I took Prof. Brownlee's Middle East Today course & loved it. He is very knowledgeable, & I learned a ton in the course. There are no tests, only essays. His lectures are interesting and easy to follow. I would definitely recommend this class if you have any interest in the Middle East, or his other classes, because he's awesome.

Brownlee is one of my favorite professors. I will definitely take another class of his. He puts his lecture slides online, so don't worry if you miss a class. Discussion classes are necessary because there are weekly 2 question quizzes. The UGS class is not that hard as long as you read and do the assignments. He doesn't grade too hard.

It was the easiest UGS ever. There were a lot of essays, but you have the chance to rewrite after you receive feedback. I never attended lectures and I still got a A, so I would 10/10 recommend

Best Class at UT- Brownlee is an amazing professor, attendance is not mandatory, material is actually interesting. Would take another class of his again. If you memorize the class made study guide, you will get an A. 3% extra credit. Highly recommend.

This is a very interesting and easy UGS. There are many grades that are gimme 100s. You must show up to weekly discussion sessions but they're easy and enjoyable. Lectures are optional. He is invested in his students, really cares about their questions, and wants to give you the tools to make your own decisions. Very fair and well taught course

6 reflection papers (1 dropped), 2 in-class essay exams, and 1 research paper. An A is pretty difficult to achieve since the class is graded by such few things and Jason doesn't curve, but it's possible. Lots of reading, more than most classes, but manageable. TAs are helpful and participation matters in discussion sections. Class taught me a lot.

Professor Brownlee really cares about his students. He was always very accommodating and willing to help. He was extremely knowledgable in his field, and exposed us to wide variety of sources. I feel like I am coming away knowing a lot more than I did when I entered his class. His tests are written, but he is very helpful in guiding you.

I took this class because it was required but I ended up having the BEST TIME. My friend and I are in this class together and now we're obsessed with foreign policy. Brownlee is super knowledgable and his exams are very fair. 11/10 recommend

I would take this class. It's completely changed my political beliefs. I'm not sure if it was the reading material or Professor Brownlee's lectures, but I walked in a moderate liberal and came out a leftist.

Very knowledgeable guy, passionate about his subject and really cares about his students. His readings are heavy, and you'll be quizzed every week. Lectures are interesting with video interludes. Attendance is mandatory. Quizzes are composed of MCQs and short answer questions, and are easy if you read the slides religiously. Definitely recommend!

Good class to take for gov credit. Three papers and three tests make up a very large percent of your grade. LOTS of reading, do not fall behind or else you'll be cramming it all the night before the test. Lecture is required, most of the test material comes from it. Lectures are interesting if not a bit slow. Study guides are provided before tests.

Good professor who is very knowledgable about Middle East/US foreign policy. The class is two papers and three exams, all of which are take home and directly connected to the class material. Definitely would recommend taking him for a GOV312L credit, some of the other gov professors are significantly harder.

Brownlee is super passionate and knowledgeable. He is really clear about grading and its super easy to do well. Grading is super lenient. He is super super.

If you need a gov credit, take him. You'll get a great grade if you do what little things he asks and his lectures aren't mandatory, but they will definitely benefit you if you go. Also, here are no exams, he is very approachable, and his lectures are a lot more interesting that i anticipated. I highly recommend! Take him and get a good grade.

Professor Brownlee's lecture were very engaging. We had two readings per week (about 20 pages each) and only 3 tests/ 2 papers. He was clear about what he wanted to see and if you watched the lectures and did all of the readings, you'd certainly pass. I spent about 5 hours a week on this class, including lectures. Easy/fun class, highly recommend!

Follow up from the 3.0 rating I made earlier. I was just really sleepy and irritated when I wrote it. I do think the online format is not engaging especially as we're all sick of covid times. However, I do think the material that the professor discusses is very eye opening and insightful. He has changed my perspective significantly.

Absolute gem! I took this course Asynchronous and while there were a few hiccups, overall a very engaging class taught by a professor who seemed genuinely passionate. The open notes policy for tests is extremely generous and if you're stuck go to his office during hours he is very attentive to your questions. Just take good notes and you're golden!

There are a lot of readings and lectures every week, which is expected for an online course. However, if you at least put in some effort, you will do well in the class. If you communicate with Brownlee and the TA's they will be very understanding. There were many test and quiz adjustments throughout the semester that helped make the class easier.

Thought I would be bored, but I value what I have learned. Kind professor, Just watch lectures on 2x speed, no essays, multiple-choice & open-book exams. Defo take him (great online prof) I feel like I have a truthful understanding on US stance in foreign relations with the Middle East; unweighted by patriotism or propaganda.

I think that he was a very interesting professor but I know a lot of his other students did not like his style. It's very reading heavy and you're not graded on much except 5 quizzes and 3 exams. There was no final for 312L. His lectures have very few slides, so you need to get good at taking notes. Overall, I enjoyed the class but format was rough

This class was not difficult in the slightest. The lectures are incredibly interesting and relevant. It was asynchronous so I didn't have any direct interaction with Brownlee, but from the lectures he seemed like a pretty good guy. I didn't bother doing the readings because he posted the answers to the reading questions. Decent amount of work.

don't listen to everyone. You are good as long as you watch the lectures and take good notes. Tests are open notes and the professor listened to feedback on things students didn't like/struggled with. He made changes for the benefit of the students. He is a really good professor.

Easy class where all quizzes and tests are over materiel covered by lectures and readings.

This is a very easy class. Just watch the lectures and take good notes. The exams and quizzes are straightforward. Their all multiple choice, online, and open note. Honestly one of the easiest A's I've gotten at UT.

Grade consists only of 3 exams & 5 quizzes (all open note). Pay attention to lecture and take good notes. There were some issues in the beginning of the course (first time it was online only) but the professor and TAs did listen and make changes to the class. Some of the criticism is just people complaining they actually had to put in any effort.

asynch gov class i mean what else could u ask for. find a study group and you'll be fine. there are alot of readings & lectures but easy bc everything is open note. quizzes are given periodically and 3 exams no final. suuuuper chill class bc u can plan when to study and you don't have to go to class. would recommend if u need gov312L credit.

This class can be very challenging if you don't keep up with each week's work. The test are very lecture heavy, so you do have to watch and take notes. There are a few readings every week too. Being an on-demand class makes it challenging, but Prof Brownlee does address concerns to make sure the course is fair.

All assignments are multiple choice quizzes and exams, no final, and each one comes with a small curve. 3 points of extra credit were also given for submitting course surveys. Lectures consist of 15-30 minute videos for each unit.

He is a very nice/quirky guy who clearly knows a lot and is passionate about the topic of US foreign policy. Lots of lectures to watch, but if you do, the class is easy. Would recommend him, an A is very doable. I learned a lot from this class.

Professor Brownlee's knowledge and enthusiasm for the topic come through the lectures, which contain all of the information you need to do well on exams. Take good notes, and you'll be fine. All quizzes and exams were open note, and the class only took around 2 hours a week to keep up with.

I never once spoke to this guy if I'm honest. However, the class was so easy to the point that I think it should be revamped. I really enjoyed hearing all about national security from Brownlee, and you could tell in his videos that he cared a ton about the subject. You are only graded on tests and quizzes, and some questions were worded terribly.

At first this class scared me, but Brownlee and his teaching team listened to students and really made the course better. We got 3 points of EC on the final grade and the 2nd and 3rd tests weren't bad (plus a big curve on the first one). I never watched the lectures, just relied on students notes in the GroupMe and got an A. You got this!!

Despite some complaints from others, I found his class very easy. It's all online and you only have to watch lectures and take a quiz or exam every week. Very simple if you manage your time well. Lectures were normally about an hour long and very manageable. I took this with all stem classes and found it easy. would recommend him!

3 midterms make up 75% of your grade and the other 25% are quizzes. You really have to watch all of the posted lectures and do most of the readings in order to succeed on these assessments. And holy crap was there a sh#! ton of lectures and readings that you had to do. If you procrastinate like me, you'll suffer the night before a quiz or a test ;(

If you need the government core credit take this class. Class made up of quizzes and tests, lowest quiz getting dropped. Lectures are straightforward

The subject matter of his course isn't something I'm familiar with or interested in, but the class is easy to succeed in. Your grade is based on short quizzes, which I prefer over writing essays in other govt courses. He curved all the exams and the mean grade of the class was a 91. Write notes or get the lecture transcript and you should be fine.

This class has six short essays, a research project, and a group debate project on top of a midterm essay. It is challenging in terms of research and content and there is a good amount of reading. However, Professor Brownlee is always willing to help and is generally an easy grader. He also gives tons of extra credit that are based on the readings.

Super easy class, you do everything at your own pace. Only assignments are quizzes and tests, but they're mostly from the lecture. Honestly, just skim through the lectures and the rest is common sense. Definitely would take again.

A very good class with a new insight on US foreign policy. However, there is a lot of lectures that may go off tangets and would be hard to keep up in a timeline, but if you pay attention and with common sense it should all make sense. He drops your lowest quiz and there are 3 tests that would equal to 75% of the grade.

Dr. Brownlee was not a bad professor, I really enjoyed the course content, it is just extremely hard to focus because the lectures are BORING as I'll get out. The readings are interesting and the topic overall is cool imo. You have to do well on pretty much every assignment because there are 100pts total and each question is 0.5pts, so good luck.

his tests and quiz information all come from his lectures and his readings and there are a lot of long lectures to watch through. I thought that the class was really interesting and the tests are not bad if you take good notes and pay attention. There are almost weekly quizzes on Thursdays and three tests. He offers some extra credit.

lectures are long but using a video speed installation made it durable. six quizzes and three exams- all open note so just take really good notes. some readings as well, but i think the lectures are more important. gave a few extra credit points. the class is really interesting though, so recommend for gov requirement!

Would never take this class with anyone else. If you want an easy, don't do anything GOV class, 100% do it this class. All you do is a quiz each week. That's it. Never went to class. Never did the homework. Final grade is a 98%.

6 quizzes, 3 exams, all open note and all entirely based on the lectures and readings. Super easy if you take good notes during the lectures, you can't just rely on the PPT slides, you actually need to listen to what he's saying!

Brownlee is super passionate about GOV, and his lectures were very insightful. Although they were sometimes a little long, I really liked them. The class is graded by a few quizzes and exams, which seems harsh at first, but he gives a lot of extra credit, and assessments are open notes. Also, take down notes for every detail in lecture!

So glad I took this class... easiest class I've taken at UT. 3 tests, 6 quizzes (one gets dropped), all open note, and they are so easy so long as you pay attention to the lectures. Lectures and readings can be long, but you can watch in 2x. Offers a lot of extra credit too, so the class becomes much easier. Take Brownlee over any other professor

If you want an easy GOV312L online take this class. It's all asynchronous so have good time management and download an extension that allows you to speed up lectures because he talks kind of slow. The subject matter is mildly interesting and he seems to be well versed in the topic. There are 6 quizzes and 3 exams.

Very lecture heavy--handful of hours each week, a couple readings per week, too. Grading criteria is very clear: 6 quizzes (lowest is dropped) and 4 exams. I was nervous to take gov at UT, but it really wasn't that bad. Videos are engaging, and he's a cool guy.

If you need to take a GOV class take this. All asynchronous which makes it nice. Take it

Very insightful and interesting lectures. I liked Dr. Brownlee's nuanced takes on the subject material. Tests were word for word from his talking points. Great class.

Laughably easy. Everything is online, didn't watch a single lecture. Spent maybe 30 minutes on this class each week, definitely take this if you have other hard classes.

I unexpectedly found this class extremely interesting. Brownlee's lecture style is on the drier side, but he knew what he was talking about. Grading is extremely simple (3 Exams and 6 quizzes). My one gripe would be how strangely worded and unpolished the exams were. Repeated questions, missing answers, etc. Pretty solid overall.

It's an online asynchronous class. Brownlee is a little boring, but it doesn't really matter in a class like this. Take good notes and you'll ace the tests which are just straight fact memorization. Definitely take Brownlee over any other option.

It's online .........

Lectures are really interesting. Dr. Brownlee makes it easy and digestable, I learned a LOT about US National Security that I didn't know before. It's asynchronous, but all set out in a really easy way.

Class was easy to balance with stem-heavy classes and was also very well structured. Learned a lot in this class and was glad I took it with him!

Dr.Brownlee clearly knows his stuff and this government class based on foreign policy is made quite interesting by his lectures. Exams are open note to the course material so I didn't necessarily need to read the written material, I would just reference it during the exam. An async class worth taking for a 2nd US Government credit!

Not sure why he's rated so low. GOV312L was the easiest course I've taken at UT so far...

Easiest class for GOV... if you need the credit take him. 100% online and graded by only a few easy quizzes and tests. Not hard to get an A at all

Easy A, the grade is entirely made up of quizzes and exams.

Good gov class, lectures are very in-depth and chronologically present events. Very easy class as well, exam questions are very basic, pay attention in lecture and you'll be fine.

Great class to take for core gov credit if offered online. Can be tough if in person.

This was the easiest class EVER! The grades are made up by weekly quizzes and 3 exams.... SO EASY. TAKE THIS CLASS IF YOU NEED GOV CREDITS- easy A.

Great way to claim government credit! I learned a lot of info about the US intervention in other countries, something that goes a long way to being informed on current global policies. The quizzes and tests are not hard, but you must take notes on every recorded lecture.

His lectures are awful but the class is so easy

I didn't expect to like this class as much as I did! It was a last minute registration so I didn't even know what I signed up for, but if you have any interest in geopolitical affairs / US involvement in the Middle East you will learn a lot in this class. Assignments were easy as they were open note. I found lectures most enjoyable at 2x speed.

Dr. Brownlee's course is set up to ensure your success. His lectures are genuinely interesting if you watch them (2x speed will be your best friend). The class is not hard; quizzes and exams are representative of what was taught. I would honestly only take GOV312L with Dr. Brownlee. Only 3 exams & 6 quizzes; syllabus is very clear. Great professor.

Lectures can be interesting but watching it at 2x speed is good enough to know what you need to know. Quizzes and exams are super easy, most of it is just looking up dates and names from your notes. The readings didn't show up on the exams too much

If you watch his lectures in 2x speed, you'll get through. He shares his insight and opinion which is pretty interesting to hear. The quizzes/exams are multiple choice, and there are some readings to do (usually 2-3 articles per quizzes/exams) but they're easy to read. Really liked this class.

Very nice professor who goes in-depth about the subject matter. Be sure to take a lot of notes on lectures and readings because the test/quizzes are fact recall questions from those notes (not analysis based). Tests and quizzes are no longer open note as of this summer, so be sure to memorize. Very easy A all around though.

This class was a very easy way to fill my core requirement! The lectures are posted in Canvas, put them in 2x speed and write down everything. The class is 25% quizzes and 75% exams, but you have three exams and six quizzes (with one quiz being dropped). They also gave extra credit through doing course surveys and filling out other forms.

Online lectures were informative and relevant with easy to follow concepts. Not much material to study for exams, but the exams were fair. Reading was all pdf attachments but the reading questions guide what to take out from them.

I do not understand where the bad reviews from this semester are coming from. I am a STEM major and this class was a cake walk. Not only that, but it was interesting. It really doesn't get better then this for the government credit at UT. Take if able.

This is a great class. Its just online lectures and quizzes with a few tests. The class is extremely useful and relevant in learning modern foreign policy. youll understand the histroy of US intervention and past trends.

Easy A if you put in light effort (6 hr/2 wks). Watch lectures, take brief notes, and do comprehension checks. Reading not needed. Exams contain direct comprehension check questions (less at beginning). “Lectures feel like podcast scripts” but are fine. Grading seemed harsh but wasn't; mean 95, median 97. Honorlock, 2 points EC. Great GPA booster.

This class was a lot harder before I realized the tests pull questions straight from the quizzes. If you study the quizzes you will do just fine.