This class is amazing. It's low stress, and the prof makes it really interesting. He's really open to student feedback and is always willing to help. He facilitates discussion and encourages independent thinking.

Favorite professor at Georgetown! Very knowledgeable and interested in his students. Flexible coursework, and he tries to tailor it to student interest. Class is stimulating--good combination of lecture and discussion.

He is the kind of professor you come to Georgetown for! He cares about his students, he is very knowledgable, he knows everyone in his field and he actually has experience in what he is teaching. Learned a lot, if you can - TAKE HIS CLASS! :)

Professor Giordano is such a nice guy! He is very helpful and will meet with you to talk about whatever concerns you have in the class. He grades papers critically, but then curves them. I believe that he genuinely cares about your academic success.

Giordano is a very kind man who actually cares about his students. He has high standards, but helps you get there and understands the purpose of a proseminar class so he does not overwhelm you with work. I would recommend this class to anyone.

Such a great person. Take his class!

He is one of the nicest professors I have met on campus thus far. He wants you to succeed not only in his class but also in life. Although I didn't sign up to be in his class, I learned so much about a topic that I ended up finding to be very interesting: WATER! He is pretty easy, but he did change up the syllabi on us mid-semster. Take him!

He is the best!!! He has a secretly insane sense of humor and is a total cynic, despite all our conversations about changing the world. He cares about you and is totally great.

BEST PROFESSOR!! kindest and most helpful professor you will ever have; cares about you as a student and person, and always there to help. You learn a lot about writing a research paper. I miss having his class this semester, it was such a nice way to start my day. low stress, easy going, laid back. Mark Giordano is why you come to georgetown!!

Super chill, very friendly, extremely helpful, reasonable

The best professor I've had yet at Georgetown. I took this class last year and he was amazing. So ready to help you with anything and has tons of really interesting stories that he loves to share. Has a great sense of humor and likes to talk to you about whatever and is interested in you as a person.

Giordano is awesome! He is really interesting and loves interacting and talking with students. Every time I needed office hours help, he was willing to find a time to talk. The research I did in this class, with the input from Giordano, really has influenced my academic trajectory and major. I highly recommend taking him!

Amazing professor. Keeps you engaged in the material. Such an awesome guy who is interested in you both inside and outside of the classroom. This class is A LOT OF WORK, but as long as you do the work, he doesn't grade too toughly. He really wants everyone to succeed which is why I want to take any class I can with him!

Mark's a great Professor, he's always there to help and gives great advice. I ended up loving the Proseminar! He's one of those professor's you'd want to keep in touch with.

Mark (he doesn't go by Prof. Giordano) is a fantastic professor! By the end of the course, we all wished that we could take another seminar with him without having to enroll in a grad program. He kept up interest in Water throughout the semester. We had a movie day, a field trip and two visitors: the text author and a world bank project manager.

Take his prosem. Rather than having separate assignments you soon forget about, working on a research paper the whole semester will help you garner some in-depth understanding on a topic you're passionate about and the process of academic research. Prof. Giordano is also a very intelligent and nice man who genuinely cares about you as a person.

Professor Giordano is the best! I've taken him twice in two years and he is always very understanding and makes the subject material fascinating. STIA-305 is a lot of material, but none of it is difficult. 4 group projects, 2 papers, a midterm, and a final, but the grading isn't too difficult. It's an eye-opening course, and very chill.

Mark's a great teacher! This was a fantastic prosem, not too much work but very interesting. Lectures and class discussions were always interesting. The field-trip was fun but very cold! Definitely take any class Mark teaches!

Didn't want this class but ended it up loving it. Probably the best Proseminar at Georgetown. Really nice guy, very good at teaching, very knowledgable and passionate. His laugh makes me very uncomfortable.

Baller professor. Great guy and good lecturer. Highly recommend taking his class even if you're not doing STIA. There is a substantial amount of reading, although you can pick up most of it from lecture.

Perhaps one of the most knowledgeable and approachable professors I have had during my time as an undergraduate. Throughout the semester, a remarkable amount of material is covered but tested fairly through simulations, two papers, and a midterm. Learned a lot and had a good time - he's a baller professor. Take.

Prof Giordano is so cool. Super down to earth. Doesn't needlessly complicate coursework, but still challenges you. Take all of this man's classes. Also wears cool socks sometimes, so watch out for that.

Doctor Giordano is an amazing professor and person. He is clearly passionate about his subject matter and is rather knowledgeable. After taking his proseminar on water, I am seriously considering majoring in STIA, the program of which he is the director. His proseminar was a lot of fun and will make you think in a whole new way about water.

Professor Giordano is an excellent teacher who taught me how to approach complicated issues and guided me to form my own opinions.

Mark Giordano is an AWESOME professor -- I would love to take his classes again and again! He really works to make the class educational, not just focused on grades and homework. He put a very unique twist on "the future of food" and as someone interested in pursuing agriculture, I found it fun and interesting - even for an 8am, it was worth it!!!

Giordano is fantastic. He gives very clear guidelines and expectations on assignments. All the work and readings actually matter and aren't just an exercise in grit. His classroom is an engaging environment where you learn a lot and have the chance to explore your own interests. Fantastic class, very manageable.

Professor Giordano is the best professor I have ever had. He is extraordinarily knowledgable about his subject matter and inspires students to care about the worldwide ecosystem. He is practical and bases what he knows on fact and logic but is very clearly passionate about what he does. A phenomenal class with a phenomenal professor!

He is really relaxed. You can sit and listen to his lectures without taking any notes. Just try to actively listen and interact with the material he gives you.

Professor Giordano is AMAZING. Without a doubt one of my favorites at Georgetown. He makes the material approachable and fun so that you manage to learn an incredible amount while never feeling stressed.

Dr G is super approachable and engaging during lecture. Great class, definitely would recommend.

The Future of Food class--Professor Giordano really gives you the resources and the freedom to dive deep into class and self-selected topics and develop your own academic conclusions! I really loved his teaching approach of lecture and discussion, and the reading materials he assigned considered their subject from many different perspectives.

Dr. G is amazing. As a prospective STIA major, getting to know him in my proseminar was wonderful. He's incredibly intelligent and really cares about the success (both academic and personal) of his students. He's also hilarious and doesn't assign too much work. If you get this prosem, it's a blessing.

Water makes for a super interesting and fairly easy freshman proseminar. The class is very discussion based and is centered around various readings and lectures (also includes a couple of movies and a field trip!). Truthfully, the final project/essay is incredibly daunting, but Professor Giordano really wants you to succeed. He's a legend!

Professor Giordano makes Map of the Modern World an engaging and interesting class. Although all of the study guides and resources are posted online for the final exam, just showing up to his class is a reward in and of itself. He gives comprehensive and definitive information about each region of the world and is a funny professor overall.

I liked him a lot. He is knowledgeable and reasonable in his expectations of us. He equipped us well for the final and his quizzes on canvas help prepare you well for the final. Requiring a 70% on the final to pass the course is tricky though because anything can happen- he should allocate some points to other parameters as opposed to a 100% final.

Giordano is the man. He is super funny, very engaging and has fascinating professional experience. He also makes sure to cover a variety of perspectives. Take, you won't regret it!

For Maps, show up, study the geography, & pass. The test is harder than you may expect, but, with extra credit factored in, you can get low as a 65 percent and be fine. Giordano is all you can ask for for a geography course: he's lived or been just about everywhere. Yes, even North Korea. Nice guy, too. Would do it again.

I found his Map class very interesting and outside of the box. He has a very unique perspective and has traveled throughout the entire world. He often included lots of personal anecdotes/pictures that gave a good worldview of the material. Weird sense of humor, but a very approachable, genius, and caring prof.

I never showed up to his class, but it looks like an easy A.

For Map of Modern World, Giordano perhaps was not the best fit, but he is still a great teacher. His class is a crash-course style lecture, and you can tell he is an expert on all things geography. Someone incredibly interesting to have a conversation with.

Map of the Modern World meets once a week for 50 min. It's easy to skip and there are no consequences but just GO. Prof. Giordano has crazy personal anecdotes about almost every single nation, and you can learn so much about the world just by showing up. The final isn't on information from class, but he sends out review slides with all the info.

great teacher! pass fail class so not difficult but super interesting lectures and easy to stay engaged.

Prof Giordano is such an interesting person and always has something unique to say about whatever region we're talking about in MAP. He makes it very clear what you're supposed to be getting out of each lecture. I would recommend actually going to lectures (as somehow who didn't) because it makes the test so much easier, because it's not all MAP ID

Prof. is very entertaining during lectures and knowledgeable. Structure of class made it sometimes hard to attend, but material was nonetheless interesting.

Prof Giordano is a gem taking Map of the Modern World with him is an SFS freshman experience I'll never forget. His lectures are never boring, and he always has something interesting to share about each region of the world, including personal funny anecdotes. This was the one class I looked forward to attending this semester.

His lectures were never boring, and this was a class where I learned a lot of useful and interesting information from around the world. This class may seem like something you're taking just for the sake of taking it, but you will take away a lot from it.

The lectures he gives are interesting but most of them are very surface level, so if you already have any knowledge about geopolitical stuff it's not important to go to class. Listening to him speak, it's very clear that he's a genius when it comes to most global issues. Map test and final are easy to pass as long as you look over his study guide.

A fascinating class and lecturer. He moves very fast and has a sharp wit which makes lecturers very engaging. The class is very illuminating; it teaches foundational knowledge everyone in the SFS should know. Even though I already new some of it, I nonetheless enjoyed all the classes. Easy to pass, so sit back and enjoy! Mark's the man.

Map of the Modern World with Giordano was great. He moves quickly through the lectures and is extremely knowledgeable. Although his voice is boring, what you learn is so interesting and compensates for his monotone speaking. Just attend lectures for fun. There's no need to take notes. There's a study guide for the final and a simple map quiz.

Thought this class would be just geography, but it wound up being a super interesting geopolitics crash course. You don't have to go to lecture, but you'll want to. Giordano has traveled the world and has first-hand connections to material but is a down-to-earth, chill guy. You might wind up with a Throughline addiction, but it will be worth it.

Professor Giordano's Map of the Modern World Class was a required course, but it ended up being one of my favorite courses. It's obviously heavy on geography, but Giordano does a great job in drawing connections between geography, politics, and international relations, incorporating current events into his lectures. Very interesting, learned a lot!

one of those classes where attendance isn't mandatory, but it's worth going just for the lectures. the class takes almost no effort to pass, and Giordano makes the material super interesting/relevant with (optional) articles and videos

Super cool

Prof Giordano makes Maps really interesting and makes the class much more than just memorizing facts, although that alone will be enough to pass the class. The class is "easy" but do study a LOT, since the content is so heavy and there is so so much. Make friends in this class and make study guides together and go over the slides over and over.

Take this class. Giordano's a legend, and the material is always engaging. Tests may seem daunting at first, but they're 100% doable. Even if you aren't in SFS, I'd recommend taking this course to get a basic foundation about how the world works.

Class was asynchronous & online, so likely different than what it would be in person. Prof. Giordano was a pretty good lecturer - we had a few videos per week to watch that crossed into other SFS content. To pass (it's P/F), you need a 23/25 on the Map ID Quiz, 90% on Geo Facts, and 75% on final (with retake). Try not to cram in the last week!

Like everyone else said, this class had really engaging lectures that challenged my worldview and my understanding of geopolitics. While closely engaging with the lectures was definitely was not a requirement to pass the class (the final exam was graded really easily), it's worth your time and energy to take this class and pay attention.

Professor Giordano was an awesome experience for Map of the Modern World! Even though I was never able to actually see him in person since the class was entirely online and asynchronous, his lectures were nonetheless super fascinating and informative. And thankfully, the assignments are easy, so you can just focus on learning!

LOVED Map with Giordano! He made the information accessible and so interesting. Countries quiz is not as hard as you think, I recommend studying with Seterra ahead of time. I learned so much about geography and global politics, would love to take this class again.

Chances are you don't have much of a choice over whether or not to take Mark, so this is purely informational. Nevertheless, he's a great professor and an incredibly nice guy. Map is a really fun time with him and his lectures are always captivating. You have a lot to look forward to with an SFS icon like Mark Giordano1

Professor Giordano is amazing! Yes, he is an occasionally dull lecturer, but the content is fascinating! Watch the GioPolitical Roadshows and attend trivia nights! It's not difficult to pass; he lays out exactly what will be on the exam. He is one of the most relaxed, friendly, and knowledgeable professors, so definitely go to his office hours.

Take this from someone who accidentally took Maps - this is not a for fun class, this is an SFS weed out class. That said, its not hard if you work smarter not harder. Study for the quizzes and study the final exam study guide and youll be fine, only watch lectures if you enjoy them (I watched none and got a 100 on both quizzes and 97 on final)

Absolutely amazing. The class was asynchronous online, but there are quite a few lectures, so keep up with them. Learned a lot about the world from this class and the content was actually fun. Not difficult to pass as he gives you a study guide of what exactly will be on the exam.

Fascinating content, nice guy, decent lecturer, not difficult. Felt like I learned a ton. No complaints

Map of the Modern World is a core that introduces you to the SFS. Pass/Fail, you will have to make up ground and memorize countries if you don't have the background. Get ready to learn rivers and mountains and maritime chokepoints. His anecdotes about travel ground the course in geopolitics. My course was async fall 2021 video. If you try, you pass

If you take it seriously, Map will change the way you view the world. Since he is teaching the iconic class of SFS, he is constantly working on redesigning and improving the course. He is hilarious and very caring, so feel free to reach out and discuss geopolitics and course logistics with him. And don't forget to apply to be a Map TA :)

I love Mark, but do not take this class. He's a super chill dude and I genuinely enjoyed Map, but Water kinda sucks. I barely went to lectures, because the lectures I did attend were dry - the only consolation is Mark's interesting and unique life. Mark if you read this: you're a great prof but this class needs to be reworked

really nice and interesting guy! easy class, pass/fail, just keep up with the lectures and you'll be fine.

I really enjoyed Maps but he spends a literal 0.5 seconds per slide so get ready to do notes by yourself. Also, the tests aren't too hard if you study (the class is taken as a pass-fail). His life is very interesting and he is genuinely a funny guy.

I loved this guy. I came into it knowing very little about international affairs and global issues and walked away knowing so much more about the world. While there are lots of things to memorize which may seem overwhelming, the Map ID and final are easy if you prepare. His lectures are only once a week, and he makes it interesting and meaningful

Loved Maps and Giordano! Lectures are interesting and give you a solid foundation for understanding geopolitics and global affairs in regions. There is no work for most of the semester except for the Map ID quiz and the final. Find some SFS friends to do Maps with, and it will be one of your favorite classes!

I really enjoyed MAPS! Lectures were interesting and relevant. Giordano is very knowledgable in the field. My word of advice is to study a little bit each week so you aren't cramming at the end for the final...

Maps itself is kind of a joke; you can't get a solid or even foundational understanding of any region in 50 minutes, but Giordano recognizes this. He's funny and an engaging lecturer. Some of his info on current events and relations was outdated. Point of the class is just to learn where places are and to challenge problematic Western lenses.

Minimally stressful class. Lectures are decently entertaining and have their fair share of interesting material.

No HW at all. The only requirements to pass the class are attending a TA's office hours, passing a MAP ID quiz, and passing the final test. Very interesting lectures and although he goes by incredibly quickly, he helps you by providing a study guide before the lecture of the only content that is necessary to look out for the exam.

He goes through lectures so fast it's hard to tell what's important and what isn't. You can honestly just listen and not take notes and still do well on the exam. Just cram for the final and you'll do great. Your grade is based on the Map ID quiz and the final, both of which have plenty of extra credit on them.

Professor Giordano is fun guy with great stories, and his class is a solid introduction to the SFS. Lectures are fast and it's not always clear what you should take notes on, but you can easily catch up before the final. Pretty good experience overall.

Water w Giordano is the best class I've ever taken. TAKE THIS CLASS. The content is super interesting and important, and Prof Giordano has so many good stories and examples to teach all of it. This is one of those classes where if you show up to lectures, you'll learn so much just from being there that you barely have to study for the midterm/final

Excellent lectures. Giordano lives up to the hype. Use Seterra for the map-quiz and start studying a couple of weeks in advance so you pass the first time. Take notes during lecture and review Canvas study guides before the Final. Although the class is pass-fail, you have to do quite a lot of studying for the final (at least I did).

Pretty great professor, out of all my professors I've found his lectures to be the most engaging and easy to pay attention to, even after a long day (I had his class at 5 pm). He changes slides often to give visuals to what he is explaining and mixes in humor to keep the lectures interesting. SFS's finest.

Maps will be the easiest and most fun class you will take at Georgetown if you are into IR and SFS is your dream school. Giordano is so knowledgeable and the class is simply enjoyable. It is about learning; don't worry about the final exam. Also, check out his IG; the name is hilarious

Super interesting class -- lectures were super engaging. Attendance was mandatory, but I actually looked forward to going to his class. No real homework and easy class if you pass the Maps Quiz and cram a day or two before the final. Maps really is a SFS dream.

Water was super interesting and fun. Professor Giordano is super chill, and his stories and perspectives make lectures really interesting. The readings are also interesting, but they can take a while to read. Overall, I would highly recommend this class!

Single most interesting class I've ever taken; made me realize why I applied to the SFS. Every class introduced new ways of thinking about the world and mind blowing facts. Participation is mandatory (just a one hour a week lecture) and the final isn't difficult if you know the material. Giordano's powerpoint slides belong in the Louvre. Amazing.

This class was very interesting. II think you probs learn more if you just listen and not take notes. I understand they need a way of testing but I find it pointless to memorize random geographic features for 1 day and forget it after -- makes interesting content into tedious rote memory.

Maps is a phenomenal class -- left every lecture with my mind blown. Prof. Giordano is also a really nice guy to talk to after class/in office hours.

Mark is honestly such a sweetheart! His lectures are engaging, and he is a very intelligent individual.

Giordano is an excellent and amusing lecturer, and as someone who already knew a lot about geopolitics and int'l affairs, I still learned a great deal in his weekly lectures. There are three requirements to pass: attend one (1) TA office hour before 10/31, score 29/32 or better on country map ID quiz, score 75%+ on final (only 6% of class failed)

Whether you pass or fail the class depends almost entirely on a 120-question final: STUDY. If you study well (I recommend spending 3 days studying for it), it is doable. You also must memorize 120 UN member countries. Giordano is a hilarious professor and all his lectures are entertaining and engaging. You will look forward to his lectures.

By far my favorite class I took this semester. Lectures are very engaging and always interesting. Giordano is usually pretty funny which makes the lectures even better. Passing the class is pretty simple, basicallly all memorization. I studied for the final the day of and beat the mean.

MAPS is pass/fail. Make sure to do sufficiently well on the ID quiz (use Seterra for 2-3 weeks for 5 min/day) and the final (take notes in the workbook). Otherwise, just enjoy class. Professor Giordano has good jokes and connections, and he really makes the lectures fun with his crazy stories. You learn so much and rethink how you view geography.

Prof Giordano is the most knowledgeable professor I have ever had. His lectures are incredibly engaging, and he supplements them with interesting stories because he's been to practically every country in the world. It's a pass fail class so if you attend class, office hours, pass a quiz on the countries, and pass the final exam, you'll be fine.

I slept through half of the MAPS classes (not on purpose; Giordano is knowledgeable and his slides have a ton of information but he can be a monotonous lecturer) and still passed. Just use the study guide and seterra, you'll be fine.

kindest man alive, im sorry... his maps lectures were insanely monotonous. I did not absorb any of the info. studying for the final was a CRAM, start 2 weeks in advance. essential knowledge for foreign service workers. GU, please make this a 3-credit 25-person / class course!! that way we wont forget it as soon as we hand in the final exam.

If you're taking Maps, you're taking it with Giordano. He's great, lectures are fun and literally so informative. Go to office hours and chat with him--it's worthwhile to get to know him. If the games to learn the maps don't work for you, try other things; not everyone learns the same way. Don't ignore the final... it will sneak up on you!

Maps is so interesting! I'm not in the SFS and I still took it. You learn so much about different parts of the world and how their geography shaped their history, present, and future. Prof Giordano is very well-traveled and has such interesting stories

Giordano is not the most engaging lecturer and his soft, monotone voice often puts students to sleep. But the content of Maps itself was extremely intriguing and the man is so quirky and funny. Overall, definitely a worthwhile experience.

pookie shmookie

Iconic doesn't even begin to cover it. This man's lore is extensive, his humor is dry, and his love of cats immense. If you want to be geographically competent, you will love maps. Highlight of my Mondays this semester. Go to his office hours to see a brick from Saddam Hussein's palace!

LOVE HIM!! He is very nice and SO smart. He knows everything about what he teaches, and you'll learn so so much. The exam at the end of the year is difficult and takes a lot of studying, but it's so worth it to leave the class feeling smarter. His lectures can be monotonous but they're actually really interesting and funny! Dad lore final boss!

Absolutely loved Maps. Prof. Giordano is brilliant and hilarious, to the point where I would walk out of each class with my mind blown. The final is a lot of content, but if you give yourself enough time, it's an easy thing to pass. Honestly, you should take Maps just to hear the stories this man has to tell. They are pretty incredible.

Giordano is the sweetest prof ever. Don't wait till the last minute to study for the final and you will be fine.

Wonderful lectures, great professor. Studying for the final takes some time, but his lectures are amazing and he will drop so much lore about his travels. Left his classes feeling so much smarter.

The material of the Maps class is so interesting, I wish they made the lectures or class style more engaging somehow. Professor Giordano's voice tends to soothe you to sleep. It was a bit unclear what we should take notes on and some things popped up on the final that weren't clearly explained in class. Want to take an upper level with him.

Giordano is a super interesting guy; lectures difficult to follow. You have to attend office hours, pass a map ID quiz, and pass the final exam (>75). For the final, STUDY HIS SAMPLE QUESTIONS. They are word for word on the final. Then look at the study guide for extra questions. I crammed for the final the day before and got a 92. Pass fail so dw

Giordano is an inspiring, interesting, and open professor. However, he is not very engaging in his lecturing, and it can be hard to concentrate after a long day. I recommend actively taking notes to process what he's saying in your notebook. For final, study the "sample questions" and "study guide" documents. It's the exact same questions.

Loved this class!!! Amazing lectures, although they can be a bit boring. You're graded based on participation, a map quiz (you have to get at least 29/32), and at least a 75% on the final (sometimes he'll lower it to 70%). Study the final study guides he gives you bc they are the exact same questions!

Giordano is an entertaining guy and the TAs are very helpful. Study the study guide before the final exam and you'll pass (passing cutoff is 75% but is sometimes lowered to 70%). My only complaint is Giordano spends a lot of time talking about his personal adventures; I would have preferred more geopolitics.

lotta stuff to study but i passed

Giordano is super funny I found his lectures hilarious and fun. Plus it's only 1 hour a week so not a big deal. The practice questions for the final are basically the same as the actual final. However you HAVE to study and memorize everything for the final. The lectures make you think the final will be easy but it's not.

Maps was fun with him, he is very funny and has good stories. Go to OH and utilize your TA's. DO NOT start studying for the test the night before, it's very comprehensive but manageable if you give yourself time!

He's super cool and has literally been everywhere. His lectures are informative, but there are also like 200 kids in your class— that's the only downside. Overall, the class is very useful, and if you study even 3-4 days before your exam, you're bound to pass.