great teacher. easy test if you read and take notes. all notes are on slide show so you get everything and not have to worry as much as a regular lecture class

lecture was interesting, tests and quizzes were really easy. he was energetic and willing to help if you ask for it. but he randomly calls on students to answer his questions, so you have to pay attention in class.

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this is a easy A . never went to class and watched all the video before each exam got a easy A. And on top of everything all his exam are online and open book .

Hm...his class is pretty easy. 4 quizzes that are online and 1 paper. Just take down everything he had on the powerpoint, read the assigned chapters, and you will be fine. He is into himself, but he's not as bad as other has concluded him to be.

This was a great class. I noticed that the only people who tend to complain about the class are those who don't read the assigned readings. The class was rather straighforward. As long as you attend regularly and read it is not that difficult. For the most part the subject matter is very interesting, so long as your willing to invest yourself in it

class is easy, a take-home midterm, a 15 pg. paper + take-home final. There is assigned reading but only used on midterm and final. Really interesting class, he kind of gets a little stuck on ireland (his main focus) but otherwise really diverse area of topics discussed. Looking forward to more of his classes!

Fully online course. Very intelligent & knowledgeable professor. I learned a lot from this course even though lectures can be a bit dry or drawn out at times. Course grading & structure is easy to follow and fair. 3 novels given in this course so quite a bit of reading (1,000 pages?). Exam questions are fairly easy. 4-5 pg essay based upon readings

He is very interested in the topic he teaches and it shows! I took the online version and it was quite interesting, just make sure to watch the lectures and take notes on the slides because those will be very helpful for the quizzes. Overall I would recommend him if your looking to take an online course.

The online course was interesting! His lectures can be boring and repetitive but the books that we read and the movies were pretty cool! I would definitely recommend the televised version! Uses powerpoints in his quizzes so make sure you take notes!

Great Class. Interesting lectures. Uses 3 novels for the readings. Take notes from the powerpoint lectures and you will do well on the tests. 1 paper based on the novels.

Took this class during winter intercession. Really easy as long as you skim some of the reading and show up. Some of his lectures tend to ramble, but he's a caring guy who is passionate about his subject. Easy to pass as long as you show up to class and put in a little effort with the readings. Showed a lot of movies. Recommended.

Wow - whoever last rated this guy must be failing! Murphy is awesome and has a rocking look! Also, he won the college prize this year for creative research, so -- out of touch with anth??? -- I don't think so!

Lol - yeah I think I know who that last person was... If it's who I'm thinking of, he or she got lectured to for blowing off a class ... that person had it coming though. Murphy is really passionate... Rambles occasionally, but he knows his stuff.

Took the online class and it was really convenient. Watch the classes and read the few books he assigns and you'll pass with flying colors. This course isn't as hard as others say. I mean, come on, it's a lower level GE people.

great class, professor had a great attitude and enthusiastic about the topic, i took it online and it was very convenient, fun, and interesting. Totally recommend it.

Relatively easy class and fairly interesting. Lectures can be dry at times. ALWAYS write down his notes WORD FOR WORD because that's how it will be on the tests. Doesnt give you much time to complete the tests and are only 25 questions each which limits the amount of errors you can make. Writing assignment kind of confusing, but good class overall.

Took the winter session, so tons of information packed into a short amount of time. Lots of reading. Take tons of notes and review often. Lectures were interesting and went by in no time. He showed movies that tied in perfect to the lectures.

Lol - all I can say is that they last guy must have some super easy classes if he blew it in this one... 3 easy multiple choice tests and a simple 5 page paper. I got an A and know one or two other people who did as well. If you can read you can pass, so I guess some of these people can barely read. Murphy knows his stuff backward and forward and has a cool style... Easily one of my favorite classes so far at SacState.

Took the online course and passed with a B. Watch the lectures and take notes. Three test and three discussion posts. Very simple and easy if you watch the videos and read his book. Only reason I got a B was because I didn't watch some of the lecture videos.

This was a hybrid class. His tests were very difficult! 3 tests and 3 discussion posts. Watching and/or attending class is mandatory! Take detailed notes on lectures as well as on the book. I lost interest fast. He tried to make classes interesting and when in person watching the class, he was funny

Lecture could either be attended or watched online later. All homework (3 short essays) and tests were online. He managed to make this very interesting topic dull. He assigned teo textbooks, but only used the one that he wrote. Tests were questions from the lecture or his book. He managed to make a interesting topic boring. Easy class if you try.

I really loved this class and this prof... Really enjoyed his teaching style, though it's hard to pay attention online. Would love to take a live class from him sometime.

This professor is very liberal.The class is simple if you do all the online work. Purchase 1 book (book that he wrote which cost almost $100). The text has plenty of opinions of his own not backed up by statistics or proof. Uses lots of quotations between words to point out his sarcasm.

I loved this online course! It was really well put together and easy to follow. Haha yeah he's liberal but for some of us that's the same as smart. He didn't write the book though. It's all kinds of articles written by all kinds of people so what was the last person talking about?not paying attention, probably didn't pay attention in class either.

This class requires A LOT of reading. Definitely read the text book, and take notes because that is what the majority of the test questions are based off of. Fairly straight forward class, don't miss a discussion and make sure you know what you are talking about. 3 tests, 3 discussions, read the textbook, and the handouts, and take good notes!

Easiest online class ever! Just watch lectures online, 3 discussion posts and 3 tests, all online. Work with classmates and you will pass the class! Responds to emails and is very helpful. Lectures are long but they are interesting!

I loved this class and i didn't find him boring at all. I thought he was funny and he made it really interesting for me. The tests are mostly from the lecture, which you need to watch to pass, but a couple questions from the book he wrote. 2 short essays and 3 tests, all online. I would take any class from him again.

Anthro 13 was on online class. Super easy! Interesting topic. 3 online tests that were straight from lectures and 2 discussion posts. you will need your book. you can work together with people for those assignments. if you want an easy A take this.

Murphy is a really funny guy. He reminds me of "The Dude" from the Big Lebowski. His lectures can get really technical and out there terminology wise. It's an ANTHRO course but he talks a lot about philosophy and sociology. Get ready to learn about Northern Ireland. He does give credit for attendance, but you can do well as long as you read.

I found Anth 166 really interesting and engaging. This is the best on-line course I have ever taken because Dr Murphys syllabus is clear and he is EXTREMELY organized. Audio is attached to ppt lectures. Stay on top of ALL reading, study ppt lectures and follow essay prompts closely. He is a fair grader, flexible and responsive. Recommend.

Dr Murphy is an intelligent professor and great lecturer. I have taken three classes with him and I would sum him up as being laid back, but he does not BS. He expects students to show up literally and figuratively. ALL exam content stems directly from lectures and reading. Recommend focused lecture note taking/reading for any of his courses.

Professor Murphy is great. I think some are intimidated by his vocabulary and basic expectations students should already have the tools to succeed at the university level. Good professor if you really want to be challenged, learn and grow academically. His lecturing style is on par with more rigorous academic programs. Use his office hours.

Awesome course! Don't know what that last student was talking about . guess they thought it would be easy because it's online. Lots of reading, but it interesting stuff.

Really, really enjoyed this course. I definitely did more reading and work than I expected to, but it was really fascinating material. Hard to listen to voice over powerpoint, but I guess that's how online works. Would definitely recommend.

I took two online classes this summer that were both 3 units, but this class literally had 10 times more work as far as writing papers and watching lectures. This class was very interesting. The professor responds to emails quickly. I would take him again, probably not online though or over summer.

Lots of reading and takes a fair amount of writing on the discussion boards, but the class was intriguing, well organized and very doable. Took Winter intersession, fully online, great way to get GE out of the way. Interesting lectures and he even takes the time to add personalized feedback on all your posts.

Anth 13 was incredible - great class. Read the last person's comments and don't see it at all. Maybe a little more clarity on multiple-choice tests, but it's all pretty basic stuff. "Some people shouldn't be teaching" Hilarious. More like, some students shouldn't be in university.

I really liked this class and Prof Murphys style. You do have to read, but its not that much ... if you miss a lecture that could affect you . But honestly, this guy is really interesting and knows his stuff.

I loved this class. When I went to see him in office hours he really helped a lot. On-line it can get hard to follow sometimes but he lectures about some great topics. Thumbs up!

here's the thing, It is a super interesting class and he lectures on some pretty interesting topics but getting an A is near impossible. If you need some interaction and discussion in class this is not for you. Also, tests are extremely hard but they're online so group up and take it together.

Prof Murphy is awesome. His class was more manageable. The course I had with him was hybrid so we basically did not have to go to class after the first class because lectures were online to watch. 4 online exams and 3 discussion posts and he drops the lowest exam at the end. Overall, I really enjoyed his class because lectures were interesting!

If you dont know who to take for anthro magic witchcraft, TAKE HIM! I had to retake this class and this was my first time taking him. He made the course easy to follow! Prof Murphy may seem intimidating but hes really cool. Only way you fail is if you dont put the effort and time to do the work. Its easy work honestly

I loved Murphy. Class was all lecture, but he is interesting to listen to and taught the material well. Make sure you take good notes cause they are your study guide. Only graded on attendance, two 4-page papers, midterm, and final.

I'm not an Anthro major and took this class for GE requirements. Super interesting class; his thorough lectures really broadened my understanding of religions. Grading was crystal clear, you do have a lot of reading and writing but it was totally manageable. I thought the tests were really easy.

I dont know why some people rate this prof so low. I think some students just dont know how to put in the work at a college level standard. His lectures were very interesting. 3 online tests & 3 discussion posts using the book. You really need to just pay attention to lecture and youll ace the exams- no problem. Its not a hard class. Take him

Meh, I enjoyed it. All of his tests where in essay format. You don't know why you got the score that you did, but you'll be fine if you do the reading. The hardest part of this class is his enormous EGO. Don't question him because he will belittle you in front of the class. Also loves to tell everyone how cool he is. He only teaches about Ireland.

6 total assignments, 3 tests and 3 "essays", which your lowest score Is dropped. I took the online version, if you're not self-disciplined then don't take him. be a good note taker and keep up. Take him.

Heavy writing assignments but he gives you time to do them. Well-structured class, esp for a summer sem. Lecture-heavy, but expected. Knows his stuff and teaches this very well. Very cool class. Seems like a lot but if you can figure out how to strategize (review syllabus about term paper requirements & manage time) you'll be fine.

Professor Murphy is an amazing instructor. Classes are well organized and easy to follow. He is passionate about his work and it shows. A little tough on grading but if you are doing the work, then his assignments are easy.

Well organized class and the Professor was extremely knowledgeable in his field of study and responded to emails quickly. The video lectures provide all the information needed to succeed. I retained the new knowledge I learned because he taught the materials so well. I will never see cults the same way again! I loved every bit of this class.

Very interesting class. Be sure to format your papers properly. A bit of a tough grader, but fair.

I was very intimidated when I started this course. Professor is very knowledgeable and passionate about topic & I knew little about religion. As a psych major, this class was not in my area, but was amazing nonetheless. One of those classes that stick with you and force you to think. Prof is humorous and had incredible lectures. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

There are only 3 MC exams and 3 discussion posts (basically essays) in the grade book. Lowest score is dropped out of all of them. Recorded lectures were long and boring, but some topics were interesting. Honestly, it's hard to fail the class if you do all your work. The book was definitely needed to do the discussion posts.

Lectures are on topic and interesting; and the reading wasnt too onerous. Be prepared to write on a deadline, tho. Tests are timed, and consisted of short answers and 1 to 2, 4-5 paragraph essays. Grading is clearly outlined in syllabus. Murphy is great at timely communication outside of class. Plan to take other classes w/ this prof. Recommend.

I think some of the reviews are pretty harsh, this class was excellent as long as you are consistent with your work. Lectures are pre recorded and are around 40 minutes to an hour long. If you are not consistent with asynchronous work I wouldn't advise you take this class. You cannot procrastinate for this class.

Dr. Murphy is very knowledgeable about this subject. The lectures are long, but fascinating and filled with information. The discussion posts are really informal essays, you need to write formally and include proper citations to do well on them. Other than that, the class is not difficult. Highly recommend!

I took professor Murphy during the 2023 winter intersession. He is a fantastic professor and gets back to your emails the same day! He only had 3 exams and 3 discussion boards. He was very straightforward with his expectations and graded all of the assignments within 1-3 days. I would definitely recommend him.

3 discussion boards that are 1000 words each, 3 tests, and 1 term essay that consists of 6 pages. If you like writing this is your class, usually discussing and comparing prophets. The only downside I would say there was, where 1 long video lectures that were prerecorded, without having the opinion to view them in PDF style.

This course had more writing than my WI course. Other than that it was a fairly straight forward course and his expectations are clear. This class is an easy B+ even if you put 70% effort in. He makes the class and topics fun and his lectures have a transcript which helps a lot when you need to find a specific thing.

Great course material, super interesting perspectives, i thought his class was enlightening. I learned so much in 3 weeks, now i have all sorts of fun facts to tell my friends about religious movements/cults. Super fun class, wish i took it in person!

Dr. Murphy was a great professor, though his assignments were pretty hard. We only had 3 discussion boards (1,000 words minimum), tests every other week, and a 6-10 page essay for a final. If you mess up on one assignment, that can cost you your grade. I found that his lectures were not as engaging but nonetheless the overall class was interesting.