3.2
Quality3.7
Difficulty53%
Would Retake120
Reviews53%
Would Retake
120
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
39
4
21
3
20
2
18
1
22
What Students Say
“doesn't make expectations of students clear”
POLS2420 - 3.0 rating“Professor Atkinson is a great professor and human being”
PPAS3160 - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
85%
Textbook Required
75%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.87 avg changeRatings by Course
3510
5.0
(1)SOSC2470
5.0
(1)POLS3570
5.0
(1)POLS3700
5.0
(2)POLS4155
5.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
POLS3470
5.0
POLS1090
5.0
POLISCI
5.0
POLS3740
5.0
POLS3310
5.0
Reviews (120)
No Comments
Obsessed with using 8+ syllable words. Not very clear, and pretty monotone. Always runs class late (start and end!).
No Comments
Never around to talk to for help (and on the off chance you catch him, he's VERY unhelpful) and the language used in class is mind-numbing...will someone please tell him to keep it simple?!?!
Hard marker. Very passionate and knowledgable about subject, but uses complex english. Most of the words are made up. Unclear in his explanations. Very spaced out and philosophical about his answers.
WORST LECTURER EVER!!!!
Terrible lecturer. Useless during class time and useless all the time. Unclear use of language and was ALWAYS late. Also, he often had the class very confused with his awkward choices of words.
he is the most boring lecturer ever. he intentionally uses complicated word when the same thing could have said it simply. the course material he teaches is very boring.
He needs to use words that exist in the english language.
VERY long winded. He usually just summarizes the readings. Very hard to listen to. Approaches topics from a very dry, legal-institutional background.
fascinating material, arrogant teacher
I don't know what's up with the reviews on this page. I suggest you pick up dictionaries and study them if you have trouble with his choice of words. This is a prof who knows his stuff and refuses to dumb it down. He's passionate and has always been helpful with me. He encourages class discussion and keeps it interesting.
The professor is like a personable, helpful encyclopedia. He seems to know an infinite amount on the course topic from all the diverse perspectives. He is also very passionate about the topics which makes the lectures and discussion interesting. The downside is that he is often late, gives long lectures and forgets to take breaks.
He is the worst Prof/T.A I have ever had, hes so in love with the sound of his own voice and he makes up words to sound even more boring. DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS!!!!!RUN!
I cannot believe that a university could hire such a poor professor as Kirk Atkinson. Besides putting himself on the highest pedastal, he is the driest lecturer I have ever had the DISPLEASURE of having to listen to. He failed to stimulate my interest in otherwise fascinating topics. He should be labelled with: "Use at your own risk."
DO NOT TAKE THIS PROF! I manage to sit through 1/3 of his class and dropped it right away. His power point notes are like essays, he uses big words to make himself look good, never explains anything. Do not take him!
He just needs to be clearer. He has so much potential, but he should make it more exciting and engaging.
He can be very boring when he lectures but he is very helpful during his office hrs. He will take his time explaining you things. overall i think he is a great professor
Atkinson is a terrible course director. His powerpoint notes are very long, redundant and overall inefficient - not to mention packed with gramatical errors. At the beginning of the semester his class had 50 poeple attending lectures; two weeks later there were only 20. There is a reason for that. Do not take his class!!!
I found the professor to be quite helfpul during lecture and during his office hours. His sletion of class material provide a great overall understanding of core issues and is a very approchable prof. A great professor for people interested in globalization/political economy.
He cannot spell and his grammar is atrocious. You'll realize this when you read his powerpoint slides. He uses superfluous (irony intended) language in order to demonstrate how smart he is. Of course he often commits malapropisms becuase he misuses the words he utilizes. It's good for a chuckle as he ends up making himself seem less intelligent.
DO NOT TAKE HIM!!! Unless you are very knowledgebale on the subject he is teaching, beware. He spends the entire class talking or telling students why they are wrong. Everyone drops his class early on, dont waste your time to find out for yourself.
Amazing Professor! It’s a difficult coarse made easy to understand by this professor. His lectures are clear, organized, and in depth. He is extremely helpful and always available for assistance. GREAT PROFESSOR, GREAT COARSE!
I had Kirk for two classes, Multi I and II. He was much more clearer and helpful in the second term bc less students and he cut down on powerpoint. Other than that, he's a clear and good prof for political economy - not state related.
he's a great professor...but the problem with Kirk is that is so brilliant that sometimes he drains all the fun and excitement out vis-à -vis the power-point presentation…..beware, he’s cool professor, however, he’s teaching techniques need some minor alternations………
three words no grades submitted. this prof was good initially, he was helpfull with the essay. But at the end of the year he caused problems with submission of marks, which can be problem when you have to graduate.
I am extremely disappointed. Kirk talks above students as if he has nothing left to learn about the subject. Moreover, he did not return any of the final work for the course and grades were submitted late. He does not return student e-mails or calls. Kirk Atkinson was the worst professor I ever had at York. I do not recommend his course to anyone.
His concerted effort to be verbose is amusing; his power point slides are full of malapropisms and he seems to have minimal understanding of the concept of subject-verb agreement.If you value concise and cogent presentations, don't take his courses.
I took Caribbean development. I was not excited about this class at all, as I had no other course options. But after, I learnt so much and I loved it. As for the Prof, he loves sophisticated vocab, in papers esp, on exams he wants to see you have done your readings, ull get very high marks, on papers, he wants u to come up with ure own thinking! ok
I found him to be quite interesting for the most part, but he had a tendency to go on wild tangents. Also, when he poses questions to the class to discuss, they are usually at least a paragraph long, and he nails you if you don't make your answer concise enough for his liking.
Amazing Professor, took his class during the summer and he made it very enjoyable. While it was the first POLS class I have ever taken, he made it very interesting with great lectures that had great enthusiasm. Does not give marks for kissing butt, so you don't have to sit in front. Marking was fair, if you weren't prepared you didn't do well.
hard proff, but very helpful, forces you to think above and beyond and although its overwhleming at first.. it pays off in the end with other classes..jobs etc
very nice, approachable guy...doesnt post ppts so you need to go to class and take notes...exams are hard but if you study his notes you should be fine...wouldnt take another class with him but found him to be a decent guy.
I had the pleasure of having Atkinson as a prof for globalization1 (3240) and I dropped the class after 3 weeks. Doesn't make any sense, long lectures, too many notes, and in the end the only thing i learned is to ask the guy at the bus stop next time which class i should take... and i lost my money... thank u for nothing sir!
Amazing
This professor complicates the material, has long lecture notes and powerpoints, the font is so small in the powerpoints because he doesn't know how to make things more concise, and his lectures are boring. The worst part is that his tests/exams are brutal. You have to pay attention to every small details in the 100 pages reading.
Very interesting lectures and material. The course work is far too great for the time frame and much of the work is completed last minute. Also, demands very high degree of commitment from the students...can be an exhausting experience.
So confusing! He rambles on forever, and the readings are graduate level. The course had a lot of potential, but Atkinson made it PAINFUL! His grammar is non-existent and you will spend more time trying to figure out what he is trying to say then learning. If you have the choice, STAY AWAY!!
Very interesting lectures and discussions.Powerpoint slides are too long, and the weekly reading component is too much.Nevertheless, is very knowledgeable, interesting, helpful, encouraging and is good preparation for serious grad studies in political economy.For those students that don't understand his vocabulary get a dictionary and get serious!
don't take global south class with him. His tests have FILL IN THE BLANKS. that's right, fill in the blanks in a social science class! and his TAs are one of the most useless, dumb people I've ever met!
He uses a ridiculously large and unnecessary vocabulary which is hilarious. Pretty boring lecturer but the material was some what interesting...
His assignments are ridiculous they require A LOT of time and effort. Our first test was a take home test that required us to do 3 5 pages essays and 20 of the hardest multiple choice questions ever. Atkinson is a nice guy and very approachable but again his assignments are ridiculous....
I LOVED HIS PROF...HE WAS SO INFORMED ABOUT WHAT HE WAS TEACHING. BUT BRING A DICTIONARY. HE LOVES TO USE REALLY BIG WORDS. AFTER MY FIRST CLASS WITH HIM I PURPOSELY TOOK TWO MORE...AND HE'S HOT IN A WEIRD NERDY WAY...
He talks a lot
My kind of professor! Critically analyzes everything which is why the course is there folks - for us to learn!If you're not serious about learning or understanding Colonialism, then I suggest this course may not be for you.
Kirk is a powerhouse of theory and knowledge. Yes he can be arcane and verbose, but if you fully engage with his material, you will appreciate the complexity and richness he has to offer. In other words, if you're looking for a bird course, move along. But if you genuinely love the process of learning, he can only broaden your intellect.
Very intelligent, has profound knowledge of the material and is crystal clear with his explanations. Very understanding, but does have high expectations of his students. One of the best teachers and classes I have ever taken at York.
He is kind and helpful.Very approachable, a nice human being, accepts assignments long time after the due date without deducting marks =). But don?t make the mistake of taking his class to fulfill your gen-ed requirement (esp in 1st yr). For some reason, he uses such uncommon and pretentious vocabulary during lectures which most of the class doesn?
he uses such uncommon and pretentious vocabulary during lectures which most of the class doesn?t understand and he expects us to know the meaning of each and every economic jargon. So I would suggest taking his class only if you?re an ECON or POLS major or someone who has good knowledge in these areas.
its alot of work. he's abit difficult to follow in lecture. not the easiest course, would never suggest it.
BRUTAL TEACHER!!!!!!!!! BAD temper, unapproachable, he does not provide outlines, impossible to understand. STAY AWAY
Here's some advice...Google search every damn Political Science term in the world, print it out and bring it to class. His love of the word "Architecture" instead of using such simpler words as "change", "difference" or "what else" is mind numbing. I sent several e-mails with legit questions and concerns with no response. Assignments are retarded
Is there any other Professor out there that says, "Don't worry about the substance, worry about the format..." Really?
BORING
had him for multilateralism and global south. yes he uses big words like efficacious instead of effective but nothing you wont understand.. use em in your papers rlly.. is wicked with taking things in late and takes time to explain concepts and assignments to u if u approach him... rlly made me pay attention in class with his funny mannerisms
A very interesting man. I would advise against taking one of his courses for a gen ed requirement, but I find his classes a pleasure to attend and I leave every lecture thinking about a new idea or perspective I hadn't considered. He challenges his students and expects them to take the course seriously and push themselves - but it's worth the work.
Very kind man, understanding to personal issues and will be very accomodating to students in regards to exams and assignments. Not an easy marker, but students must attend lectures and do reading prior to class. Learned so much from professor and really engages students.
Prof. is pretty hilarious, he is definitely not an easy marker but will be accomodating to his students. Makes things interesting, but gets distracted and sometimes forgets what he was saying or what he was trying to say. lol I can truthfully say this is one of the few classes in uni. where I actually learned useful and interesting content
Great Professor. Be attentive and you should be fine.
Professor Atkinson can elaborate on a topic for 15 minutes. However, this elaboration explores various ideologies and therefore does not bias any political left or right students. Give it a go.
Awesome prof. Always willing to elaborate and re-explain things if needed. Approachable. Friendly. Knowledgeable. Lecture notes are posted online but will only get u like a C if u don't attend class and do the readings. He wants students to do well. 12 ppl got A's on the midterm. Possible to do very well in this class and learn lots.
My favorite professor in my entire university career. The lectures are very dense - 3 hours with only a 7 minute break - but very informative and in-depth. A very kind, funny and genuinely nice person.
Great Professor. Be attentive and you will be fine. Excellent knowledge of world eco-politics and reel politics
An amazing professor, not only is he the most intelligent man I have ever met in my life he is also one of the most approachable. DO not take his courses if you do not have an interest in the subject matter, as it can be a bit trying at times. Amazing professor is all I can say if you have the chance to take a course with him I highly suggest it!
Although he was not the professor for the course (he was my tutorial leader), I must admit that I learned much more from him than the actual prof who gave the lectures. He is the most understanding, kind, and approachable prof I ever had.He teaches mainly POL courses and that's not my major, but I wish I could take some of the courses he teaches!
This was my favorite professor this year. He wasn't the professor for the course but he was my TA. He did a much better job teaching the course material than the actual professor for the course. If you do the readings you'll do well and he'll be very nice to you. I didn't have a single complaint about him and he is very fair at marking.
Very esay to approach and talk too. Helpful. But marks hard, lectures drag on. Has a habbit of using big words to express simple ideas
Interesting class. Instructor was fair.
He is the best professor I've ever had in every respect. I could sit on his lectures for full 3 hours without taking a break and not feeling tired. I see it as a great opportunity to meet this professor. Great man.
You will benefit greatly from his classes. Your life might even change.
most helpful professor i have ever met. everyone of my peers enjoyed this class with this professor. bless his soul he is so intelligent
I had him as my TA for this course. Although there was a lot of political theory, he managed to simplify everything and bring it down to a level where everyone could understand. He knows his stuff very well and would highly recommend his class.
Good professor. Very knowledgeable of third world politics. No tricks on exams, but requires you to have knowledge of the content discussed in lecture. Posts lecture notes online. Very understanding and accommodating. Attendance is mandatory.
Brilliant professor. Highly recommended.
I had him as a TA and as a Prof., my three years at York and i can say he is the best prof. i've had so far. Helpful, intelligent, kind and understanding, most of all an amazing person to have a discussion or debate with. I plan to take more classes with him.
Love this guy. Keep on teaching my man!
He is by far the best professor at York. I have had him as a TA and as a Prof and enjoyed being in his class. He is very understanding and someone enjoyable to have a debate with.
He's an okay lecturer he just feels the need to speak elaborately using complicated words as though it some how makes him sound more educated. It's really hard to follow what he's saying when you have to stop to break down every sentence. He has a lot of enthusiasm though and he's nice enough.
Good Prof. makes difficult concepts easy to understand.
This was one of the hardest classes I have ever taken. The readings are insanely long, and you're assigned around 3 per week. However, if you need help he is there for you. He is very enthusiastic which keeps you engaged for the 3 hour lectures. He does have the tendency to use largecomplicated words to describe simple concepts which is difficult.
Kirk is absolutely brilliant. He's a tough marker, but he's always there to help if you need it. Just make an appointment with him. Also, be ready to spend your semester reading vigorously.
Professor Atkinson is a great professor and human being. I enjoyed his thoroughly prepared lectures and fruitful discussions. I would recommend to everyone interested in the subject to be part of a heated debates in his class. Thank you Professor Atkinson!
Professor Atkinson is a great Prof! He is one of those professors that really influences you and changes you. I loved his class and his teaching style. His Lectures are throughly prepared and his prescribed reading will always come in handy especially in grad school. Love him to the core!
doesn't make expectations of students clear. upon completing my essay, I read through his lectures to see if i had missed anything (i didn't - i included everything he spoke about and then some) and i still only received a 65-70%. his lectures are long, drained out and boring. he doesn't give breaks; offers to end class early instead but never does
not an easy class but a great prof
I took POLS4070 during the summer by Professor Atkinson. My first presentation was a complete bomb (My fault) that pushed my grade extremely low. Prof. Atkinson kept driving me and pushing me to make a comeback and I ended the class with a B+. I credit my fourth year success to him for preparing me to push myself in the final year.
Rich and helpful lecture notes. Attend all lectures and you're already 60 sure to pass due to the content of the lecture. Do the readings , ask questions and accept feedback and you'll excel in his classes. I wish I started my readings on time.
currently taking AP/PPAS 2420 with him. he is a very approachable professor, willing to answer any problems and questions you have. his lectures are LONG and conceptual based, he will expect you to do the readings. go to his office if you have any concerns b/c he is unresponsive with emails. unclear about grading, is late to upload slides, he's ok.
His lectures are extremely long and boring. He reads word for word what he has on his slides and often times rambles on about nothing. Marks hard. His syllabus said there would be online forums to use for participation but he never did anything with that. Would not recommend taking a class with him!
Ok, I really like him but DO NOT take a first year class with him. He is unable to teach at a 1st year level. His expectations are upper level, he is a VERY hard marker and the readings are dense and often primary sources. He's a nice man with a lot of passion! But has issues with organization, clarity and realistic expectations of a 1st years.
Kirk is a very nice and respected professor. However, he did not teach HREQ 1940 as a first year course, and marked very difficulty.
Professor Atkinson, although a kind professor if you speak to him directly - is very unclear and not specific. The lectures are a full 3 hours, and using powerpoint slides which are long and text heavy. I dreaded this class. He does give you a portion of the exam beforehand, but then the rest of the exam is difficult. He is a hard marker on papers.
Professor Atkinsons class was very informative and you learn a lot through the year. He makes you think critically about what you are learning instead of simply memorizing concepts. He expects lots of informed participation so come prepared for lecture.
One of the most unclear and confusing professors I have ever had. Time to retire. This review is for those who simply want an A (and don't consume their academic experience with their passions). Don't take his courses, he talks the full lecture time- you have to beg him for break time. He makes moodle a priority but doesn't even know how to use it.
Professor Atkinson is one of the kindest, most intelligent and well versed professors at YorkU. He is a wiz at a wide range of topics from civil rights, international relations, political economy to socio legal studies and much more. Take his classes if you are passionate about the material. Youll learn a lot and get an A.
Prof Atkinson is a nice person and very passionate about the topics he teaches, but he does it very poorly. His lectures are an absolute bore. He talks for hours and never gives breaks. His readings are absurdly long and information heavy. He marks very tough especially for a first year course. You have to work very hard to get an A in his class.
he is super nice and passionate, but it's hard for a first-year course. I went to all his lectures but still got a very low participation mark. the readings were very heavy. I would suggest taking another course for general education credits. overall he's a very nice prof, it's just that the course is hard.
The other reviews for him here are pretty spot on. Expect 3 hour lectures w/o breaks. You learn a ton with him, but unless you're very passionate about the material and academics I wouldn't take him. Lots of dense readings and he's a very picky marker. He would be much better suited to teaching at a graduate level than undergrad.
Prof. Atkinson might have longer lectures and mark harder, but from personal experience, I can say that if you do the readings and the work, and just participate, you WILL do well. I was terrified about this course after reading the reviews, but this motivated me to work even harder as I was anxious about it and did pretty well. Show up to class!
He gets off topic easily, if you ask him a question at the beginning of the class he will spend the next 30 mins talking about something that has nothing to do with the class, and because he rambles like this, you often have to stay late some times up to an hour and a half. I took his online course and absolutely hated it, nice guy, but worst prof.
Kirk is a kind person and yes he's brilliant... but his pedagogy needs work. Only prof I've met who will talk for 4 hours (course is only supposed to be 3) with ZERO breaks. Zoom class but never had his camera on... Slides are long and filled with spelling mistakes, Moodle disorganized, likes to use long and complex words for no reason.
Hes fine as a professor and is pretty informative, but INCREDIBLY horrible at communicating. He takes centuries to respond to emails, his assignment criteria is never clear. He gave us due dates so last minute. Its decently easy if you keep up with your notes, but dear god get ready to be stressed out over the silliest things. oh, and no breaks.
Professor Kirk seems like a nice man, but there's no way I'll pass his class. The content is great and he's very knowledgeable, but he's so hard to follow. His questions are jargon basically and usually need to be reworded to be understood. His lecture slides are so text-heavy because he just writes verbatim what he wants to say and reads it.
Average at best, lectures are boring. Some readings are long but the rest are alright. Materials aren't too difficult too but would not recommend taking his tutorial section. His section has an average of C+ (I believe multiple students had dropped the class) and the other tutorial leader tends to mark easier. Got a B+ in Farman's tutorial section.
Absolutely boring lectures, keeps on going on and on without any breaks speaks for 3 hours plus even though it supposed to be 3 hours. If you ask him one question he will speak about it for hours and hours and completely irrelevant to the question asked. Wants assignments like forums to be overly detailed. avoid him, save time.
Prof Atkinson is genuinely so nice and a great prof. He is very knowledgeable. Reviews on here from people who say he is a bad prof are the people who don’t go to his lectures. If you actually go, you will love the class. Lectures can be a bit boring though. He posts all powerpoints online and he even gives bonus points in lecture.
He is one of the best professors, very accommodating, and definitely would take this course again!
Was very intimidated after seeing all the rates about the prof but overall he is an intelligent guy with reasonable standards as long as you come to class and do the work you will get a decent mark.
Definitely one of my best professors so far! Even though the lectures can be long since he doesn't take breaks, his knowledge is very expansive and he has a lot of experience which enriches the information presented. I would definitely recommend attending the lectures because he gives hints for the exams and chances for bonus marks.
One of the most brilliant professors at York. Has a very engaging and conversationalist style of teaching. You have to be willing to put in the work but you will learn a lot from him. Man, I miss his lectures!
Clearly cares about the topic.
Comfortable summer course. Although condensed, Prof Atkinson made it easy to engage with the content. Provided good feedback on group pres and essay. Encourages students to form opinions based on research. Dense readings but interesting and relevant to current events. Will succeed if you review the assigned content before class and participate.
The teacher with good intentions but his teaching style was rough. His lecture slides had no titles, the page was full of words and bullet points, no pictures, and no organization of slides. Studying for exams was tough. Readings were difficult since the textbook looked like all the ink was smudged and had the tiniest font.
He clearly is very passionate about the course he teaches but he can not communicate the concepts in a manner that is easy to understand. He also talks too much and never really gives a definitive answer to any questions you have. Overall an intense, boring,stressful and intimidating class. I would not take if you want to keep your GPA!
If you like/want to learn, you'll love him. If you want to take the class only for the grade/cause you have to, you won't like him.
Professor Atkinson runs a rigorous class, but his depth of knowledge makes the lectures worthwhile. Attend classes, use the free textbook, and try unstuck ai for effective study prep.
Definitely a sensitive prof. If you have his tutorial class show up or he will get upset. I had not came a few weeks in a row from prioritizing other classes as this was an elective and when I had came back he had went on rant infront of the class while I was there complaining and saying student who come will be rewarded. Very sensitive prof
Kirk Atkinson has an excellent professional background. Professor Atkinson is an intelligent instructor, knows what he's talking about during lectures. Articulate speaker & respectable man. Text on slides are very in-depth. TA Kamal was a strict marker. It's a challenging 1st year course with lots to study for exams & old textbook articles.
Professor Atkinson is a serious no nonsense prof but one who is caring, and wants his students to do well. This prof encouraged me to continue when I was about to drop the course and I am very glad I did. Very knowledgeable and comfortable with the issues he teaches on.
Very respectable and gives and I like the structure and flow of his lecture. He uses a lot of legal words which I like because I learn new things. Great and detailed slides.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
85%
Textbook Required
75%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.87 avg changeRatings by Course
3510
5.0
(1)SOSC2470
5.0
(1)POLS3570
5.0
(1)POLS3700
5.0
(2)POLS4155
5.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
POLS3470
5.0
POLS1090
5.0
POLISCI
5.0
POLS3740
5.0
POLS3310
5.0