Professor Olson is a first-year professor, so he still recalls what it is like to be a University student- his lectures parallel the textbooks, so if you attend class and read the required chapters, his class should prove to be very informative and easy. I certainly recommend him as a professor.

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This guy was pretty damn cool. Very laid back, and if you do the work, he'll go more than halfway to help you out as much as he can. As long as you're not a jerk. He's definitely into Political Theory, which adds flavor.

Great Professor! Excellent discussions and lectures. Was a great beginning course at GW, highly recommend.

easy class, easy exams and quizzes if you do the reading, class parallels reading so you don't have to go every time, but he takes attendance, as a professor, he seems a little uncomfortable/intimidated by having to teach

The class is pretty easy as long as you do the readings.

definately one of my favorite profs here.very approachable and tells you exactly what you need to know for the exams.you'll have a quiz once a week, but all you have to do is skim through the readings to do well. you don't have to read the 'essential readings' books EVER. he's also a VERY fair grader and doesnt try to trick or surprise you on tests

Fantastic professor. Doesn't make Scopes and Methods into a boring statistics class and instead covers the main ideas behind the methodology of Politcal Science research. Bonus is he let us out of class early almost every session!

Professor engages class with a number of excellent real life examples, sometimes improvising scenarios and data to answer student questions as he goes along! Excellent, since professor is neither a methodologist nor a statistician. However, he is intelligent and student-friendly. GW should employ more faculty like him.

Olson is a decent professor, but his lectures and the book readings are very dry. He tries to engage the class in discussion, but the class is really an intro-survey course, so it's pretty boring. Tests are fair, papers aren't graded too hard, and he's happy to answer questions. All in all, nice guy, just not a great class to teach.

Pretty easy class. Usually lets you out after 45 minutes. Had him for other classes as well, and those have all been great too. highly recommend for a low-stress experience. Participation grade is just whether you showed up or not.

I really enjoyed the class. Lecture is very dry but he is very clear. There are quizzes once a week but they are very easy. One midterm, one paper, and the final is a take-home essay. AND you usually get out of class early. I love it.

Easy class. Quizzes once a week, so do the readings, but they're not hard. One exam and two papers and you're all set. Easy A.

I enjoyed the class and it was super easy. There are weekly quizzes over the reading and lecture but its pretty manageable. Little boring but makes up for it by being easy.

Professor Olsen is really nice. Your participation grade is based off of your attendance but he gave us extra credit and it's not very stressful to get a good grade in the class. Def. recommend.

Professor Olson is one of the better political science professors I've had and I have definitely learned a lot from him this semester. He keeps his lectures interesting yet short, so you're never there the full 1:15. If you're going to major in poli sci, take Olson for 003.

As others have said, really easy but somewhat dry. I would not say boring. Weekly papers but low workload. Very understanding and cares about teaching and helping his students.

Good professor and relatively easy course. Weekly papers (3-5 pgs) and attendance counts for participation. No reason not to get an A or A-

AWESOME! I had him for PSC 001 and PSC 003. What he teaches is actually interesting. He understands that students have a life outside of his class. He is an extremely fair grader. Also, he normally only keeps you for 45 of the 75 minutes of his class (seriously). There is no reason to not get an A- in this class.

Good, organized professor. By far the easiest prof for Scopes and Methods. Makes the class painless. Project is 50% of grade along with one test, paper, and extra credit paper. Don't have to take notes b/c he posts them online and after the test it's totally pointless.

Great professor. Make life easy. Highly recommended.

Couldn't have asked for anyone more helpful. Definitely recommend him!!!

awesome professor. grades fairly. pleasant to listen to and EXTREMELY knowledgeable. great class!

Olson is the best! He knows everything about Political Science, and makes it very comprehensible. He's very helpful as well. He made me WANT to learn about international politics.

He is so smart. I would take his class again. Not a tough grader, but not easy.

I'm currently taking him for a summer mester for intro to international politics. The first test so far was not easy, but he puts all the notes and exam review on blackboard for us. He is extremely intelligent and relates well to his students. I'm very happy that I am taking him. He is one I can learn a ton from. Wish I was in his full semester class. I have a paper due in two or three weeks and two more tests! Yes take him! ;-)

Lawrence is such a brilliant man. The tests are straightforward. Puts word-for-word lectures on Blackboard and hands out a review guide a week or two before the exam. Essays and multiple choice questions taken directly from the review guide.

This class is as clear as they come. The readings, posted class notes, and lectures are clear, concise, and consistent. Professor Olson is very nice, intelligent, and happy to entertain students questions about I.R. Highly recommended- take him if you have the chance.

Laid back but highly knowledgeable professor. Hands out a review sheet before each test that basically says everything that might be on it. If you make sure you know everything on the review sheet and spend a little time on the paper, there is no reason you shouldn't get an A.

olson is awesome. He's so laid back and really knows his stuff and if you pay attention, know everything on the study guide, and show that you care its not hard to do well. I went to talk to him during his office hours a few times about my paper and ended up staying for 30 min just talking about current affairs in europe. he really knows his stuff.

olson is awesome. He's so laid back and really knows his stuff and if you pay attention, know everything on the study guide, and show that you care its not hard to do well. I went to talk to him during his office hours a few times about my paper and ended up staying for 30 min just talking about current affairs in europe. he really knows his stuff

Prof. Olson is one of the best at GW. He is always clear, helpful, and his notes are always understandable. He will always help you if you need it, and his seemingly endless knowledge of IR and Western Political Thought is outstanding. Everyone needs a professor like Olson. I've had only a few teachers in my lifetime that match Olson's ability.

Olson is the best professor i've had at GW so far. His lectures are organized, he posts his lecture notes after class, and the exams have no surprises. I learned a lot in this class and Olson really is a great teacher. I highly recommend taking this class.

fair and flexible prof. i never went to class even thou he takes attendance every day. Got an A. Just do the papers hes a really easy grader I got A's on all of the papers. You dont really have to do the reading, just choose a question that fits what you skimmed for the papers. Class is actually good, i just never went because it was Fridays.

He is very boring but his class is easy because he gives you all his notes in full detail on blackboard, he gives you study guides for the 3 tests, and he offers extra credit. Very chill and easy professor

Take this class if you can. Professor Olson really knows his stuff and can convey it well to the class. His readings are not long and he gives study guides before all of the exams. Really learned a lot this semester.

Great guy. Clear lectures. He gives study guides 3 exams and 1 paper. He is so knowledgable. Also very helpful must take his class of you can I wish he taught more classes I hear he teaches scope and methods of anyone took that class with him please write a review

Lawrence is amazing. He's really easy. Attendance is required. There are 2 tests, a paper and a final. For the tests, he'll give a study guide and he puts up his notes on Blackboard. I definitely would recommend him. You'll learn ALOT

If you want an easy A take a class with Professor Olson. His lectures are good, but nothing special. You do not need to do the readings, and you only need to go to class because he takes attendance. He is very approachable and flexible. You could basically fluff your way through all the assignments and get an A. Easy, but not very rewarding.

Very easy grader. As long as you show that you understand what is going on in class in your papers you will get an A. And by understand, I mean even if you kind of sort of get it you will still get an A.

Had a textbook for the class that you really did not need. All of his notes are online. He goes in detail through everything in class. As long as you take good notes and put them in your paper, you will do great. Just show up and do your work and youll get a good grade.

Prof. Olson is the best professor I've had at GW. I took two classes with him in the summer of 2015. He's deeply passionate about political philosophy and talented in explaining it in a way that engages all kinds of students. Just take good notes during lecture and demonstrate a solid understanding of the material in your papers, you'll do fine.

Olson is pretty awesome. Lectures are the best and he is so chill and easy grader. Sets clear expectations and if you meet them you get rewarded. One of the best I've had at GW. His beard is very impressive as well. Lol. He does it right in all ways possible. He also has never shown any bias on the left or right in two classes I've taken him for.

Olson is definitely the best prof I've had at GW so far. He's very clear on what you need to know for tests. He gives you the info you need in class and posts not only the slides on blackboard, but also his own class notes, which are extremely helpful. He's really cool and he lets you out early a lot! He gives extra credit too.

Looks like Plato (check out his beard), gives amazing and quick lectures, and clearly knows his stuff. One of the best professors at GW, and I would highly recommend any class that he teaches.

AMAZING professor, will always let you out of class early; 3 tests, 1 research paper, and an extra credit paper. He always pus his powerpoints and his own typed out lecture notes on blackboard (so helpful) and will tell you exactly what he wants for the paper if you just show it to him. DEFINITELY take

One of my favorite professors at GW. Lectures can sometimes get a little dry but he posts everything on blackboard + his own notes of every lecture. He also provides a study guide before each test; as long as you know what's on it you should be fine. Two tests + 1 research paper + 1 extra credit essay + 1 final.

Best professor at GW. Knows everything, lets you out of class early, tells you what you need to know. Gives you extra credit (though you shouldn't need it). Take him -- whatever the class is, it will be worth it. Study before exams, spend some time on the paper, and you'll be fine. Plus he has a legendary beard and quirky mannerisms.

12 assigned papers, and you only have to do 6 of them. Lets you write a 7th to replace your lowest grade. His lectures are very informative and pretty engaging, although if you've taken any political philosophy classes it's more like a review. His grading requirement is very straightforward. And to top it all off, thought-provoking discussions.

Awesome professor. 85%: 6 papers out of 14 assigned with an optional 7th paper to replace a low score 15%: attendance. Lectures are always interesting and he gives clear feedback on papers. Use the notes he provides when writing your papers and you'll do well. Readings can all be found online so the textbook isn't necessary.

Political science scope and methods is one of the most cut throat courses in the polisci major at gw- its basically the gpa killer- but professor Olson makes this class interesting and engaging.

What I love about this professor is that he makes the class not so hard that it's impossible but also not so easy that it's a joke. The class is very intellectually stimulating and he really runs a classroom that allows you to fosters your ideas rather than having them cut down.

Take take take!!! He assigns one paper every week (14 papers total) but you only have to do 6 with the option of doing a 7th to replace the grade of one of the others. He is so fair, so clear in his lectures, always lets you out early because he doesn't waste his words. Attendance is part of your grade, though. My favorite prof at GW, for sure!!!!!

Awesome Prof. He assigns one paper every week, 3-5 pages, and you need to do 6 of them. If you do the first 6, you can literally take the rest of the semester off because there are no midterms or finals. Olson is a really great professor, and very knowledgeable about all things political philosophy.

Professor Olson knows the subject material in and out and because of this his lectures are refreshingly crisp and clear. Grades are based mostly on 5 papers, and he grades fairly and clearly. If you're interested at all in political philosophy take this class!

Nice guy. Not really accessible outside of class though tbh. If you've taken other poli sci classes at GW and know how to write papers well already you do well in this class since the grade is all papers. However for a lot of students who it's their second poli sci class they tend to get straight B minuses ish. Take it as an upperclassmen easy A/A-

Great lectures - he knows so much and was able to answer all questions of what philosopher would think of XYZ. There were five papers assigned (do the readings!) with attendance/participation being 15%. He is not super responsive to email at all, but other than that, he is a solid choice that I would definitely recommend.

While Olson's lectures aren't necessarily the most exciting, he is very knowledgeable about the material and sets clear expectations. A super nice guy who is willing to work with you to understand the material. Was super flexible and wonderful during Coronavirus semester.

Prof Olson is unbelievably clear and concise in lectures, assignments, and tests. I look forward to his class because I actually feel like I learn things. During remote learning, he has been very flexible, giving us about two days to write the exams. He grades reasonably and graciously. This is how remote learning should be!

3 essay exams and a research paper. He's clear about what he wants, and the exams are straight from lectures. Very doable to do well in this class.

Graded on 5 essays each worth 20% of the grade. Clearly knows the material he talks about, but he does not seem excited about class (which is honestly very understandable). He takes a while to grade papers, but he gives helpful feedback and is a fair grader.

The class is mostly essays and they are straight to the point. Lectures are not the most engaging, but you always understand the important concepts. I'd recommend for any poli sci student

While not the most enthusiastic, he's very clear and makes the material easy to understand. Graded on three exams and a paper but the lectures are enough to get an A. Lectures are straightforward with little discussion and there's no grade for participation. I'd highly recommend to any poli sci student looking to fill a req and not participate much

It's a straightforward political theory class. His lectures distill the readings pretty clearly, although they're not super exciting. Grade was 5 papers each for 20%. Graded fairly, gave good feedback, and will review your thesis/outline ahead of time if you get it to him early enough. Not a fan of the material, but got through the requirement!

Professor Olson is straightforward and fair. The exams are based on the lectures, which aren't the most exciting but are not difficult to understand. He is a kind professor and is more than willing to help if you need it.

This class was a dream during a covid semester! Prof. Olson definitely has a no-frills approach to what he's teaching, but I would take that over convoluted enthusiasm any day. If you have a good grasp of IR theory walking in, it will be one of the easiest classes you take in college. 3 written exams, 1 long paper, cameras off. The perfect class.

Really great prof! His lectures are really interesting, very full coverage so reading isn't too bad. I'd recommend if you're looking for something that meets the requirement but also engages you along the way. Grading isn't bad either, he's patient and works with you to make sure you understand the material.

We had to do five papers for this class. All are equally weighted. I personally found the lectures very interesting, but I know that some of my classmates werent as interested in Rousseau, Nietzsche, Marx, etc. Its a relatively easy class and professor Olson is very understanding and sympathetic with deadline extensions. 5/5

Prof Olson is by far the best lecturer I have ever had. He is an amazing professor and his lectures are extremely organized and clear. While the textbook can be extremely confusing, Prof Olson does a great job explaining the different theories and giving examples for each. He is super nice and I would highly recommend taking a course with him!

How do I say this, he's like the "dream professor"? The lectures are nicely detailed and very intriguing, the powerpoints and grading are also well organized. And although we had 5 papers to write, he gave us relatively loose requirements and deadlines and will give us great feedback for each paper. Overall, I strongly recommend him.

Super knowledgable about the course and the topics covered in class. If you have a strong background in IR theory it will be easy. If not, you may find this course to be somewhat challenging. Graded by few things, 3 exams, 1 paper. If you have trouble, go visit him during office hours. It helps a lot.

Exam 1 30%, Exam 2 30%, Exam 3 30%, Attendance 10%. One of the best lecturers. If you have good grasp from IAFF 1005, then Exam 1 will not be hard. Exam 2 and 3 were more difficult with topics like critical theory, normative IR theory. But prof explained it clearly, just had to review notes. Paper focused on using IR theory on IR issue. Recommend!

I already knew a good amount about realism/liberalism, but that only helped me on the 1st exam. Honestly, if you pay attention during lectures, you won't really have to study much at all. Grading: 3 exams worth 70% total. A 30% 8-10 pg (more if u want) research paper that applies a theory to a real-world issue w/ a flexible deadline. Amazing prof!

Very well organized and interesting lectures. Best professor I've had this semester. He explains the material really well, answers questions in depth, and is also flexible with the final paper deadline. The 3 exams are straightforward and he's a nice grader.

Professor Olson is a great lecturer. He explains everything in the readings so you understand the material well. However, he is very hard to reach outside of class, often doesn't reply to emails or takes a week to reply, and takes a really long time to grade so it is hard to know your grade in the class.

This class was graded by very few things (only 5 papers), so it's important to put in effort to each one. Prof. Olson's classes were lecture heavy and could get boring fast if you're not interested in theory, but he's very knowledgeable on the subject. He's hard to reach by email but gives feedback after class and is flexible with deadlines

I liked the class format; every class was dedicated to a specific IR theory and there was a case study every so often, and really lecture-heavy. There are readings for every class, you don't really need to do them but I found them helpful. The final grade was based on just 4 things but it wasn't too bad. If you're interested in IR, I recommend it.

Professor Olson is knowledgeable and direct. The class is theory-heavy, focusing on memorization and writing. If theory is not your strong suit, this course may not be for you. We learn the foundational perspectives of IR from realist to poststructuralist, so the class is lecture-oriented. Receiving feedback on assignments takes a while.

Professor Olson is one of the few professors who is knowledgeable about the material and can expertly integrate it into a fair and balanced curriculum. It's theory intensive, but his course was incredibly comprehensive and digestible. Exams and essays were easy - just show you understood the material and could take control of it if needed.

Prof Olson is obviously extremely knowledgable about international politics. The first 1/3 of the class was more boring but I typically don't like theory and the majority of the class has been very interesting. Graded on tests, not too hard if you study the main themes and pay attention. Textbook is helpful but not 100% necessary. A solid prof!

This was the second course I took with Professor Olson and he never fails to impress me. Fairest grader, passionate, reasonable, and understanding. He is a terrific lecturer and is accommodating to everyone. Would take him over and over. Grade is comprised of short papers that are doable and manageable so long as you put in the effort. Reccomend!!

Olson was great for International Politics. His tests are very straightfoward and correspond with the lectures. He has good slides, but takes attendance (not sure what it counts towards because its not counted in your grade). Just study the slides and understand the concepts and the tests are a piece of cake.

One of the best professors that I ever had here in GW. Grading criteria are clear, and he tends to be lenient towards grading. Lecture heavy class, but he is very knowledgable regarding the class materials. Three exams and one research paper, but they are relatively easy if you just memorize the powerpoint materials. Awesome professor.

He's a nice and knowledgeable professor, helpful in office hours, lectures are organized but dull. The grade is 3 noncumulative, evenly weighted exams and one paper. The exams are easy and content is straight from the lectures. The paper has flexible guidelines but makes it difficult to start and a little unclear, he doesn't bring it up a lot.

I LOVE OLSEN! Seriously such a great teacher. Lectures were engaging, he was always willing to help, incredibly fair grader, and he was so insightful and knowledgable on the course topics. Definitely want to take another one of his classes in the future!

The other ratings are 100% right about Professor Olson, this class was interesting, builds off of IAFF1005. He's clearly an expert in his field, but not in an obnoxious way at all. It's one chapter or article per class, lecture with powerpoint, and 3 exams +1 paper. Super fair grader. Just take good notes, you can skip case studies if you need to.

OG professor Takes teaching beyond a profession. Extremely knowledgable.

By far one of the most interesting classes I've taken at GW. He is an amazing teacher and he is extremely knowledgeable. Would 100% recommend this class!

Professor Olson was great. No need to buy the required textbook, all of the material needed are in the powerpoints. Records lectures, fair grader, and rounds grades. The material seems intimidating at times, but if you just take notes based on the powerpoints you will do very well.

Graded only on 5 papers. Take notes during lectures and use them on the papers and you will do great. Fantastic professor and would take him for every class if I could.

So so so amazing and kind would 100% recommend his classes. Tests are hard but he grades papers easily. He's very helpful

Olson's class covers IR theory well, though his lecturing style can be dry. The material is challenging but manageable if you stay on top of readings. unstuckstudy and ChatGPT helped me prep for exams.

He takes attendance, so make sure to show up to class. As long as you take notes on the PowerPoint and memorize the slides before each exam, you should do well. Exams are pretty straightforward, and he gives a study guide before each one. 3 exams and 1 essay- a great class that doesn't involve that much work.

He's a great professor and is very kind with his grading of essays. Sometimes he overcomplicates his explanation of concepts but if you go to his office hours he's more than willing to explain any concept!

The professor's very knowledgable about what he teaches. There are technically readings from the textbook and case studies but all the content you need to know is best summarized during lecture. Class did feel a little dull at times as the slides are rather dense. Tests were pretty easy as he provides a clear study guide. Term paper was a pain.

Professor Olson is amazing. Great lectures, incredibly knowledgeable, accessible, and clearly cares about his students. Take any class you can with him!! Tests can be daunting, but an A is totally achievable if you prepare well. I'm not sure if he has a lower cutoff for an A or if he just rounds up automatically. 5 stars for Olson!!

The grade for this class is composed of 2 exams (30% of your grade each) and a research paper (the remaining 40% of the grade), but the tests are relatively easy and he's a super lenient grader. His slides are super useful and parallel the test and he is a super monotone straight shooter lecturer (which is all he does) but he's very nice + outgoing

Professor Olson is very easygoing and grades fairly. Your grade is made up of two exams worth 30% each and a final paper worth 40%. Exams were not difficult with multiple choice, IDs, and an essay, and the final paper is fun if you pick an interesting topic. Overall great course to take over the summer especially to satisfy a requirement.

his lectures are very boring as she just reads off the slides, attendence is taken. BUT he is so nice and understading. there is no hw, only 3 exams which are not that hard you just have to study and a paper at the end. his study guides are very usefull. he genuinely wants students to succeed.

Took this class with him over the summer so the workload may be a bit different. Graded on 2 tests and one 8-10pg paper, but he's an easy grader on papers. Class is interesting and he's very good at explaining theories in a way that even someone who knows nothing about them can understand it. 100% recommend and would take again.

pay attention in class and take notes. great grader. helps a lot with the essays. super sweet guy. kinda funky like that.

Not very engaging lectures, but interesting material. Clearly very knowledgeable, answers questions well, and very accessible outside of class—super nice guy. Readings are optional, other than cases.