4.5
Quality2.5
Difficulty96%
Would Retake116
Reviews96%
Would Retake
116
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
91
4
12
3
6
2
5
1
2
What Students Say
“Mark Nicol is one of the best professors I have ever had”
PS123 - 5.0 rating“Nicol comes across as very arrogant”
PS130 - 3.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
46%
Textbook Required
24%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.26 avg changeRatings by Course
123
5.0
(2)CJ350
5.0
(1)VARIOUS
5.0
(1)PS12563
5.0
(1)INTROTOP
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
MAS510
4.0
PSMAS
4.0
PS200
4.0
PS130H
3.5
PS130
3.4
Reviews (116)
Intelligent, and entertaining
Very interesting and very fun
Very great speaker, and fun to listen to.
makes the class fun and easy
one of the best prof's ever, makes me want to go to class
Excellent teacher. Four stars
The only class I actually enjoy going to. He is funny, interesting, and very helpful.
Great guy and teacher
Great instructor. He makes class enjoyable and interesting.
Articulate. Be prepared to write pages of notes every class. He is an awesome teacher and has fun! His class is not set up for failure!
No Comments
My all time favorite teacher! Never a dull moment, he keeps class entertaining. Ask questions, he can exaplain anything & you'll actually understand it too!
excellent prof, really gets into his lectures, made my worst subject interesting. go to every class, and take notes like mad though. all in all...highly recommended!
No Comments
Best teacher I have had at SVSU so far. Keeps the class going and very interested. Makes the 3 hours classes feel like 1 1/2. Take it!!
He is an awesome teacher who makes you learn. You take a lot of notes, but he makes class fun.
Great prof, great guy! Really enjoys what he is teaching and explains everything very well. He's got a good sense of humor - one of those profs I could actually see myself going out for drinks with!
AWESOME TEACHER! mY ALL TIME FAVORITE---SUPER SMART--FUNNY TOO
Really cool prof who knew his material and cared if I learned it. Class discussion was very interesting, even though it's a sometimes boring subject. If you need help...ASK! Mark bends over backwards to help you learn the material. Hella cool guy!
Mark is an amazing teacher! I had a 3 hour Friday class, and loved it! He is so funny, and keeps your attention. He is a great teacher, and he makes things very clear, he is very easy to understand. Willing to help anyone who asks! Take him!
Is a pretty good students, tests arent bad, make sure you pay attention to your notes
Mark rocks! He made his lectures interesting, and was totally helpful when needed...He's a funny guy and incredibly intelligent and opinionated...Loved these classes!
Frankly, Mark is a jerk. I didn't take him until I was well into my PS major courses. He seems very impatient with his students, timid folks PLEASE spare yourself and don't take him. His comments to those that don't understand are NOT very understanding
This guy is a real jerk. Dont ask a question unless you like getting railed and made to feel like a mongol. He is smart, but quite rude.
If politics is your thing then take his class. Personally I took it because it was a GE requirement and I am clueless on politics. Still am after taking his class. He is a student at MSU so getting ahold of him for help is difficult. He seems like a g
Nice guy...prepare to take a lot of notes though, and the group discussions aren't too stimulating.
All tests including final were essay only. Research paper was expected to be English 102 style.
Those of you whining about his sarcasm, you need to just suck it up and move on, seriously. I think he's a great PS teacher. His lectures and Powerpoint notes are very clear and concise. His exams are some of the easiest exams I have ever taken at SVSU
Clear, interesting and helpful. The only thing holding this back from being a truly great class was the lack of participation by the majority of students.
Really knows his stuff, occassionally has trouble explaining the math concepts without using math terms. Always willing to help, even opens the computer lab for an additional afternoon prior ro each test.
His state and local government class was awesome, entertaining and informative. As far as being rude, I don't see it. He's blunt but its not personal.
He is a little intimidating at first but once you get to know him he is really helpful and funny. I'm taking another class from him in the summer and again in the fall.
I've had him three times and he is flat out my favorite teacher of all time.
Excellent class, cool guy. It was great to have someone with some real world experience teaching about what they know and still being able to explain theory without just talking about themselves.
I had I really good experience with this class. The workload was about right form an intro level class and I found Mark ammusing and helpful.
Mark's an excellent teacher. Hopefully he'll stick around SVSU for a long time. I suggest taking any class that is offered that he's teaching.
Looking forward to taking him again in the summer.
I was really scared to take this class but he made it really fun and interesting. I have influenced 3 people to take his class since I did last semester.
I have to say that I'm very dissolutioned. I had Mark for another class and loved him, but this semester he's much ruder and much less helpful.
This was a class I was really worried about. In the end Mark made it interesting and even kinda fun.
good teacher, take him if you need Ps 123
Great prof. Even if you don't like gov. He makes it clear and relevent. Keeps his own views in check and lets you express yours freely!
No Comments
Willing to go the extra mile, spent a tremendous amount of his own time helping out. However, he's not one to suffer folls lightly.
Very knowledgeable and willing to explain things in minute detail. Answers questions until you can understanding, always willing to backtrack and try another approach. Actually cares if you get it.
Nicol made the class interesting for a 3hr summer class. Nice guy, willing to help and explain things. Most I had to write in 7 weeks (4-6 page - 2 essay exams, 2 papers, 1 group paper/presentation), but I'm an ME major.
GREAT version of your usual boring government class. The fact that he is young and was in the military gives you some convincing viewpoints, as well as him being fun and easygoing. I highly recommend this professor for poli. sci.
He makes the class fun. It is not boring and he will always have time to explain anything you need. He does a GREAT JOB!
I was so worried about statistics. I took it twice before and dropped it in the 1st month. Mark encouraged me to stick it out and helped me a lot along the way. I worked my a** off but got a B+. Thanks Mark.
VERY nice guy! I've never been interested in anything dealing with politics and I actually enjoy this class. Going into Mark's class I thought for sure I was going to hate and now I will not miss it for the world!
Great teacher! Nice, friendly and willing to help students. Definitally take him for Intro to Political Science!
Very fair! He reads over each exam several times to make sure that he doesnt grade anyone unfairly. He is almost the best PS teacher (Lane is my fave)! Very student oriented and easy to get along with. Tests are alot of writing, but if you hit the main points, ur good to go!
He is very sociable. Supplies real-life examples and answers. Has a very good sense of humor. He always asks students for their opinions. Makes it sound more like a really good discussion rather than a class
I loved his lectures and his teaching. The only problem i have with him is his inablility to acknowlege and opinion other than his own. I felt demonized for my views in his class and it made me very uncomfortable.
Mark is a great professor in all his classes. Explains things so you can understand and is very easy to approach and talk to. Probably my favorite professor at the school.
excellent teacher. He is very easy. PS 118 is basically essays and PS123 is multiple choice and various other items. Defintely you will get a A or the last is B
This was my first time with Mark, and he is the man. He knows his stuff up and down and it really willing to help you. 3 m/c essay exams, and a term paper. He is straightforward and minimizes crap. Would reccomend.
Great guy, easy to contact if you have any questions. Uses humor in his lectures making it much more enjoyable. Topics for his papers are not too hard and his tests are straight forward. One of, if not the best prof I have ever had.
Professor Nicol is truly the most educated and knowledgable Political Science professor at SVSU. He knows his stuff and is very approachable. He is the man!
Mark is a BIG GUY with an even bigger heart. I am very much into Politics, and because of Mark, even more so. His classes are not very difficult if you listen to his lectures. I would very much recommend Mark. "Arise, sir Mark Nicol" Maybe overreacting, but a very happy former student of his.
Professor Nicol is true intellectual and a gifted speaker. I recommend taking him for any of your political science classes. He "KNOWS" politics and you will not be bored in his classes. I have taken P.S. classes at other institutions and have never learned as much as I did in Mark's classes. #1
Mark is a great guy that is more than willing to help if you need it. He knows politics and makes the class interesting. Th most you'll have to do is a 5 page paper on a confusting topic, but he'll be there to help. He'll also give an extension if you need it, just talk to him and he'll understand.
Would not suggest him! Take Mr. Lane way better! he assigns this one paper that is not so easy to understand I would suggest taking any one else the exam is very confusing a lot of terms know them well got a good grade in the course but worked really hard for it!
Mark is an awesome guy. Do the study guides and his class is easy. The paper isn't that hard just be sure to read the article early and talk with him and he'll go out of his way to make sure you do well on it. Amazing prof and all around great guy.
Great teacher really knows his material and is always very willing to help you any way he can. Don't try to BS him with excuses, he will not let you blow smoke up his butt.
Mark is very intelligent, and makes good use of humor. He is down to earth and practical. He can be a little condensending when answering questions. His assigned reading is mostly boring, but his lectures are not. He also showed a good movie. I would take him again.
The best PS prof I've had... uses stories, humor to keep you entertained while actually learning.
I was scared sh**less of stats. It was tough, but he actually made it fun and interesting.
Way more challenging than other Masters classes I've taken here. However, Mark made it interesting and exciting while still maintaining an atmosphere of helpfulness and a willingness to see things from a student's point of view. Maybe the hardest readings I've done, and the exam questions required much more thought than I've grown used to.
Definitely WAY harder than other 100-level classes.based on the material we learned/read, it cold have easily passed for 300.MN has gotten more boring over the years as well. expects a lot more than from his first year here in the ps 123 class I had. Tests are ALL essay-lots of papers and writing, TONS of notes.
This class subject is boring, but Mark is cool. Lectures aren't too bad, and he takes attendene(via attendence question) only sometimes. There is a midterm, a paper, and a final - that's it. It's a lot of theory, and not exactly what I was expecting.
I really am not a big fan of government, and Nicol made it really interesting. I really like his methods. It's not a difficult class. I really liked it.
Lectures were very boring...talks about stuff people have no idea about except him. Funny guy tho and makes lots of funny comments to keep class awake...Papers aren't bad, essays are kinda tough, he wants you to be exact in everything and he will find ways to mark points off...
Mark is one of my favorite professors. 2 essay exams and 1 10 page paper. Not very difficult at all. He could have made this class extremely difficult but he is all about just knowing the general idea.
good prof, id recommend to everyone, be ready to write his exams are essays, pretty easy but not an easy a by any means
Mark is the best professor in the program.
He is one of the best profs out there. He is so helpful and funny. I would highly reccomend him to anyone.
This guy is awesome. This is one of the only few classes that I can actually use in real life. He is funny but his tests are tough. Study ahead of time and you will be fine. He is always willing to help. He is funny and you can relate to the class. Take him if you can.
Mark Nicol is one of the best professors I have ever had. He is very helpful and is great at getting ideas across. If you care about the class it is no problem to pass. Great teacher, great class, and so much can be taken away from his class.
Mark is the man! His classes are not easy by all means, you have to put forth the effort. He is probably one of the most profound speakers I have ever listened to. I took him whenever possible, you should do the same.
Mark teaches both undergrad and grad classes. He is a difficult professor, but actually makes learning fun and classes worthwhile. Don't expect to go into class and get away with not busting you butt. If you are willing to work, and enjoy having fun...take this man.
Great Professor. I was nervous to take the class because I didn't know much about politics but I ended up liking the class alot! As long as you go to class and listen, you should do well. Expect to write alot tho.. midterms consisted all of essays. Keeps the lectures interesting and funny. Would definately recomend!
Good teacher, trys to make the class fun, even when the subject matter is not.
I had this prof for "The Bureaucracy" (sorry I don't know the course number). I hated the class and thought his lectures were very boring. I did not feel the class was challenging except for the final exam. He is not above ridiculing students for "wrong opinions" I have found female students dislike him more than male.
I would never take professor Nicol again! Although he is a smart guy who knows what he's talking about, he is extremely condescending and rude. The two times I went to his office hours, he made me feel like an idiot for the questions I asked. He is extremely intimidating, and I do not recommend taking his class.
class was enjoyable and engaging
Nicol comes across as very arrogant. Unhelpful during office hours. Difficult tests that require studying in advance (not day before). If you answer his questions or give opinions, he'll like you.
I found Mark to be a fantastic professor. He was informative in and out of the class. He's always there to lend a helping hand and clarify any grey areas with any assignments (and there can be many).
Is late returning all assignments, hardly returns emails if you take an online class.
Awesome Professor, who tries to make even the most boring subject funny and interesting! Be ready to prepare and actually participate in class, then he'll love you! If you love irony and sarcasm at times, he's absolutely the right prof. Even though he's a very funny guy, his jokes are never below the belt!
Mark is a great teacher. He connects well with students, and enjoys what he does. He is interested in students learning, and growing in theri field. I hope he remains at SVSU.
Great professor. Lectures that will stick with you for a long time after. If you think that courses involving finance, budgeting, human resources,management, won't broaden your horizons like a literature or philosophy class would, think again. Nicol makes concepts easy to understand, always willing to work with you. He will be your friend.
Professor Nicol is by far one of the nicest people I have met. Cares a lot about students. As far as this class it was the easiest 4.0 ever. Show up to class put some work in and you will be fine. The best alternative for a stats class! Every assignment except the final is pass/fail. Easy. I learned productive material at the same time. Take this!
Professor Nicol was a great, and was willing to help you out whenever you needed it. There is a lot of writing, but it was worth it in the end.
Go to class and you'll be able to pass.
Mr Nicol's PS225 is the absolute BEST stats class for those who just need the math credit. I dreaded taking stats but after taking it with Mr Nicol I don't know what I was so worried about! He explains things in great detail and is willing to help with any and all questions to make sure students succeed. Show up and do the work and you will pass!
PS225 Is an easy class to take if you need a math credit. Most of the class is just memorizing stats vocabulary and taking quizzes on it. The labs are easy and he isn't too much of a hard grader. Super helpful if you have any questions!
Professor Nicol is extremely difficult to listen to and deal with. He tries to intimidate students by telling them a large percentage will fail, and makes you do pointless activities that have nothing to do with the final. It wasn't an enjoyable class, but if you show up every class & turn in ALL the work (due every other week) you will get an A.
This class was an easy A. If you do the work he assigns and put a little effort in, you'll do fine. We took quizzes every other week just about but it was on vocab and was super easy. I thought it would be tough because it was a communication intensive course but we did very little writing.
I thought stats would be hard, this was an extremely easy stats class, highly recommend taking it with prof. Nicol. Vocal quizzes, labs and 2 super easy papers. You also never stay the whole time for class, but he is there if you need help with anything.
Dr Nicols is a great professor. I was panicking about stats and he made it really easy. If you show up for class and follow the stuff on canvas you will be fine. Great guy who is there to help his student as much as you need. Highly recommend his class.
Mark is super great and is very understanding! This is a hybrid class so you only have to go a couple times and most of the work is online. Whenever we did go to class it was for a quiz that took 10 minutes! He responds to emails very quickly and helps with any questions! I would definitely take him again!
Professor Nicol was an amazing professor! He was super easy going & wanted all of his students to be successful. He made statistics so easy and I would take him again!! Definitely recommend!!
Mark was a really nice prof and the class was honestly so much easier than I expected. There were vocab quizzes about every other week but they were not hard and the lab assignments were very easy to understand and did not take long to do.
He really didn't teach at all. Instead he posted tutorials that told you exactly how to do every single assignment, including the final, with step-by-step directions and made class time optional. Easiest A of my entire life. Only issue is it kind of felt like I wasn't getting my money's worth, but definitely take for a non-stressful course.
This class was so simple that I thought I was missing something the entire time. Just seemed way too good to be true. Basically, just do the work and watch the video tutorials and you'll be fine.
Class was a breeze. Assignments due every 2-3 weeks and they only took like an hour max. Vocab was easy to learn too and overall he was an easy grader. Just watch the videos and do what he says.
He gives you many chances to do your homework. Has videos that walk you through the homework assignments and he gives you plenty of time in class to take the vocab quizzes and complete the homework. He gives you a quizzlet that has all the terms and definitions. There are no tests or final exam, there are just assignments. Would take him again
Super nice prof, attendance isn't necessary and he responds to emails in a timely manner. He can take a while to grade things though, watch the videos and use the quizlet links to study for quizzes and you're golden. Highly recommend for a math credit, especially if you aren't the greatest at math.
I cannot stress this enough, take this professor if you need a math credit. Assignments & quizzes due once every two weeks, direct tutorials on assignments within module & open note quizzes are off vocab that he directly gives you a quizlet for. Easiest A I've ever gotten, also professor is super chill and helpful!! TAKE THIS CLASS
Don't believe everything you read in these rates my professor reviews. This professor was awesome, responds quickly to emails, will talk to you after class, and does not want to see anyone fail his class. Make sure to do the discussions and respond to others' discussions. You are golden in this class.
This class was so easy it was too good to be true. Take him! He is such an easy grader, at one point he did not have anything due for a month straight and you do not have to go to class, he even says don't come to class unless you have questions.
Easiest math class I have ever taken. If you show up to his lab time you can get every answer you need. I finished his semester worth of content in about 6 hours of time TOTAL. If you do not like math, TAKE THIS CLASS and SHOW UP! I got 100% without doing actual math.
My favorite teacher by far- he absolutely loves what he's doing. Almost no assignments except for midterm and final exam assignments. Both exams are written, but he is a very lenient grader, paper is 6 pages MAX and very easy. Lectures are very interesting and fun, participation is a grade but you have a say in it at the end of the semester.
Mark is passionate about his job, which is evident in his lectures. He explained this thoroughly and would answer anyone's question. We had two discussion posts, an assignment, a quiz every other week, and a final paper. He provides the textbook and is a pretty easy grader overall. I would recommend this class to anyone interested In government.
This class was an absolute breeze. Just watch the video tutorials, use the provided Quizlet, and you're golden. unstuck ai was a huge help too for efficient study prep. Easiest A I've ever gotten!
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
46%
Textbook Required
24%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.26 avg changeRatings by Course
123
5.0
(2)CJ350
5.0
(1)VARIOUS
5.0
(1)PS12563
5.0
(1)INTROTOP
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
MAS510
4.0
PSMAS
4.0
PS200
4.0
PS130H
3.5
PS130
3.4