3.1
Quality3.3
Difficulty33%
Would Retake88
Reviews33%
Would Retake
88
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
28
4
16
3
13
2
12
1
19
What Students Say
“If you're taking this as a GE, AVOID”
ARTHI6C - 1.0 rating“And it's so hard to even pass this class, so many things to memorize and think”
AH6C - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
68%
Textbook Required
40%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.05 avg changeRatings by Course
ART6C
5.0
(1)ARTH121
5.0
(1)ARTHIST119E
5.0
(2)6CAND119E
5.0
(1)ARTHIS6C
4.1
(7)Difficulty by Course
ATHIS6C
5.0
ARTHIS6A
4.0
ARTHI
4.0
ART119F
4.0
ARTH119G
4.0
Reviews (88)
very energetic and fun to have as a teacher!
so enthusiastic that you actually want to go to lectures! her tests are fair and you learn alot! if you have the chance to be in her class take it! they fill up fast.
Truly passionate about what she is teaching so she really wants to help you understand. Very fair and flexible and eager to help. Very energetic lectures. She's great!
Teacher is energetic and loves what she is doing. Crazy left wing jokes get old and are most of the time completely out of the blue. Class can be fun, just be ready to memorize lots of images.
Tries to be funny but most of the time isn't. Her lectures are not very well organized and she is not at all clear. She gives a ton of important info in two minutes but then spends 20 minutes talking about some painting and boring the hell out of you.
Monahan tries to be entertaining, and even though sometimes she isnt, well, at least shes trying. there are definitly a lot worse art history farts out there.
Get one thing straight: If you don't like art history, then you're not gonna like the class no matter what. That said, Prof. Monahan is awesome! Very excited about Modern art. Focuses on some unusual things that are grounded in her research. Take it!
Best art history prof. I've had. Monahan is thouroughly interesting and engaging. She's a fireball, and actually discusses peices with the 800+ kids in her classes. It's a lot of information, but a fantastic class. Monahan definitely knows her stuff.
very enthusiastic about the subject and tries to make it interesting but there is just to much memorization invovled
She is very enthusiastic and loves the subject. Her energy is sometimes contagious and she makes class interesting. Lots of memorization...unreal amount and sometimes unclear. TAs grade really hard, sometimes unfair.
Very enthusiastic teacher. I hate the subject, but the class was fairly entertaining. I would recommend Monahan as a professor. Study a lot, though!
Shes nuts. Her idiosyncracies in her lecturing makes it difficult to follow along, and frankly, it just gets annoying.
Very active and passionate in her lectures. TAs grade papers and written work very hard. Interesting and well organized class.
I learned more about her intolerances for student behavior and political inclination than about art history. Not a bad teacher, but her 'personality' got in the way of her teaching. I wish she had kept it about art instead of who was sleeping in class.
Her lectures are not very organized. The midterm was not bad but for the final she threw me off because it was a lot harder. She is not very focused on the material, and for the final there were slides that were not on the study sheet.
Totally fun teacher, she made it interesting not what i was expecting at all. just have to memorize all the slides and stuff and you will be fine. cool lady though sometimes one worries about her sanity.
This lady is straight up crazy but class is better than 6A by a mile...LOTS of material though, you have to study a lot. She at least tries to make it interesting, if a bit disorganized and also a lot depends on your TA & how hard they grade.
one word: crazy. This lady is crazy. She was onstage the first day of lecture prancing around immitating nymphs. However, she is very passionate about what she teaches and her tests are extremely fair. She makes slightly dry material not so boring.
Are you guys wacked? paleeez, let's not confuse righteous with interesting. I got an A- in the class, but still feel that all I learned Was about this lady's personality.
One word: horrible!!
her lectures were unorganized and all over the place. she covers an insane amount of material, all of which you need to memorize for the midterm and final. she tests you on random insignificant pieces which she barely even lectured about.
Horrible AND ridiculous! My sister is an art history grad at Berkeley and laughed at the lady when she came to SB for a visit and sat in on the lecture...said she's all talk but full of major BS.
Very interesting class. Obvious that Monahan is very passionate what she teaches and is able to keep your attention during lecture. TAs were helpful and fair when grading. Extra credit lectures were definitely a grade booster. Very fair midterm/final. Go to all lectures.
This class ruled. She managed to put together a coherent history of the mess we usually call post-war art. Whatever her detractors say, she rocks! She blends formal and cultural analysis to give students the best perspective possible. Take it!
Compared to my other art history professors, this one did not impress me with her ways of teaching. I liked the material of the course, not the teacher or the way that the material was taught.
It is my favorite period of Art History, but she ruined it for me. Crazy and very liberal I believe I learned more about how much she hates Bush rather than Monet and Art History. Definately would NEVER take a class from her again.
Wonderful experience, definitely enhanced and furthered my interest for Art History. Looked forward to this class every week, never got tired of it. The material is reasonably assigned, the professor has a very engaging teaching style and the period of art is way cool. If you have to take an Art History with any professor take it with her =).
CRAZY!! The professor is all over the place and unclear and there is SOOO much material covered. There are hundreds of slides to memorize the name, artist, and date and she usually tests on pieces she barely talked about! YUCK
She was an overall awesome teacher. True- she made you work for the grade and spouted unecessary liberal jargon, but she took such a diverse time in art history and made it understandable and interesting. There wasn't a lecture class that I didn't walk away with a richer knowledge of post war art including. Tips to pass a Monahan class- 1. Go 2. Listen 3. Go to sessions 4. Know your TA 5. Do all extra credit- you'll need all the help, she's a strict grader. You'll soon learn to respect her for her knowledg
She doesn't seem to like intelligient people unless they are so because of what she has taught them. Appear to have aquired any of your intelligience from her and she may just leave you be. Otherwise she will challenge you, hellishly. She appears incapable of seeing anyone's true soul if it doesn't fit in with her agenda of being inspirational.
She was very entertaining, a little all over the place, not much structure to the class but the expectations are still high. There was a visual diary due and then a final, so the work load is low. VERY TOUGH GRADER!!
I thought the class was great and I loved the teacher... and then I took the final, ugh!! I realized that even with a study sheet I had no idea what to study and the exam was hellish. She is a great and fun teacher, but prepare for a lower grade than you're used to.
One of the most dynamic and energetic professors I had. Emphasized political, social, cultural aspects of contemporary art. She appreciated that I often was inspired to conduct research beyond her assignemnts.
Very energetic!!!! She really knows and understand modern art and knows how to make it interesting. Intertwines the art and contemporary issues of the piece very nicely. Less focus on memorization and more on knowing the actual concepts. Make sure you actually read the reader because she tests on it
Very energetic, but not very oorganized. Lecture was sort of interesting but really long and she went on a lot of tangents. Tests are hard!
There are professors who are great, and then there are professors who change the way you view the world. Professor Monahan is the latter. She cares about the subject so much, and she is simply hilarious. I looked forward to going to her lectures.
she is a fasinating teacher, and this has probably been the most influencial class i have taken, but also the most difficult. if you don't mind making this class a major priority you will learn a lot
Difficult class with ALOT of reading. Although Monahan is really fun, witty & SUPER energetic, I unfortunately learned nothing in. Sections were the only thing that helped me understand what she was talking about. lectures are scattered & unorganized. I only recommend this class for art history majors, cuz otherwise the subjects a bore
very enthusiastic teacher! difficult class but fair
Pretty good prof. Lectures are kind of sporadic and she focuses on some sort of off-beat art but for the most part teaches you what you need to know and makes it pretty fun to boot! Definitely recommended. I got an A in the course without trying too hard, just think logically about what she tells you and really embrace the art.
Monohan is hilarious. She made class entertaining and very interesting, and was always joking about the paintings. Tests are not hard if you study, do the reading and go to section. She doesn't require memorization of names, locations, or dates.
do not take this class with her! i love this period of art and she made it impossible to understand, her lectures are scattered and either completely random or really repetitive. tests are ok, multiple choice and matching are the WORST but slide comparisons & short answers aren't bad
Monahan is very energetic in her lectures and speaks kind of a kid language and it is interesting sometimes. But her tests are really hard. half the stuff i studied my eyes out for wasn't even on the test!
Before I took this class I had absolutely NO interest in modern art. After taking this class I gained an appreciation for it but I can't really say it was because of her. Her lectures were sometimes VERY confusing and she is so energetic it's sometimes scary! You do learn some interesting things though. Studied REALLY hard and got an A-
Monahan is a nice woman outside of class. However, she is an unorganized mess when she tries to teach. As an art history major, I struggled with this class. It is confusing and monahan loses the class during every lecture. She only poses questions, and never tries to answer them. No idea what grade was going into final, refuses to tell students!
Class is listed as "Contemporary Art," but we didn't even get to the 1980s until the last couple of weeks. Grading was never clear; we weren't told our grade on assignments, and no comments were made on the midterm to explain why I missed points on the essay section. Teacher is all over the place, thinks her craziness is charming.
If there is one teacher that makes me what to punch myself in the face, this would be the one. She keeps talking, but nothing meaningful comes out. "You have all kinds of stuff going on and that stuff should be expressed." I've taken that quote directly from her lecture as I sit in right now. Her teaching is abysmal, and her communication is worse.
She is hilarious! I love how she makes fun of artists. Her tests are fairly easy. Coming from a non-art history major, the key to getting an A is to not write solely about the artistic elements. She focuses on the artists' intentions, and the social events surrounding the movement.
Super nice, super helpful. A really fun class that I'm really glad I was able to take. She's really quirky, and somewhat unclear sometimes in lecture (as to what her point is). Overall, an awesome professor. Definitely recommend taking one of her classes.
The most disorganized professor that works at this university. There is no evidence that backs up anything she says, and she thinks her quirkiness is "cute". My cheeks are numb because I'm constantly passing out in class with my face in my palm. Grading is unclear, and doesn't explain how to earn points for papers or exams. Do no take this class.
Professor Monahan must be given credit for teaching a dry subject at 8 AM. The class was easy as long as you could talk about every image in at least some detail. The reader gave some background but wikipedia was more useful.
One of the best professors at UCSB. If you have the opportunity to take a class with her DO IT! She's brilliant and makes her classes really fun. I took about 5 classes with her and loved them all.
Professor Monahan was very unorganized (she forgot her lectures at home multiple times and had to improvise). Lectures were interesting but didn't really prepare you for exams. You really have to rely on your TAs for this class. Lots of reading but you don't necessarily have to do all of it. It's a lot of info so just skim the readings
This Professor is amazing! I wasnt into Art history at all and I usually get C's in classes, but the fact that I got a B+ in this class says something. Pay attention in the lectures because they are on the exam. Go to lecture and get a B. The course consists of midterm final section and 1 1000 word essay (easy peasy). Her lectures are HILARIOUS!!!
Lecture based, but she is funny and does great accents. Written assignments are interesting and if you show up to class, the quizzes are a breeze. Great instructor!
I absolutely adore Professor Monahan. She is by far the best professor I have had at UCSB and I'm a third year. I'm a bio major but I added an art history minor because I liked Monahan's classes so much. She expects you to know the material well, but she is very helpful and understanding. She is also a very entertaining lecturer.
She's passionate about what she teaches which is great! She explains concepts that I don't understand very well so even though she doesn't take attendance during lecture it is definitely necessary to go to do well. I'm not in her section so she didn't grade my essay or exams, but I think it was very fair. She is very clear about grading criteria.
A ton of art movements covered in this class everything goes by really fast. Missing one lecture puts you behind. They grade the tests harder than necessary for a GE, but it's not impossible to get an A. I really felt like I knew my stuff, went to every section and participated a lot, did every hw and still got a B+, however I didn't do the reading
I took this class because of all the positive feedback I read on this website. I realize now that this subject is not my cup of tea. I did learn to appreciate art more, but I lost interest as the quarter progressed because art is way too subjective and irrational for me. If you are looking for a decent grade to fulfill a GE. STAY AWAY!!!!
Going up to the midterm everything in the class is pretty straight forward, the different artistic movements easy to follow along with and comprehend. However, when the 20th Century comes around the art becomes much more abstract and subjective and it just gets confusing to know what information is important and each piece is given less attention
The content of the class itself was interesting enough, but her attitude towards students made me hate the class. She's condescending and mean, taking time out of lecture to berate students for grades, showing up late, etc. Go to class and you should pass, as the contentassignments aren't hard. Section HW every week with mandatory attendance.
You don't really need the course reader but for only a few assignments. Basically all the material on the midterm final are from her lectures so you NEED to go to lecture. She's pretty funny and energetic, very passionate about the material. I really enjoyed the class and would sign up for another lecture from her.
This class was great. More reading than I could keep up with sometimes, but if you go to lecture and section discussions you'll be fine. TA's are really helpful and Professor Monahan is available for help when you need her. Overall fun class and great choice for a GE requirement.
Monahan is one of my favorite art history teachers I've taken. Above all, she makes art history fun and interesting, and listening to her in lecture I learned more than I could ever imagine there is to know behind art.
I took her classes back in 1999/2000 and L.M. continues to be an inspiration for me. I am teaching American Literature at a European university now and I hope I will always be able to stay as enthusiastic and serious about my discipline as L. M. Take a look at her publications and find out if you like her style. One of the best teachers I've met!
I would not recommend this class to anyone outside of the major! If you are taking it to satisfy a GE, find another class because this one requires a ton of work. Even though art is subjective based on the viewer, they grade as though there is only one right answer/methodology for analysis. Would not recommend.
Monahan is hilarious and adorable and very passionate about art history. It's a tough subject for nonmajors as it can get pretty boring. GO TO LECTURE. You might be able to pass if you don't, but seriously your life will be way easier if you go. Like WAY easier. Take it from someone who went from never going to always going. Grade went from C to A.
Monahan is great! Although ArtHist is not my favorite, I loved her. She is funny, interesting, and charming and makes the material interesting. The end of this class had too much abstract art for my taste, but I loved it nonetheless! She is truly great! I took this to fulfill a Culture and Thought GE and I think this was a good choice.
Monahan is a great lecturer and makes every class interesting and funny! One of my favorite art history teachers. If you're interested in art at all you should take this class.
a total character. No need to know dates, titles or artists (saved everyone's ass)
Monahan is one of my favorite professors here. She is makes serious and challenging concepts easy to understand. The class is pretty easy, there's only one essay and you will never have to memorize titles or dates. Take 6C it's awesome!
Prof. Monahan is really eloquent in how she articulates course concepts and is a fair grader.
I won't recommend anyone to take her class, she is always trying to make the class funnier but never really worked. And it's so hard to even pass this class, so many things to memorize and think.
Monahan is definitely one of the worst professors I have taken thus far. She is really rude during lecture and even called us PATHETIC because 90% of the class is taking this for GE and cannot describe the formal elements of a painting... She is not funny. You would have to have a bad sense of humor to laugh with her and not at her.
Monahan is the worst. Apparently everyone got Ds and Fs on her midterm and she blames everyone's "preparation." Her lectures are useless as she more so makes fun and jokes about paintings, rather than formal analysis, which is useless for exams when she expects formal elements and analyzation. If you're taking this as a GE, AVOID!!!
Do NOT take her classes. She expects too much from you for a GE class. If you are an art major go ahead but if you just want to fulfill a GE requirement do NOT take this class. She is also straight cringe as she calls out students as well as her own TAs in the middle of class. She's a very hard grader and if you don't go to class you won't pass.
She speaks a lot about art with out saying anything of substance. Makes it difficult when you have to analyze painting on your own for the paper & exams. A lot of work and reading if taken as a GE class. One paper, in-class midterm, in-class final. Lectures are easy to doze off in. She calls people out who leave, sleep, or talk. Course reader class
DO NOT take her class no matter for GE or major. I thought 6c should be an easy class with more approachable material than 6b. However, I was totally wrong. She never did formal analysis in the lecture which makes really difficult for people to understand the painting. I barely learned anything in her lecture, just too overwhelming. Exams are tough
Lectures are hilarious, deep, and thought-provoking. But it's true that she didn't start with the basic formal analysis and expects you to acquire the skills by yourself. Not an easy GE class, but I learned a lot from it --- not only about modern art but also how to view the world
Course is unorganized. Readings on syllabus don't correlate with lectures, study guides, or website, so it is difficult to keep track of the material. Even though the course is modern art, we study very few women artists and nearly no POC, and she skips the non-European, non-North American movements altogether.
We dont have to memorize the art, but, since Monahan doesnt teach analysis (a one-page handout is not teaching!), there is no way to pass the exams without memorizing material about each movement and painting. I wish I had learned skills rather than information. The readings are not helpful for studying/supplementing lecture. Class is too big!!
NOT HAVING TO MEMORIZE PAINTINGS AND ARTISTS IS NOT A GOOD THING!!! instead we had to memorize information about history and movement with so many details. she literally asked what event inspired an artist to make a specific painting (from the first half of the quarter) on the final exam...
Was very confused to come on here and read these reviews. Laurie may not be the best prof ever but DEFINITELY is not the worst. My biggest tip: write down every single thing she says about a painting. Makes it so much easier when going back and reviewing. Class is not as hard as everyone is claiming. Just have to pay attention during lecture.
If you have trouble paying attention in big lecture halls, DO NOT take this class. It's really important to be able to listen to everything she says for every single slide because memorization of in-class information is basically the midterm and the final. I had a good TA, but there is only so much they can go over in section once a week.
there was too much breadth to the material without any depth-- I thought I would learn about social and historical context rather than see every single painting done in Europe during the past few centuries. This is definitely more of a specialist class than a humanities GE. We took the final in June; I've forgotten everything already.
Very unhelpful over email. Please be warned of her passive aggressive comments
worst GE class!
Monaghan expects students to know the material before teaching it
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
68%
Textbook Required
40%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.05 avg changeRatings by Course
ART6C
5.0
(1)ARTH121
5.0
(1)ARTHIST119E
5.0
(2)6CAND119E
5.0
(1)ARTHIS6C
4.1
(7)Difficulty by Course
ATHIS6C
5.0
ARTHIS6A
4.0
ARTHI
4.0
ART119F
4.0
ARTH119G
4.0