3.0
Quality3.9
Difficulty44%
Would Retake86
Reviews44%
Would Retake
86
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
18
4
24
3
11
2
18
1
15
What Students Say
“However, the test did not test over anything in the book”
PLS101 - 1.0 rating“Grades are based on 3 test and 1 book review”
PLS255 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
43%
Textbook Required
36%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.70 avg changeRatings by Course
PLS
4.7
(3)PLS777
4.0
(1)ECO155
4.0
(4)ECON155
3.5
(2)PLS255
3.4
(10)Difficulty by Course
PLS777
5.0
PLS101INT
4.5
PL101
4.3
PLS101
3.9
PLS255
3.7
Reviews (86)
No Comments
Very clear with lectures. Offers extra credit for going to class
No Comments
He is a good teacher. Very excited about politics. Simply put, his grading scale for an intersession course should accomodate for the length of the class, however, he maintains a 90% to get an A with only two tests to make it in. No room for error.
Very interesting and knowledgeable regarding public admininstation. Offers 5 percentage points bonus for perfect attendance. Only three tests and a paper. Tests a little hard but if you study, go to class, take notes and do the paper you will get an "A". Excellence professor, i would recommend
Great prof. For an intersession and gen ed class, it was fun, manageable, and interesting. There should've been a little bit more to the grading (only 2 tests), but overall, a wonderful class. He really knows his stuff, and he makes you interested in it too!
I took his class as a telecourse and it wasnt as hard as I expected it to be. Everything on the test comes straight from the powerpoints and lectures, so as long as you study those you will be fine. There are no surprises on the test. I ended up with a B in the class.
He is an excellent professor. I took this as a telecourse. He was completely comprehensible, stays on topic, and his tests should be easy for you as long as you take the time to learn the material. He will talk with you one on one if you have a problem and he'll do that with respect to your intelligence, and he'll even appreciate it.
I wasn't at all interested in PLS before I took this class. I took it by telecourse, and while it was a little hard, I really enjoyed watching the lectures. He really knows his stuff and makes it easy for you to comprehend!!!
Someone forgot to tell him it is a 200-level course. The 15 page organizational analysis and 3 tests makes for a difficult class, as well as his effort at using big words to sound smart.
For a telecourse, it was way to hard. The tests were ridiculous, the average was a 70% on every test. And he doesn't curve. Too hard for a 101
This professor was very helpful in responding to my questions. I made an A without any problem. If you read the book and pay attention to the lectures, it's not hard to make an A. Sure, it's not an easy class, it does take work, but you can make an A if you put the effort into it.
His mood changes so fast, if he catches someone looking at their planner, or texting, he just freaks out, also he constantly reminds people with lap tops to make sure they are not online. Your grades are only based on his tests, which are challenging if you don't read.
To the student who complained about texting in class, I think it's because he cares enough about students that he wants our attention. I don't have a problem with that. And yeah, if you don't read the book don't expect a good grade. But this is COLLEGE after all, not high school.
Someone forgot to tell this guy that it's a GEN ED! Holy cow! After this class, all this information is completely useless. This class is harder than some of my 500-level bio classes.
Do NOT take the 'interactive' course during the summer-the course stays the same so you end up watching HOURS and HOURS of videos in ONE week equivalent to a MONTH in a normal semester & NO extra credit oppty's. He is a nice guy but the class is WAY too hard for a NORMAL undergrad.
He is really energetic. Good for this class. Public Administration in general is really boring but his knowledge and enthusiasm at 9 am is helpful. He has experience in the public sector so his teaching is valuable.
Pretty easy for a 400 level course... wait! You can make an A in this class if you try... just make sure you beg for no multiple choice questions on tests. He is enthusiastic and nice, but losing focus in lectures sometimes.
I really like Dr. Scott as a teacher, but I found his class to be hard because my intro to pls was in a community college so I didn't have a good background on the subject. Attendance isn't required but if you miss 3 or less days you get that many percentage points added to your final score. Very knowledgeable, and really nice. Participation helps
Most of my grades are A's but I did not even pass the first test, so I dropped it. He made simple things extremely hard.Most of the s@#t that is on study guide is not even on the test and there is lot of stuff on the test that is never mentioned.And the way he words questions is really confusing. AVOID at all costs.
Seriously someone needs to inform him that he is teaching a general education class. This class is so hard! I'm a 4.0 student and this is going to break my 4.0. Super nice guy but his class is crazy.
Arrogant and too liberal.
I always asked for help from Dr. Scott and he never e-mailed me back. I worked my butt off in that class and ended up with a C. Don't take this class if you're worried about your GPA. He doesn't give extra credit and doesn't care that it's killing some students opportunities and scholarships.
Dr. Scott was nice most of the time, but his tests are very difficult. The tests are the only thing you get points for and they are multiple choice, with seemingly multiple correct answers. You must really imerse yourself in the subject and know everything on his power points.He has a temper,and he will help you if you come to class everyday.
DON'T TAKE THIS MAN!!!...his classes are basically your exam grades. No but seriously his class isn't that bad, but if you don't care much for this subject or if you don't understand it well, don't take him because it may be difficult. I think he's weird, he got upset with our class because we didn't know the answer to one of his question..crazy!!
He is not qualified for a professor.
Very biased toward the left politically. Not really in touch with students or reality.
I took the iCourse - twice. The first time I got a D because I missed an exam, and there was no way he would let me make it up. I am taking his class again because I already had all the study guides typed up and I'm set to get an A or a B+. Tests are incredibly detailed and you have to catch very small things in the lectures to get A's on exams.
TERRIBLE TEACHER!!! His lectures are long and boring and his tests are impossible to pass! Very very bias towards democrats and he does not try to hide it. This was the first class I ever got a D in and I studied my butt off for every one of his tests. Class average was a 71%...that says a lot.
He lets his politics (left wing liberal) interfere with teaching. He does not present both sides, instead he slants everything left.
His tests are hard, but I couldn't get enough of his lectures. I felt so educated on Politics every time I left his class. He does a good job of presenting both sides and really helps students understand what's going on in politics today and how they relate to what happened in the past.
He was very nice, and his lectures are good. The tests are impossible though. They are they only grade for the class. I study for them and take lecture notes, but I get a bad grade every time. I wouldn't recommend taking his class if you're bad at tests.
Dr. Scott love his politics. He tries to be willing to help, but really only explains it one way. There were 4 tests and a comprehensive final, but he drops your lowest score so you don't have to take final if you're ok with previous scores. Tests are hard. You have to read the book and study a LOT. Learned lots, but thankful it's over.
Dr.Scott is very nice. Gives a lot of information on his lectures. However, I agree that his tests are the hardest.
The lectures were pretty to the point, but I'd recommend filling out the study guide as you go, because half of what is on the test are things that are not on the powerpoints or in the book. Not a bad teacher, but the course itself was uninteresting.
Prof. Scott is a good teacher, very educated about the subject he's teaching. He is always prepared for class and explains things in a way we will understand. His tests are difficult but not impossible. It's really important to read the book thoroughly. Good teacher, take him if possible.
Clear and enthusiastic. He has weekly chances for extra credit, but you are required to read the textbook chapter every week.
His political views (extreme left wing Democrat) interfere with his objectiveness and teaching.
It is not an online class, but he put everything online. The exams were so hard and very detailed, including both text books and lecture, you have to read the book and take the icourse online. I will never choose his summer class.
Good class, excellent professor. He believes in giving you your money's worth. If you are willing to put in the effort, you will do well. If you are wanting an easy class, then you should take someone else. I learned a tremendous amount of material. It is quite clear that he is passionate about teaching and helping us learn.
This class requires alot of reading and studying on your own. The only grades are tests, so make sure you study very long. He doesn't seem to give any type of extra credit therefor if you are a bad test-taker, you won't be in good shape. This class is good for people who already seem to know alot about the subject.
Gets really into his teaching. Is a fun and exciting professor. Definitely take Professor Scott
I took the online into PLS course. His lectures that you can readwatch online are pretty choppy and borrring. Must read the textbook and lectures to do well on tests. He knows his stuff and he is passionate, I just wouldn't suggest taking his online course.
The subject intrigued me, but I found the tests very difficult. He is a passionate professor, his notes were hard to follow. I would suggest not taking the class with Patrick Scott unless you are advanced in the subject. I went to his office hours, the bear claw, studied endless hours and would still do horribly on the tests.
Would take another class by professor Scott
If you do the practice exams, you will be fine for the tests.
Study practice exams, chapter reviews, and your notes for sure. I only used my textbook for difficult chapters and the final exam (which you have a choice if you want a cumulative one or not.) First test is super easy and they get harder as the semester goes on. He is hilarious and wants his students to succeed. I would take it again and try harder
Great guy with a good personality but an extremely difficult class. Doesnt require you to go to class but would highly recommend attending class as well as going to the bear claw for help. He does give practice exams before each exam though that has similar questions that will be on the exam just the numbers are different which is helpful.
Can be somewhat difficult to understand. Sometimes he gets too passionate and talks very quickly making it hard to understand.
Dr Scott knows a lot about politics, but he is not a natural teacher. He just gives info. His lectures are rambling. I reviewed power point, meticulously fill out the study guide, read chapters. IMPOSSIBLE to make an A. Studied for one test over 40 hrs, made a B. I had to google concepts because he over complicates them instead of teaching.
HARD. Must take good notes to do good on tests. Attendance is not mandatory but if you skip class then you will miss notes which are important to study from. Gives study guide but nothing from study guide is on test. Must read chapters and take good notes to do decent on all 4 tests.
I only took this class because it was a GenEd; lectures were unclear and grades are based solely on 4 tests. I was in a blended class, and I rewatched each lecture twice and read each chapter that was supposedly "on the test" twice. However, the test did not test over anything in the book. Professor treated the class like it was a grad class. Awful
He is very passionate about Public Administration and has a lot of industry experience. He provides powerpoints & elaborates quite a bit in class. Study guides are somewhat difficult to understand and tests are unpredictable. I take few notes, but study intensely and that seems work, but this is a major class for most so expectations are high.
Class is very hard. Does nothing but lecture the whole time, and often rambles on about things that do not make sense. Grades are based on 3 test and 1 book review. The book review is easy but test are hard. Gives out Study Guides but they arnt worth the time looking at.
very good professor - clearly knows his stuff
Seriously, if Political Science is not your major and what you really care about, DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS. Especially, if you are a foreigner and you do not really care about politics, PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM HIS CLASS. I have struggled with his class. He barely follows the textbooks, or in another word, reading textbooks DOES NOT HELP MUCH. SUPER HARD
Truly the worst teacher I've ever have
Gives an optional extra credit assignment before each test and only takes the top 4 best test scores (out of 5) for your final grade/
Great professor! The class is graded on your top 4 exams out of 5 exams total (1 exam optional) He bases his exams off of his in-class lectures as well as the textbook. Make sure you keep up with the material (about a chapter every week). Knowledgeable, energetic, and lively. I have an 8am with him and he makes sure you won't fall asleep
Dr. Scott was a good professor, but his class was pretty difficult. You have to work for a good grade and I recommend reading the assigned text because it helps you get a better understanding of the material.
Dr Scott is a good professor. Talks fast, but obviously knows what hes talking about. Honestly, if you just study the lectures you dont need to read the textbook. I didnt read the textbook the whole semester and still ended the semester with an A-.
He is definitely one of the best professors to take for an 8am class! He made political science interesting and fun. He is very happy and proud of his students when they become involved in politics. His passion for politics really shows on Election Day, best to take this class before a election.
Great class - learned a lot. He really knows his stuff and he teaches with a fire in his belly. Would definitely take him again.
Graded on: 3 tests and 1 paper (with 1-2 point extra credit pop quizzes) Lectures: likes to talk about his own life a lot, and its not always related to the topic at hand... very annoying, please just teach the chapter.
Okay- he only uses lectures that were recorded in 2010. That wouldnt be bad if he didnt use examples and say "you should remember this" from 2008 when a lot of us were like 8 years old. Read the book and listen to the lectures. Quizes are easy BUT dont expect to pass the tests��. He gives study guides but only like 5/50 questions come off of it.
Easy A. Four tests (taken online in testing center). Watch the lecture videos and fill in/review study guide and you'll do fine. A bit of work but not difficult. Honestly wish more online classes had this setup. Everything provided from the beginning. Can't really get ahead tho cause weekly quizzes are posted at beginning of each week.
PLS 255 with Dr. Scott was very difficult. He gets off topic very easy and was just all around very hard to understand the way he lectured. Grades are based only on 3 tests and a book review. The study guides given do not help at all. If you do not take good notes good luck because you have to in order to do decent.
Dr. Scott cares a lot about public administration. Which is a good thing for students, as otherwise this class would be very dull. He offers extra credit quizzes every week. I love his inspirational rants about the future generation of public bureaucrats. He wants to make us care about the subject, and I have mad respect for him because of that.
I took the class online and loved it! The course is split up into weeks with a quiz at the end of each week(which are open note and super easy to Quizlet) and typically 2-3 lectures a week with 4 main exams that you have to take in the testing center. If you watch the lectures and look over the study guides(also on Quizlet) the exams should be easy
I took this class online. All of the videos that he posted are from around 2012. The lectures were easy to understand but not entirely interesting to say the least. The only grades are from tests and quizzes so if you mess those up you're pretty much screwed. I did not read the text book, but I probably should have.
Lectures are youtube videos from three years ago. Every assignment is automatically graded. From what I can tell, he doesn't have any interaction with students unless you email him. He doesn't post powerpoints or study guides so be prepared to guess what is on the tests. He is very nice, but could do more to prepare students for tests.
I suggest NOT taking this course. The prof. only posts out-dated long and boring lectures, with four 50 question proctored exams worth 200pts. I get A's and have never struggled more in a class. The exams are extremely specific and hard to study for b/c the lectures are so long. Studying the weekly quizzes is your only hope.
Yes his video lectures are from a while ago but why does it matter? It contains all the information for the test. Take notes while watching the lectures. They are long and boring but youll be glad you watched over them. He has study guides and as long as you know the concepts of what hes talking about you can do pretty good on the exams.
I only passed this class with a C because he gave 100%s to two out of the 4 of our tests due to him getting covid or something. I would get 40s on the test which I studied for all of them and we had to take the tests at testing center. It was online besides the tests. Tests are worth most of the grade. Homework is only like 20% of grade.
Dr. Scott is a wholesome guy. His video lectures online run at a pace where I can keep up. I'm not rushing to write, but can actually listen. Textbook is very modern and updated which I love. The course is structured to where you can finish work fast and have plenty of time to study. Love this guy.
The video lectures for this course are extremely unengaging and frequently contain information that is outdated. This is especially the case when it comes to numerical facts that are on the quizzes and tests (the "correct" answers are different from the ones in the assigned text). In short, either take this class in-person or with a different prof.
I don't think I have struggled as much in a class like this one. The test questions do not reflect the study guides at all, and I felt that many of the test questions were vague and confusing. The only other assignments he grades on are weekly quizzes. His lectures were mind-numbingly boring, and many were way too long for me to watch in 1 sitting.
He is using the lectures he recorded in 2010. So much has changed in the political world since 2010, but you wont hear about it in this class. The only grades are quizzes and tests (online section). If he is too tired to record newer lectures, he needs to rethink offering an online course.
While the recorded lectures are a bit outdated, if you put in the work, you can do well in this class. There are weekly quizzes over the lecture and the chapter, and there are 4 exams.
I had Dr. Scott for PLS-778 this past Spring and came away very impressed. He makes the class extremely interesting and solicits a lot of participation and engagement from the students. Yes, he is a hard professor who grades through a strict lens. However, if you do the readings and discussions, as well as ask questions, you should be fine!
I have always been a straight A student with a few Bs here and there. I did everything I could, office hours, all study methods, BEAR claw, all of it. i was barely able to pass this class with a C-. The lectures outdated, half the exams are over stuff you dont learn. All of friends that have taken Scott have had the same experience. DO NOT TAKE.
lectures, reading, bear claw, studying for hours and days on end and still you will be screwed.
I have A's and B's in every single class but this one. There's no reason for this class to be so hard when it is a general education requirement. He seems like a nice guy but as a teacher I would recommend anybody else. No other class in my whole life (including other history classes) has been so infuriating.
Dr. Scott's classes were EXACTLY what I wanted and expected to get out of a graduate education. He is a tough grader, but pushes you to expand your critical thinking skills beyond what you thought possible. He is also very kind and happy to offer feedback when you ask. Be ready to read and dive into deep discussions on public administration.
Each week we were assigned multiple 45+ minute lectures that were drawn out and boring. In addition, the PowerPoints that he included were the bare minimum and also not helpful. Every week there was a quiz worth around 20 points and then each exam was worth 200+ points. With that being said the exams carry a heavy weight on your grade.
I should have never taken this class. This is an online gen ed class. Much too difficult and I have a 3.7 gpa. Despite the decade-old lecture videos, the intense reading, my problem is with exams. I can study for hours and still walk in blind. Dr. Scott's study guides are EXTREMELY vague. He doesn't even release the quizzes for you to study.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
43%
Textbook Required
36%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.70 avg changeRatings by Course
PLS
4.7
(3)PLS777
4.0
(1)ECO155
4.0
(4)ECON155
3.5
(2)PLS255
3.4
(10)Difficulty by Course
PLS777
5.0
PLS101INT
4.5
PL101
4.3
PLS101
3.9
PLS255
3.7