His lectures are super boring and it's pointless to go because he puts all of the lecture notes online. He's super funny though and extremely laid back. His quizzes and tests are pretty easy if you study. I would definitely recommend him for PLS101!

Tests based on lecture powerpoint slides that he posts on blackboard. You don't have to go to class if you don't want to. In class the lectures can get boring, he knows it and tries to lighten it up with jokes. Always let us out of class least 10 minutes early. Stick to the lecture slides and you'll pass easy. 4 tests no final. 8 quizes.

Easy guy to talk to, easy quizzes, and makes class fun. I sign up for him in all my political sciences classes.

I've taken every PLS class offered by MSU. Dr. Beattys PLS 169 was my favorite. He allows students to voice their opinions, a feat rare in other classes. I learned so much! He really is a great professor, take him as often as you can!!!

FANTASTIC professor. Tests were super easy as long as you look over the study guide. Mostly vocabulary. Always let us out of class early. Cool dude

Class is pretty straight forward. Great way to begin your PLS majorminor. Attendance not important, but he allows for a lot of open discussion is class which is great. Hard to know why you got points taken off without going to him outside of class but when you do he is very open and helpful. Will take again!

He's a great guy his classes have a lot of open discussion about current events and class related subjects. I've taken multiple times and enjoyed each class. One of the best professors in the department

Nice person, but very ineffective as a teacher. As long as you show up, you'll pretty much pass. I almost wish he was a bit stricter as an instructor.

Great teacher. I have him for 2 of my classes. He does talk fast but he gives you the PowerPoints so you can look them up whenever. He is very helpful when it comes to writing papers. He does give quizzes with little time to prepare but hey it's college! His tests are easy as long as you study ALL of the material on the study guide. Gives ex-credit

He takes attendance, so be sure to show up for class. Three tests plus the final. The pre-tests are hard, but you can find the answers in the book. He tells you when quizzes are so you can study. Tests are mostly definitions. The lecture can be pretty dry, but I would definitely take him again.

Nick is a great teacher. I had him for 101 and 169. Attendance is not mandatory for any of his classes. Post PP on BB. In 101, there are 4 tests and quite a few pop quizzes. In 169, there are a few quizzes online and a midterm and final. There is also 1 paper in 169. Gives a few ex-credit pts in 101. Participate in discussions!(PLS 169)

Very discussion based class. There is a discussion every Friday and students are given points for participating. All of his lectures are online, although you're better off reading the book because most of the class is just discussion. There are five quizzes, two tests (midterm and final) and a 7-9 page paper.

Professor was nice and very understanding. There were a decent amount of quizzes, but they were always 10 multiple choice questions and he let you know in advance. Exams were easy enough as long as you studied. The pretests were pretty hard though, because they covered stuff in the online book (which he doesn't go over). I would take him again.

Nick is a sweet and thoughtful person who lets everyone voice their opinions - no matter how crazy they may be. His class is very fun, just show up and be engaged! Also, use actual scholarly journals as references on your paper, it's not that hard. Anyone would be lucky to have him as professor; cherish your time in this class while you can :)

Beatty was a good professor. He did his best to make lectures interesting. We almost always got out of class 10 minutes early. 10 quizzes during the semester, have to study the notes to do well. 3 tests. The lectures are read directly from a powerpoint and its uploaded to blackboard. He puts together a jeopardy review game before each test.

I had a lot of fun in this class. Want to pass quizzes? Read your notes. Want to pass tests? Do the study guide. Lectures could get boring but he usually let us out early. Might need book for pre-tests, sometimes I could find answers on quizlet. Really chill guy, tells stories, and does a review jeopardy (my favorite part tbh).

This class is not difficult if you just study the PowerPoints for quizzes and tests. For pretests, I tried to find the questions in the book like he says they are, but by the 3rd one I just looked them up online. He has a review day before every test where you play jeopardy and the winning team members get two points extra credit.

Pretty easy class. Do the work, which isnt tough, and you'll be fine. Fill out and study the study guide. Easy intro class.

He is a really good and enthusiastic professor. He cares a lot about the subject. You are graded solely on tests and quizzes. 10 quizzes, 4 online pretests, and 4 unit tests. The final is a unit test. I never once used the textbook. No one did. If you try you can get an A or B. I didn't try at all and got a C+. Not good at responding to emails.

He was my favorite professor so far at MSU. He was very intelligent and encouraged us all to participate. He allowed us to formulate "Debate days" that allowed for in-dept group guided discussions. I really enjoyed the class and learned a lot.

There is a lot to memorize for the quizzes and tests, but they are all from the lecture notes and study guides. I didn't use the book. There are extra credit opportunities.

He's the easiest pls professor you're going to get. advice on the quizzes- pull exact words from the book, type the whole paragraph as the answer and somewhere in there you probably answered the question. only two exams and its straight from the study guide. I never took notes, didn't even go to class bc everything I needed was on the study guide.

LOVED THIS CLASS! He really tries to make the class fun and the content is really easy to understand. He's very nice and replies to emails super quick. Theres no homework and you don't even use the textbook. The tests are pretty easy if you just use his Jeopardy review game to study with (it'll be on blackboard). Take this class with him for sure!!

i really liked nick. he was super chill and the class was really easy. he gives you all of the notes and you dont have to show up for class but if you do, and you are at a in between grade hell bump you up. you have 4 exams including the final. its not cumulative. just study the underlined/bolder terms and youll do great

Beatty is a good choice for PLS 101. Grade is based entirely on 10 quizzes and 4 tests, but he is very clear about what's going to be on them and gives a study guide and review day for each test. He'll round your grade if you have good attendance. Lectures can get dry but he's a funny guy if you pay attention.

Makes class interesting and gives lots of leeway for discussion and debate

Go to class or know someone who doesto know when quizzes are, quizzes are straight from the powerpoints as well as tests. SUper caring and understanding if you miss a quiz and will let you make it up next class period or in office hours!

Dr. Beatty makes this class very easy. He went over the assigned readings in lecture, so it isn't a huge deal if you don't read them, but it helps. There are two tests, non-cumulative. Every Friday there was a group discussion, mostly focused on the current president, which got annoying, but hey, free participation points. Understanding guy.

Beatty was a great professor to take this course with! I enjoyed the class. He seemed to help liven up the dry material he was provided with & let us participate by sharing our opinions. Definitely take PLS with Beatty, he loves instructing and his students!

He grades in attendance so don't skip! Participation is also a big one especially in Group discussions. He does give really good feedback and if you need more help he is willing to do it. If you like politics his lectures will be fun

He is one of the best PLS professors here.

Course was graded by 3 tests at 25% each, a group project worth 15%, and the other 10% is small quizzes throughout the semester. Reading the book will help you greatly on the tests, which have multiple short-essay questions. Lectures are sometimes uninteresting but worth going to if you're an auditory learner. Sometimes curves tests.

4 tests including final (non-cumulative). Quizzes every once in a while. Attendance not required or for points but I would go. He let us out of class at least 10 minutes early every class. The tests are most of the grade.

Love this man. He's super understanding, especially if you participate in class. Be wary of the group project, although this is generally the students' fault and not the professor. You have to read the textbook, but pretty much only for tests; he makes jokes about how no one reads. A solid choice for international relations.

Overall he was a great professor. His lectures were very helpful for the tests and quizzes. The only complaint I have is that the study guides he gave us weren't very helpful because a lot of stuff that was on the tests wasn't covered on them. I got a B on every test. I feel like I could've gotten an A if the study guides were better and more clear

Beatty is very kind and knows his stuff! The only bad side is that you are graded by few things, but he does care/tries to help as much as possible. He is one of the best professors to take that is offered! Just make sure to study and the second exam is the hardest, but other than that just off the guide. ;)

I enjoyed Beatty's lectures a lot in this class. He always made sure to try to get everyone engaged in the discussion. Not gonna lie, I never used the textbook for this class, but that's okay because it's already included and you don't have to buy it separately. Make sure you show up for quiz days because those will add up on your grade over time

Dr. Beatty makes a required political science course about as interesting as it can be. Frequently connects topics discussed in class to current events, making information easier to understand. In-class review and accurate study guides are provided for all exams. Dr. Beatty provides all the needed information and I was never surprised in his class.

discussing in class will make it better, if you engage with him it genuinely goes by quicker. Interesting topics and wants to hear your opinions. Textbook is long, but lectures help a lot

I find Dr. Beatty to be a great teacher considering the subject is extremely dull most of the time. Discussing things in class and asking questions will help you a lot and of course, there is a textbook for a reason. Make sure you study written response topics since they make up about half of the exams. Group project but individual grades for it.

He takes attendance but it is not mandatory. Test matter a lot because you only take a few quizes per unit. He shows no bias by listening to every opinion and is a great instructor!

Tests are not very hard and there is an in-class study day the class before an exam. Lectures are entertaining and class gets cut short very often.

Beatty is nice, and is clearly passionate about what he teaches... but this class was hard. The sheer amount of content covered per lecture was too much for me to follow along with. No amount of studying would've saved me. I usually never struggle in school, but this one got me.

Beatty is an interesting guy. His lectures are kinda boring though and there are a lot of them. I chose not to purchase the textbook and even though I got a B-, I don't think it's necessary; the grade was more from a lack of effort on my part. Use the study guides.

Class is not mandatory and all slide notes are posted online. Class is graded on weekly quizzes and a couple of test. He is very easy to reach out to and tries to help as much as possible. The class before a test is a review day with two bonus opportunities (one of which is just showing up to the class).

Very understanding and organized.

Everyone said PLS 101 was hard but honestly Professor Beatty made it easy. He gives you study guides for the exams and stars the terms you need to know for the quizzes. I only touched my textbook once in his class so I wouldn't buy it. My only complaint is that he never responds to emails.

Beatty is a very good professor who clearly loves what he does. His class is very easy to pass. He tells you exactly what terms to study for both exams and quizzes. You'd have to try to fail his class. You can tell her cares about his students and does his best to set them up for success. There are a few extra credit opportunities that are easy.

Prof. Beatty was nice. We ALWAYS got out 45 minutes early. The class is just lectures (all on Brightspace). Only downside, he mumbles so it is hard to hear him and he never responds/checks his email. 4 exams, in person/paper, with a study guide, pre-test, and Jeopardy game to help study for exams. 9 quizzes, normally every other week, really easy.

Dr. Beatty is the #1 professor for PLS101. He is friendly, keeps class brief, tells you everything you need to know for quizzes, gives review days, and stays around to answer questions after class. The class is graded solely on quizzes and tests with some extra credit opportunities. Textbook ISN'T mandatory. He is bad at responding to emails tbh.

Nick is the best! Such a professor!

Nick's great. I'm not super interested in history or politics but his class was actually pretty enjoyable. He connects the concepts in class to our current day political climate and promotes open discussion in class, so it is very engaging and I learned a lot.

He's a quiet, easy-going guy. In this class, all you need to do is pay attention. If not, he posts all the PowerPoint presentations and study guides online, covering what will be on the exams and quizzes. There is no homework besides just studying for the exams and quizzes, and sometimes he likes to do in-class jeopardy to help the class study.

He lectures all class, but information on weekly quizzes are directly given and easy to make 10/10. There are multiple bonus options. Exams are all multiple choice.

Sends the notes and stars what's on the quiz. No homework, just tests and quizzes.

I didn't do all that well in the class, but that was because I refused to ever open the textbook for more than five minutes. Beatty is a very interesting guy, and he is very open about his personal experiences in politics. I would recommend taking this course! The textbook matters for sure, and he does mark attendance so make sure you're there

Overall a straight forward class. There is a quiz most weeks but he stars the terms that will be on the quiz so its pretty easy to get at least a 9/10. You get a study guide for the exams. Gives extra credit on some quizzes and all the tests. Attendance is not mandatory.

Nick is easily one of the best professors at Missouri State. Endlessly understanding and accommodating. If you need to take PLS-101, he should be the only teacher you consider. Easy material, easy extra credit on quizzes and exams, lectures are engaging and interesting enough. All slides and material are posted on brightspace. Great and likable guy

I loved him this semester! He is genuinely caring and he gives out extra credit! This is my second time taking w science but if I could have taken him first I would!!