves questions in lecture, and is passionate about history and teaching. As good as it's gonna get tbh

Class was always super interesting. He sometimes goes through the slides faster than I can type so make sure you pay attention when taking notes. I really enjoyed his lectures

Prof Madsen is a really good lecturer. He's pretty good at getting across what he's looking for in assignments and tests. A tough marker but if you do the readings and attend the lectures you'll get a good mark.

Brother Madsen is the best teacher to take American Heritage from. His tests are really long, but going to the review room definitely helps. He doesnt require nearly as much homework as other professors. Theres a short paragraph due almost weeks (graded mostly for just doing it) and theres one relatively short paper due.

Madsen's power points are top notch, and I loved his lectures, but make sure to take advantage of the Review Room because his tests are very tricky. Most of your grade is weighted towards the tests, so prepare for them.

I was dreading taking this class at the beginning of the semester, but I am so glad I took it with Professor Madsen. His lectures are awesome, and I really enjoyed his class. The tests are difficult, conceptual, and accumulative. My biggest piece of advice: GO TO THE TA REVIEWS! They are super helpful. This course is a lot of work but so worth it!

Loved this class, despite my not so phenomenal grade. The discussions/lectures were always super engaging and Dr. Madsen really made sure to answer our questions. His tests are really hard, but they were open book and open note which helps a little bit. I would definitely recommend Dr. Madsen over and over.

This is a hard class, and there are a lot of readings, but with Dr. Madsen, it wasn't too bad. His lectures are amazing, and altogether the class was enjoyable. The tests can be difficult- they are long and wordy, but if you study, do the readings, and go to the TA reviews, it shouldn't be too hard. Highly recommend.

These tests are really difficult, BUT Dr. Madsen is a fabulous professors. He makes the material easy to understand and easy to relate to. DO YOUR READINGS & GO TO CLASS and LAB. These are not a suggestions. If you want to do well in a notoriously difficult class, this is how you succeed. Don't rely on going to lectures getting you an A.

Dr. Madsen did a really good job of explaining the hard concepts. Lots and lots of readings. His lectures are entertaining because he puts movie and TV clips in them and does little iClicker quizzes just for fun (not a grade). Tests are hard because he used to write for the LSAT, but if you understand the concepts you'll be fine.

Madsen was pretty good at preparing us for his tests. The tests were not like memorizing historical facts, but it was more conceptual, which was hard. There was only 1 paper and 1 project, so that was nice. He really cares about his students.

I LOVED Dr Madsen. This dreaded class at BYU is no easy task, but he teaches in such a way that you really learn about society, not just historical facts. The tests are very difficult (he used to write tests for the LSAT), and the reading is intense, but the TAs are incredibly helpful and you can learn the material for the tests.

Dr. Madsen has to be one of my favorite teachers at BYU. He is absolutely incredible. The way he teaches this so called "dreaded class" American Heritage is so inspirational, logical, engaging and fulfilling. His lectures are entertaining! The secret to his class-- it's all a big story! and that is how his tests work!!

Professor Madsen has been one of my absolute favorite professors mainly because of his amazing lectures. Each one is packed with incredible insights into American history and culture, and he did an amazing job at tying different cultural shifts together. His class was test-heavy, but by going to class and paying attention, I was able to do well.

Dr Madsen is now one of my favorite professors. His tests are killer, but definitely not impossible if you study and go to the TA reviews. And the lectures will change your perspective on life in general as well as on history! He genuinely cares about history and about his students, so discussions are always interesting and fun. Awesome professor!

Professor Madsen is THE BEST!! Honestly this was on of my favorite classes ever and his lectures are amazing and really made me think and helped me connect a lot of things in my life! I would definitely recommend!

My advise: if at all possible, take American Heritage from Dr. Madsen. It completely changed my perspective on modern politics and prepared me to be a more educated voter. Do the readings, go to class, and the tests will be fine. This actually ended up being one of my favorite classes of the semester. Taught life skills. Was well worth the time.

DR. MADSEN IS THE BEST! You won't get anything better! His lectures are actually interesting, and if you go to the review room every day, you'll pass with flying colors. It's not like other classes: Dr. Madsen focuses more on the evolution of freedom and identity in America, and we read interesting readings instead of the textbook. HIGHLY RECOMMEND

Grant is fantastic. Really is. I love his lectures and the way he teaches. But his tests are straight from hell. He writes all of his tests in LSAT format and isn't afraid to make one question an entire page long.

Prof. Madsen is great. He's funny and approachable, he wants his students to succeed, and is just really smart. Class discussions are interesting. The tests are killer, true, but they're interesting and good too. Just do the readings, go to class, go to the TA reviews and !take good notes! (which you can use in the tests). This class is worth it.

American Heritage is a tough class but Madsen makes it enjoyable. It is more like a philosophy class than a history class because you're learning a new way to think about things rather than regurgitating dates and names. I went to the review room every day which I think was what made things really start clicking for me.

Best professor I have ever had. Truly amazing lectures. Makes hard concepts so understandable. Almost made me want to be an American Heritage TA haha. TAKE THIS CLASS.

I'm not a history person, but this was my favorite class I've taken at BYU. The hardest part about the class was the fact that you're graded on so few things. The test questions are similar to ACT questions. The best part is you don't have to know a lot of info, it's more about knowing how to take a test.

The best advice I can give to freshmen is to take American Heritage with Grant Madsen during winter semesters. His class is still hard, but his style of teaching will prepare you for the tests way better than any other professor. The class is surprisingly philosophical and more about ideas than history. Two midterms, a short paper, and a final.

Loved his class. Definitely a hard professor if you don't enjoy history, but if you like history his lectures are fantastic. Hard tests but not too hard if you attend all class and do all the reading.

Grant Madsen is a very interesting teacher, and I respect him a lot, but his class is VERY hard. There's a lot of readings, and the tests are based on other people's opinions on history. If you are genuinely interested in history, or a history major, this would be a great class. If you want a good grade or to just fulfill credit, take someone else.

Professor Madesn is one of the best professors at BYU. He is very insightful and creates interesting discussions on history by pulling from multiple opinions of other scholars. His tests are VERY hard. The paper is pretty easy.

One of best teachers I've ever had. Cannot recommend enough. Difficult to get an A due to tests, but well worth it for the learning. Less a class on American history (i.e. dates and names), more a class on history of American philosophy: what is freedom, who gets rights, etc. Tests very difficult. Attend classes, TA reviews and do assigned reading.

Dr. Madsen is the best. His tests are difficult, but manageable. He gives you the test questions in advance and you can use your notes. Do the readings, take good lecture notes, talk to him about the tests and the paper, go to the TA reviews, and get a good study group. I wish Dr. Madsen could teach all of my history classes.

I was terrified for American Heritage, after hearing all the horror stories. But Prof. Madsen was great! There wasn't too much homework, especially compared to my friends in other classes, and I found myself genuinely interested in the material from the way he presented it.

Honestly Professor Madsen is awesome, his lectures are amazing. However, the class is VERY hard, you can go to every lecture do every reading and still be unprepared for the tests. They make you think VERY hard.

Scares u at the beginning of the semester into thinking his class is gonna be hell, but once ur in it you realize he teaches it amazingly. I dont recommend freshman take this the first semester. If a B might make u lose a scholarship u should wait to take. Has a philosophical/big picture approach. Go to lecture/TA lab and DO ALL THE READINGS!

I loved the class, Prof Madsen is passionate and cares A LOT about his students. 3-4 readings a week, two straight forward two-page papers, four small paragraph assignments, five quizzes during labs. He approaches American Heritage in an extremely philosophical way. Tests are DIFFICULT, he says he writes it similar to the LSAT.

BEST AMERICAN HERITAGE PROFESSOR HANDS DOWN. His lectures are incredibly easy to follow, and he reviews all the readings within lectures as well. I have never liked history in the slightest, but I found myself looking forward to these lectures. Self proclaimed "G Money" gives life advice, school advice, and makes the 'worst class at BYU' bearable.

Professor Madsen is incredible when it comes to giving lectures, I really enjoyed them. However his tests are formed after the LSAT exams, and TA Reviews and going over slides isn't enough to prepare you for them. The tests are extremely difficult and you get little help on how to prepare. The two papers are graded really hard as well.

Dr. Madsen was an amazing professor, take from him!! His lectures are interesting and interactive, he teaches A HTG so well. His tests are hard, but you get out what you put in with this class, it's predictable. There aren't any worthless assignments, you're graded on a few things and tests and essays are heavily weighted. Go to the review room!

Tests are extremely long (he writes them based off the LSAT) but are manageable! there is reading involved but very doable. his lectures are very upbeat and engaging. would 10/10 recommend and would 100% take another class from him again

Tricky tests. You need to be really good at choosing the best answer. But, his tests are SUPER conceptual (you'll never get questions about specific dates), which I liked much more. PHENOMENAL lecturer; makes history so interesting! A few assignments, quizzes, & two medium papers. Make sure to get TA feedback & you'll get a high A on the papers.

Dr. Madsen is a fantastic teacher who gives very interesting lectures. However, the reading load is unbelievable, and the test relies entirely upon your deep understanding and connection between the readings and lectures. I attended the daily TA reviews, did the work, and still got a low grade in this class. I learned a lot, but it was hard!

Professor Madsen is one of the absolute best profs Ive had at BYU. His class is hard. I highly suggest you take it at least one semester into your education (winter of fresh yr). He goes beyond history. He taught me so about myself and life and how history ties into that. He is very inspirational, great guy. You will learn a ton. Get ready to work

He was an awesome lecturer, and his classes were engaging. His tests were super hard though. If I had to take American Heritage again I would take it from him just because of how much I loved going to his classes, and he understands how hards his tests are (which could be good or bad).

This class is hard and takes a ton of work, but I thoroughly enjoyed all of it. I would definitely recommend putting together a solid study group to meet with just to talk over all the material he covers, that was super helpful to me because there is a lot of material to keep straight. The tests are very difficult but I really liked this class!

I loved him!!! Out of all the professors he is BY FAR the best. The way he explained American Heritage made it seem so simple. The TA's were awesome and has reviews EVERY. DAY. The tests were really hard, but if you go through all the slides before hand you will be fine.

Professor Madsen is a great professor but the class he teaches is very difficult. Download, review and study his slides more than anything else in the class. The tests are very hard and don't so much grade for content as they grade for your understanding of how a certain person/article thought.

I was terrified to take this class. However, it was amazing! I loved how professor Madsen presented the class. He really focused on us knowing the different people and their beliefs and all the info you learn builds on itself. The slideshows are the most helpful, followed by TA reviews. This is the best for visual learners. Tests not bad! BEST PROF

Hey! what happened to the chili's??? oh well, sorry Dr Madsen, I'll just have to put them here ������������������������, that should be enough. seriously though, Dr Madsen is a phenomenal teacher who is excellent at leading discussions and I thoroughly enjoyed my time in his class. Take his classes, you won't regret it.

Yes the course is demanding, yes you will need to do hours of studying outside of class, yes the tests are extremely difficult, but taking from Dr. Madsen IS WORTH IT!!! I cannot stress this enough. To this day, I remember the story of American history, and to this day, I use what Dr. Madsen taught in other classes and in life. Take from Madsen!!!!

You've heard it; this class is brutal. BUT if you use the review rooms and do all the reading, you'll get at least a decent grade, you just have to work for it. I didn't do well on some tests, but you know, I learned so much and it was so interesting that I didn't even care. Don't back down from something amazing just because it's hard. Worth it :)

He's straight with you at the beginning that this class will probably wreck your GPA. He used to write the LSAT and he writes his tests with the same format. This class is doable, but you'll do better if you treat it like a 6 credit class. His lectures are amazing and you'll learn a lot, but don't treat it lightly or you will fail. Good luck!

I went from being terrified the first day of class to actually being sad for the class to end by the last lecture. Dr. Madsen is an amazing critical thinker and presents information in a very objective and analytical way. You will read A LOT, some of which is very difficult material, but Dr. Madsen does his best to make it enjoyable and beneficial

Professor Madsen is awesome. American Heritage has a bad reputation, but taking it from him was a pleasure. He is very good at talking about controversial topics and issues without being insensitive, and he constantly attempts (and greatly succeeds) at being politically unbiased. I learned a lot in this class, mostly thanks to Dr. Madsen!

Dr. Madsen was the BEST. I heard so many horror stories about American Heritage, and Madsen made it seem like his class would be crazy hard, but it was one of my favorite classes. His class is really philosophical, and he takes a very different approach to history. It's much more about how people develop over time than memorizing random facts

Madsen is a great professor with interesting lectures. His class and tests are challenging, but he and the TAs want you to succeed and do everything to help you! I definitely recommend taking from Madsen!!

He'll try to scare you the first day not to take his class, but don't listen to him. By far the BEST AHTG professor at BYU. Lectures are really engaging. TA's can be really awesome, just be their friend and participate in Labs and I promise they will do you some SOLID favors. Honestly, skim the readings and go to the review room, that's the key

For the criteria he has to cover, he honestly does an amazing job. If you don't get the material, there are 15 min review sessions every day. Makes you think intellectually not just memorize nonsense. Changed my perspective about a lot of things in life. The class has real world applications. There are some essays but they are nicely graded.

Madsen gave some lectures that changed my life. I loved all of his insights and just soaked in this class. Pro tips: make a flash card per PP slide, go to 15 min review sessions EVERYday, and listen hard during lecture. If you do that it will be hard not to get a good grade. Kinda looks like Colin Cowherd ngl.

This class is really Good but also really Hard! He motivates and explains topics on a clear way helping you connect them however no matters how good you do on the class everything depends on the midterms and the final. all my essays and quizzes in class were 100 but i totally failed the final. His tests are very ambiguous in my opinion.

Most of the points come from the tests, and the tests are all about the readings and lectures. This class is only difficult if you don't do the readings. The rest of the points come from two short papers and other short assignments. Follow the clear grading criteria and you'll get the points.

The only thing hard about this class is his tests, which unfortunately are worth 70% of your grade. Other than that, his other assignments are easy and totally manageable. He is a really fun and kind teacher. Definitely one of my favorite classes and teachers at BYU.

Dr. Madsen was INCREDIBLE. It was definitely the hardest I have worked in a class but man, was it worth it. Dr. Madsen's lectures were honestly life changing. This class demands A LOT and there is a lot of reading, but it was easily my favorite class. Take this class!!!

I really enjoyed this class, but not so much the test. He will make you work for your grade. Take good notes as a lot of his test questions will be directly from lectures, and the slides that he posts aren't really that great. Be ready to read, and be ready to make connections between multiple authors and points of views.

A.H. is a beast no matter what prof you take it from, but Dr. Madsen does a good job of making the class applicable while preparing you for his style of tests (tests q's are written like LSAT q's; they're HARD). Go to TA reviews as much as possible, they will SAVE you! Attendance is a must, test q's are based on his take on history.

This was one of those classes that really changed my view of the world, mostly thanks to Dr. Madsen. This COULD have been a dull history class. He has turned it into a deep, philosophical class that is oddly very applicable to our modern world and helps you understand our country and culture so much better. Maybe less straight-forward but amazing!

Dr. Madsen is an awesome teacher. The class is hard no matter what, but Dr. Madsen's lectures really help you understand the content and prepare you for the tests. Even when the readings were impossible to understand, his lectures made everything clear. One downside is the tests are ridiculously hard and weighed a lot. He does curve!

Take American Heritage from Grant Madsen! Professor Madsen's lectures are very engaging. There's a fair amount of reading, but it's mostly not from the textbook, and it's all interesting. Madsen weaves together the different authors's perspectives in really cool ways, and helps you really think about the ideas. Stay on top of the readings, though!

Madsen's class is killer if you do not get abstract political concepts. Tests are about understanding versus memorizing. I LOVED his class. His tests are dang hard if you do not understand the material, but it teaches you so much about what you believe and gets you to really understand American History

Professor Madsen is one of my top 5 favorite professors. His class makes you think. I had to create a study group and know the topics inside and out to do well. Even then, a B on the first exam left me unable to recover to an A. However, sometimes learning is not about the grade, but rather the useful experience and amazing teacher. Great class!

I love Professor Madsen, but I would never ever tell anyone to take any class other than History 200 from him. His tests are BRUTAL, but there are no tests in 200, which is why I say that. I respect this guy so much. He is brilliant, so helpful, and really fun to talk to, but seriously don't take any class that has tests from him.

Professor Madsen was great. He was always helpful when it came to my questions and feedback. Visiting him during office hours was helpful too and emailing him.

A lot of studying but DO NOT TAKE AHTG FROM ANY OTHER PROFESSOR. Prof. Madsen is the best. Probably one of my top 3 favorite classes at BYU if you are willing to put in the work. Just go to the TA reviews every day and you will do well:)

If you're looking to lazy your way through a GE, don't take Madsen. However, his class was one of my favorites! His lectures are never dull and he's really funny and sarcastic. His exams are difficult but you really just have to listen to what he emphasizes. The paper helps your grade too. You most likely won't get an A, but you learn a lot.

He started out the semester by saying we shouldn't take his class because we wouldn't get an A. Yeah, he's not for everyone. But I'm so glad I stuck with it because his lectures, his insights, and his delivery are so perfect and made me really think like school never has before. His tests are hard, for sure. I got an A, btw. Curve saves the day!

Amazing class. Very insightful professor that doesn't draw conclusions for you, but presents all the historiography so you can make your own decisions.

Take AHTG from Madsen, he is the best! His lectures were very interesting and changed how I think about history. Make sure you do the readings. His tests are honestly not as bad as everyone says, just be very familiar with the authors of the readings and how they relate to each other, and you'll be good! Highly recommend his class!!

A cool class actually. People make it sound harder than it is just because freshman come in not being used to actually having to try in a class. Just pick up what he's putting down in lecures and skim through the readings and you'll be fine.

He's a great guy, and he cares about his students. I enjoyed that he tried to tie the gospel to ahtg in a unique way. His lectures were interesting but made no sense sometimes. His tests were the "what is Madsen thinking?" kind of tests, and they are very unfairly weighted but overall Madsen was a good guy. TAs were woke though which was annoying.

Madsen is a solid professor. His class is very conceptual, so not very focused on dates or historical facts. Lectures are very dense, so get ready to take good notes. If you can explain the main beliefs and ideas of authors/readings, and compare them to each other, you can get a good grade in this class. Overall a tough but interesting class.

I was in the international section for AHTG, so my grade ended up being curved. Dr. Madsen does a good job of teaching the material. The tests are content heavy and structured like LSAT questions, so they are challenging. It is not just memorizing information.

If you have to take American Heritage, take it from him! He only gives one assignment a week. He posts his lecture slides. The tests are hard but the other assignments are easier. You'll need to study for exams. I suggest you reread important readings, review slides and go to reviews. Great Professor! He made me love and enjoy this class!

Dr. Madsen has great lectures and you can tell that he really cares about the subject. This class does require a lot of work, but I think it's worth it. Make sure to take advantage of TA review rooms though!

Dr. Madsen was a great professor. His tests push you to really understand the content, and they can be very hard and long. Lectures were very interesting but sometimes very content heavy. He loves his job and you can see it. He never lets his political opinions influence his teaching at all. American Heritage is hard if you take it from anybody.

Took this class Winter 2023 and was nervous because of the AHTG100 horror stories. Madsen's class wasn't easy, but no section of AHTG100 is. I rarely went to class (slept thru my alarm) but when I did it was interesting. Read the packet and textbook readings THOROUGHLY before each exam and you'll be good

Dr Madsen was stellar, highly recommend. I went in to the class expecting another history lecture, but he made it so much more than that. Instead of memorizing dates and places, we learned about political theorists Locke, Hobbes, etc. I loved how it all came together, everything we learned was relevant to the rest of the course AND to our lives.

Do the readings and meet with him regularly. Take his slides seriously, because they are your biggest asset in terms of studying for the tests. His lectures are inspiring and you can tell how much he cares about the subject matter. If I had attended his office hours earlier in the semester, my grade would have been much higher.

Nicest guy ever, but this class was one of the hardest I've ever taken. His teaching style is based on theories and this class is more econ than history, which I didn't expect. The readings were extremely difficult to grasp, and I HAD to go into office hours to even dream of passing the tests. If you like his style, you'll love it, but I struggled.

Taking this class by Professor Madsen was the best decision I have made. His exams are hard and each question is super long so be ready to take a lot of time. But even though it is challenging the TAs are super helpful and go to them and the AHTG room for help!!!!! Just a few papers that are short and the TAs are very helpful.

Fantastic professor. Smaller workload than other A HTG professors by far, an A is completely manageable. Great lecturer, intelligent professor, clear grading criteria, interesting material. Take this class from Madsen. Go to daily 15 minute reviews, study before exams, and you'll be fine.

Professor Madsen is the best! Take American Heritage from him. I was so scared this class would be crazy hard. You definitely have to put in effort, but it's totally doable. Madsen cares so much about what he is teaching. He teaches more the philosophy of American history and politics, rather than testing on specific dates. Take it from him!

This class was INCREDIBLE. He has the most interesting lectures that felt applicable and important. If you just put in a little work, you can easily get a good grade. He won't test you on specifics, you just need to know arguments and how they connect to one another. He was unbiased talking about politics, and this class made me a better person.

I LOVED this class because Dr. Madsen makes it so much about why things happened the way they did instead of just stating the facts. Readings are almost all by famous philosophers, which is really cool. Lectures are easy to pay attention to since Dr. Madsen inserts stories and short video clips to reinforce his points.

Dr. Madsen is a great professor and made American Heritage interesting. To do well in the class, I would recommend never doing any of the readings and just listening closely to his lectures. He gives you everything you need to get an A on his tests in lectures and the slides he posts online.

I will admit that at the beginning of this class I didn't apply myself at all, which made the second half of the semester very difficult. Dr. Madsen is TOUGH. You have to know what his thought process is on the test. The tests are SO complicated, if you're not a good test taker take it from someone else, even if Dr. Madsen has the highest rating.

I honestly loved the content of this class. Principle-based with a philosophical approach rather than a history/facts approach. However, the tests are brutal. If you want to get an A, you'll have to read all of the readings thoroughly, go to the review room every week, meet with your TA, and study on average 12-15 hrs for each test.

I don't know why everyone is saying his exams are so difficult, and I am a terrible test taker. If you go to any of the test review session and read over his lecture slides before exams, you'll do great. His lectures were engaging, he is very self aware, and you can tell he is passionate about teaching, his students, and the course material.

I was scared for American Heritage but I LOVED Dr. Madsen's class. His lectures are interesting and he remains politically neutral. The tests were hard but if you read the questions slowly and carefully you will do well if you understand the readings. If you are politically open-minded and have enough school under your belt, this class will be fine

Dr. Madsen is Amazing! Don't take this class from anyone but him. His lectures were very informative and needed to do well on the tests. I won't lie this is the hardest class I have taken, but it was worth it. My advice is to go to the review room every day, attend the test reviews as long as possible, and attend Dr. Madsen's office hours!

I got an A...a small price to pay for salvation...jokes aside this was the hardest class I have ever taken. Attend review rooms and his office hours consistently and come prepared with questions!! Study the lectures as soon as you can.

Dr. Madsen was a great professor! His lectures were really interesting and I felt like I learned a lot of useful information that helps me better understand current politics. The main downside was that the tests were extremely difficult (and for my class they were worth 70% of our grade), so definitely go to the review room.

Well rounded and reasonable teacher. I wish the class was more history and less political philosophy. He didn't talk about WWII at all but talked loads about his own subjective ideas and philosophies. Incredibly difficult tests and a tremendous amount of reading. But if you do all the reading and thoroughly annotate, you'll do fine.

Professor Madsen is more interested in students walking away from the class with a good understanding, rather than just a grade or completion credit. To achieve that, he assigns a lot of reading and the exams are hard (but doable if you really take the time to know your stuff). Dr. Madsen is very friendly and helpful during office hours.

I enjoyed learning a lot from this professor; he made American Heritage feel less intimidating. Tests are worth about 70% of your grade so be prepared to study. The TA reviews were good; as long as you went to those and understood the readings well, you'll do fine. Mostly focused on political philosophy with some history which was interesting.

One of, if not the best teacher I ever had. I've never been very interested in history, but when I was taking his American Heritage class I was actually excited to go to the lectures because they were always engaging and interesting. I enjoyed his class so much, to the point that I'm considering switching majors to take more classes like this.

Professor Madsen gave amazing lectures and made everything clear and easy to understand. The tests were hard, but the class was totally worth it. I learned so much, and definitely would recommend taking from him!

Professor Madsen's lectures were always engaging and interesting. The tests are challenging but doable if you put in the work. unstuck study ai was super helpful for study prep, along with the TA review sessions. Overall, a demanding but rewarding class.

AH is a hard class. The way the grading percentages is done is stressful. However, the content that Professor Madsen taught and the way that he taught was so amazing. I fell in love with the class because of him. Learn the concepts of the readings. GO TO TA REVIEWS. I don't usually do readings for classes, but I would do the reading for this class.

Prof. Madsen is fantastic. He provides the readings, you give a short response before class, which is discussion based (two tests and a final paper, very manageable.) If you go to class and do the work, there's no reason you can't do well. He's very available outside class, and he actually wants to help you apply stuff to the real world. A+ class.

Dr. Madsen goes above and beyond for his students. I lived out of state but needed to take this course for graduation and he zoomed me into every class and met with me weekly to go over all the readings and make sure I was understanding the material. Can not recommend him enough. His classes are engaging and interesting and he truly cares.

Dr. Madsen was an awesome teacher to take AH from! He really seems to know what he is teaching about and is good at accepting feedback from students! I really enjoyed this class and feel like I was able to learn so much! There are a lot of reviews to attend for tests which made them easier to study for. Tests are 70% of your grade so beware…

You will read about 400 pages this semester. Most of your grade is reliant upon exams. They are extremely tough, and you need to know the viewpoints and beliefs of the authors and how they would compare with others. Go to the review room! In all, he gives great lectures that are a lot of information to take in at once.

I loved him because he made the class interesting. It was so good and I would definitely want him as a professor again. He got me so interested in everything that I learned.

I've heard so many horror stories about American Heritage, but I honestly loved this class. I don't know how hard it is from other professors, but Dr. Madsen made it a breeze. He is such a nice guy and definitely cares about his students. If you put in the work to do the readings and learn the concepts, you'll be just fine.

Professor Madsen is hands down my favorite professor I have had at BYU. I looked forward to his lectures each week. The workload is honestly not too bad. If you make sure to come to class and the TA reviews, you should be fine. I will say that his tests are hard but once you get the hang of them, they're doable!

Explains things very clearly and fair with the tests. Lectures are interesting and broken up with fun video clips. Overall his lectures were inspiring and thought provoking. American Heritage, at least with Professor Madsen, isn't as bad as people make it sound.

Professor Madsen is maybe the closest thing you'll ever get to a "college professor." He can make you care about a subject that you didn't. He'll try and scare you by saying only 25% of students get an A, but it's not bad. Go to Review Room, when taking notes in lecture pay attention to connections and do the readings before class. Don't get behind

American Heritage is a difficult class. I would wait to take it until at least your sophomore year. I do not like politics, but I LOVE Dr. Madsen and would recommend taking it from him. Classes are big, but he genuinely cares to have his students succeed. Go to office hours and get to know him; he's willing to help you greatly on a personal level.

Amazing professor! Teaches political issues in the most understandable way I've ever heard. American Heritage isn't nearly as hard as people say (or at least if you take it from Madsen). Super engaging lectures and awesome TA's. Use the slides for studying!

As long as you attend lectures and pay attention, you will do fine. There is hardly any homework. AHTG only has a bad rap because everyone takes it their first semester of college, this course was not challenging, but that could also be because of how Madsen structured his lectures and made the topics interesting and easy to understand.

I love Dr. Madsen!! I don't like politics or economics but Dr. Madsen is an incredible professor and his lectures are really interesting. He knows his course content so well and you can tell he's passionate about it. Tests can be tricky but they're manageable once you know what to expect. I looked forward to his lectures every day. He is so good.

Dr. Madsen is AMAZING! This class is not hard. Dr. Madsen teaches each lecture in such a comprehensible way. He is entertaining and hilarious. The TA's hold reviews for each reading literally every single day. If you use your resources, then the material makes so much sense and the tests are not very difficult at all. I learned SO much and loved it

Professor Madsen is a great lecturer! He made a topic that to me is really boring relatively interesting. The class itself isn't difficult aside from the exams. The exams are very difficult and even if you know the content very well they can be difficult. If you have to take AHTG I would recommend professor Madsen just know it's a hard class!

Professor Madsen is passionate about what he teaches, and the lectures are engaging. Take notes on lectures and attend all the TA labs. He focuses on authors and their ideas and beliefs, as well as how those interact with the positions of other authors. This makes his tests (and studying for them) different from most other classes I've had.

He really wants you to come to understand the material for yourself, so he'll create discussion around it so that you can come to your own. Will also challenge your thinking which I really appreciate. Super nice, really personable, overall fantastic professor.