Good professor. Monotone but knows his stuff and knows how to explain it. Lots of reading but overall class was ok-not overly dificult

Smart and nice, makes good jokes from time to time.

roeder is so great...fantastic class..monotone voice..must come to lecture cuz midter/final directly off his lecture...good class...minimal tests and no hw....would recommend

Monotone, but very thorough. His tests are directly off the lecture outlines, and half the exams are take-home. He'll work with you if you are having problems,and he has a pretty good sense of humor. You can get by without doing most of the reading if you attend classes and have an imagination.

Prof. amazing, organized and presents material in an absolutely clear and fascinating way. Readings are very technical but are extremely interesting, when combined with the lectures. Exams are very fair but challenging), though grading is fair as well. Essay prompts very provocative and inviti

His monotone voice drove me INSANE. The class was relatively easy. All you had to do was attend lectures and do the reading, because his midterm and final were straight from them. Take home essays made it an even easier class.

Extremely knowledgable about the subject, and very friendly and accessible during Office Hours. Spent a good hour talking to him about a range of topics - if you're at all curious about the former Soviet states, drop by and see him, he knows all.

He is amazing, one of the best professors I had in my years at UCSD! Take him if at all possible.

He is a great professor and He taught a great course. I would take him again anytime. He is one of the professors you need to take while at UCSD.

His monotonous voice is unbearable. It makes it so I can't concentrate on what he's saying because every sentence he utters has the exact same inflection. I nearly fall asleep everyday in his class.

although lectures can be a little dull, he makes concepts super easy to understand. he also provides a powerpoint outline for each of his lectures so you knw what to take notes on. his midterm was also easy: an essay and choosing four out of five given definitions to define and describe. would recommend taking this guy for any poli sci class

He is a really good professor...nice guy, very clear. The lectures are a little dry, but he understands that and often ends class early or stops to field questions. I plan to take another course with him next quarter!

Professor Roeder is a great teacher. His lectures are blah, but they are really clear. He makes difficult concepts easy to understand. He's very accessible outside of class, but you wont even need the help cuz the class isnt that hard. i didnt read the reader really and the midterm was only defining 4 words.

Professor Roeder was amazing. His class wasn't difficult, but I still learned a lot. He's funny, kind, and obviously brilliant.

great class!! lectures are easy to follow and put up on powerpoint. roeder cracks the occasional lame joke but he is great to listen to and the lectures are so helpful they are definitely worth going to.

His lectures were really easy to follow, and they were all on powerpoint. It was easy to take notes. The midterm was just an essay (which he gave us 2 weeks to complete) and 4 short answer questions in class. His final is the same, but 8 short answer questions instead of 4... There is ALOT of reading HW... but reading isnt essential to the class

His class is soo awesome!! Its easy and straight forward as long as you listen. My TA was great too (kyle), he went over the reading thoroughly so we were soo well prepared for the already straight forward exams. Mr. Roeder is wicked funny too

very organized and informative lectures, lots of reading but you dont have to read them if you always go to lecture and section, you'll learn a lot although lectures can be dull at times

Good Teacher, Monotone Voice. Once in a while will say something funny. Only need to read for midterm and final papers. MT and Finals, really easy, just take notes and study main points. Try to get Chi as TA, really chill.

Class was very interesting. Dull delivery offset by occasional jokes, and very well structured presentations. Final exam not that hard, just need to study key terms. Readings sorta optional.

I loved the professor and class. the materials were interesting and the prof lectured clearly and made things interesting. midterm/final were simple, only a lot of IDs to study. only 2 papers that had clear prompts... too much reading, but not completely necessary. definitely recommend this class and the professor!! Sam was an AWESOME and easy TA!

He was very clear, but no one seemed to get a very good grade on the paper

I love this guy!!! he is awesome and is soooo nice!!! I will definitely take him again if I get the chance!!!

I'm pretty sure that this guy killed somebody at some point. Class was really interesting and so were the readings.

Prof. Roeder is one of the most boring teachers I've ever had, but at least he's not a jerk. He's kinda odd, but in a good way. He assigns one paper that's supposed to be based on reading and class lecture. I've stopped attending lecture but the paper is more than do-able if you do the reading. Overall decent course - no exams makes up for it all!

I've taken him for 4 courses so far and really enjoy his style. He uses powerpoint very well and this makes note taking easy. He can hit slow spots in his lectures but usually is aware when it gets there and will either dismiss early or move on. Really helpful in office hours. I'd take him again no matter what class he's teaching

BEST PROFESSOR I'VE EVER HAD!! I wish all professors were like Roeder. His lectures are meticulously outlined (PowerPoint). His delivery of material will grab your attention and leads to easy comprehension. He is very accessible & helpful. This class led me to minor in IR. I will take ANY class he teaches!

Professor Roeder is like the nicest dad you've never had. Very polite and well-mannered to the students. There were two "policy memorandums" (aka papers) and one final (identifying key terms). Easy class, good lecturer, very enjoyable professor.

there was only one paper that had to be 12-17 pages. i just had to haul ass towards the end since i didnt start reading till the end of the quarter. roeder was a boring lecturer but at times he would be interesting. it was nice but also scary having one assignment because i really didnt know what the graders expected.

He only had one paper...and the grading seemed a little weird. Lectures were fine and he's interesting...but, again, the grading seemed really off. I got a B+ and I'm still not sure why, even once I had picked up my paper. I did all the readings and went to lecture too. He's ok, but his looooong paper assignments for 100% of the grade aren't cool.

I've taken every class he offers and have enjoyed them all. At first he comes off as rather serious but his lectures are the best organized you'll ever come across and note taking is easy due to powerpoint. Grades are usually pretty good and I got A or A- in almost all of the classes. One class had a single paper (130AA) but that was not the norm.

He may have a monotone voice, but his lectures are crystal clear and notetaker-friendly. He's pretty serious but breaks up the lecture with jokes and demonstrations sometimes. I'm not a PS major, but I would recommend the class and the teacher.

He is a one of the best organized professors that I have had. His lectures are note friendly with a powerpoint to follow. He is a bit dry when lecturing, but the occasional joke helps, and he makes what could be a very painful class rather interesting and informative. We had two papers and a final. The grading seems to be pretty fair.

He was very clear, what's expected of you is very clear from the beginning: a midterm and final each with an essay component. Participation and attendance at section is 20% of your grade. Good lecturer, always clear and rarely stumbles... You won't regret taking him.

Dr. Roeder ran a great class. This professor is organized! Started exactly at noon, lectured in an outline form, spoke clearly, would make statements about trends and then back them up with evidence, and would always answer individual questions afterwards. I learned a lot and would DEFINITELY take another class from him!

Roeder ran a great class. Not THE most exciting guy ever, but his lectures were informative and interesting. Was very approachable. The class was easy enough, only 1 midterm.

Only one paper due at the end of the course. Kinda scary, but it's manageable. Paper is 12-17 pages so start early. Lecture is so so. Doing the readings should be enough to write the paper. Roeder knows his stuff about the soviet successors. TAs go to lectures sometimes but the only thing they do is grade the papers afterwards. What else do they do

Very good lecturer. You probably wont think he is the most charismatic teacher you ever took but he is a good lecturer and you wont fall asleep on him. I was skeptical of this class but it was ingredible interesting and he made the class that way. The entire grade was based on one paper 12-17 pages. But it was easy to write.

Professor Roeder is really clear with his lectures...he may be a little boring but you'll learn quite a bit in his class...i took both poli 12 and poli 130aa and both were pretty interesting.

He was a great in lecture, but i hated my T.A she graded extremely hard and didnt help much at all and made the class not worth going to. But the prof was great!! i would probably take him again.

Roeder was very organized and knew how to run a course. He's a very clear speaker and everything is on PowerPoint. A lot of the reading was covered in lectures, I skipped several readings and still got an A. Section is very important for this class. The TA's help you understand the reading and discussing them helps write papers, and it's graded.

posts all the lecture outlines online but go to lecture because powerpoints dont cover everything. makes it easy to take notes. the MT and final are only ID questions and an essay with clear prompts. has a monotonous voice so its easy to doze off but its not too much work to get a good grade. reading not important for grade, only for section

I loved this class! I thought that the material was super interesting and relevant, but then again I am a Poli major. Some of his speech is definitely redundant, but he repeats the same things so you can take better notes since the powerpoint barely contains all of the lecture info. Overall good class. Loved my TA- Cameron Brown. Super helpful!

Great professor. Class was pretty easy, nothing overly hard. highly recommen taking him.

Lectures are extremely dull and dry...good luck staying awake!

Roeder is very clear and concise. He sticks to his outline and is easy to follow and take notes on. Reading is difficult, but essential. The hardest part is the readings, hopefully you have a good TA who will help clarify the readings. Roeder is always willing to help.

I really enjoyed this class. The lectures were very important in helping you study for the tests and write the take home essays. Grades very fairly and the soft reader was mostly unnecessary. I learned quite a bit from this class, and while it may be monotonous at times, keeping good lecture notes is the most important factor in passing the class

Lectures were definitely boring, but he podcasts them. Section attendence is extremely helpful. The professor is nice, but his monotone voice makes it hard to sit through class. Doesn't grade too hard - if you read and go to section, you'll do fine in the class.

An excellent professor! Great lectures with great material! However, I slept through half of them. His voice is very sleep inducing. There are podcasts to make up for any classes you sleep through. Exams were graded fairly and the TA's were very helpful. I recommend!

The nature of international relations pretty much assures consistent boredom throughout the quarter. Roeder was very clear and lectures facilitated note taking, if his monotonous voice doesn't put you to sleep. Don't bring a laptop to this class... Lecture information is crucial to 2 essays, midterm, and the final.

I may be in the minority here, but I find International Relations extremely interesting. If you like the world of IR, his class is perfect. It's a great intro course with interesting readings and the TA's are all very helpful. You have to work for your grade, but it's a rewarding class. I wish I could take it again.

Just do the reading and go to class/listen to the podcast + section, you'll ace it. His lectures are really clear, he doesn't ask his students to participate. Take home midterm paper + identifications done in class, same for final. Shout out to John for always getting the important stuff out of 50 pages of reading during section.

Lectures were a bit dry but not too bad! He explains the concepts pretty well and posts outlines on his website. He also does podcasts, which is a bonus! The midterm/final/participation determine your grade, and they're pretty straightforward.

Roeder has a story-telling vibe that makes going to lecture fun even though you get the exact same experience from his podcasts. All articles are online and free. Grading rubric is very clear and achievable.

I enjoyed his class. He was nice and chill and I was interested in the topic discussed. Lectures are podcasted but discussions are attendance based. There is one midterm test with an essay and a final test with a finals paper. The lectures and class itself is not difficult yet the tests can be very detailed.

This was my first international relations class and I loved it after his class! Great lectures, very clear and precise with assignments and exams and what he expects, truly wants his students to succeed. He's very approachable and kind too! It's also a plus that the assigned readings were all online and free.

Professor Roeder gives clear lectures using PowerPoint, which he also podcasts. You don't have to attend class because of the podcasts, but I did because he is an engaging professor. He sets clear expectations for the midterm and final, but the grades really depend on your TA. I would take Roeder again because I love his lecture style.

Professor Roeder grades on a 12-17 page paper, with parts spread across the quarter that includes a self-filmed oral presentation, and 2 "quizzes" based on lecture and readings. All readings posted on course reserves, so no textbook needed. Overall, a really nice guy who's passionate about the subject and wants to help you.

A very passionate, understanding, and knowledgeable man. He teaches the course well and he is very open to questions. I would recommend. Read the readings and take notes! The quizzes are 50/50 for both of those. Make a study group, especially for the readings, and you'll be good to go. It's not a difficult class. Pay attention

I like this professor. He genuinely loves what he is doing, and is a really nice guy. Readings were a bit long, and I dislike Powerpoint, but the Midterm and Final were as expected, and I learned a lot in his class. Though I wouldn't do it again, I'm glad I took the class since I understand international relations far better now. Thanks Professor.

Took Russian Politics with Professor Roeder last spring. Really nice person. Both his TAs are accessible, and provide great feedback on projects (2 papers + 1 presentation).

no better poli sci prof at UCSD. the man blows my mind. love it

Professor Roeder has been my favorite professor so far at UCSD. He is extremely well informed and intelligent. Lectures are captivating and I learned more in his class last quarter than I did in all my others combined. Furthermore, his Introduction to International Relations helped spark my interest in foreign affairs and guide my career goals.

Professor Roeder was a fairly boring lecturer. He podcasted so you didn't necessarily need to attend the class. The class was graded upon 5 things: Midterm, Final, Essay #1, Essay #2, and participation in discussion. Both the midterm and final were the same, he gave 5 broad terms from the class and you wrote around a paragraph for each.

Class is podcast and attendance isn't mandatory. other than being able to write a good paper, listen to all the lectures and complete all readings and you will get a good grade.

I love the way he sets up his lectures. All the info is in there and he explains it so well. If you pay attention, you will not only get everything you need for the exams, but you'll actually get a really solid understanding of the concepts. He's always present and very well-prepared for his lectures, and you can tell he knows so much.

i love this guy and i would totally take him again

I took Professor Roeder's POLI12D class this past quarter. It was a fairly simple class. I missed a couple lectures but was able to understand the topics through the weekly assigned readings. As long as you read and attend most lectures you should be set for the assignments. Lectures are easy through sit through and the homework isn't heavy.

Positives: Strong writers will thrive Reading weekly case studies not mandatory, he discusses concepts in class Midterm and Final short answers are mostly from the lecture (4/5 that you will be asked to write about are from the lecture (you can get an A, reviewing notes 1-2 times/week Straightforward Negatives: Lots of readings

Good lecturer that podcasts. Make sure you know the general idea behind each topic and how they all connect- making mind maps helps in this class. Readings are pretty long, not necessary to do but help to further understand topics. He's a really nice guy and going to office hours to discuss topics with him/TA's helps a ton.

His lectures were a bit dry, but IR is a bit dry in itself. The class was graded by section attendance, a midterm (paper and test), and the final (paper and test). I did about half the readings throughout the quarter and had trouble paying attention during lectures, yet I still was able to get an A. Reading the assignments will help you immensely!

One of the smartest in the department. Fantastic teacher and researcher. Highly recommend.

Out of the 3 Poli classes I took last quarter, this one by far had the best lectures. Attendance was not mandatory; I ended up going to more of Roeder's lectures than my other classes where attendance was required (they were that good). The midterms/finals are structured the same way, with an in class free response portion and paper. No textbook.

Prof Roeder is DEFINITELY the best IR prof I've had the pleasure of taking. I love his lecture style; clear and entertaining, his class has a good flow and is easy to follow as well as his assignments. The readings are all accessible through canvas, he doesn't make you buy anything you won't need, he's compassionate and accommodating, love him!

Prof. Roeder is very good at explaining concepts in a clear, straightforward manner. Readings are quite long, but as long as you complete them and attend lectures, essays should be simple.

Professor Roeder was a highly informative lecturer and made course content understandable and applicable to the real world. He is not the most engaging speaker, but still made content very enjoyable and relevant. I took the class fully online, and the assignments were pretty simple and straightforward. Overall, I would definitely recommend!

First, this professor is the only reason I created this account. His lectures are well informative and are recorded so if you miss class you could watch the recorded podcast later on. The class is mostly based off of two quizzes and two essays which are curved in the gradebook. 10/10 would take this classes again.

Professor Roeder's lectures are extremely well structured, supplemented by bullet-point slides and delivered at the perfect tempo to avoid overwhelming you with a ton of information.

After taking his POLI12D class as a first-quarter freshman, I knew I would have to come back for anything else Professor Roeder is teaching. His POLI147B class was informative and very relevant to current events. The analytical framework he emphasized in lectures was useful for the final policy memo. He is clearly passionate about his subject.

Poli 12 with Professor Roeder was pretty good. He gives lectures that can be overwhelming, but are also uploaded onto Canvas. There are two quizzes, essays, and 8 readings. Perusall was used, which was annoying as it was hard to get full credit for readings. Quizzes are somewhat difficult but doable if you pay attention to the lectures.

Very informative lectures. Talks kinda slow but that's ok. Very very clear grading criteria, and very friendly and accomodating.

I enjoyed his class. His lectures were very informative and I learned a lot. He explains things very clearly. The papers were not bad either, as long as you have a clear outline of what you want to say in mind.

As my first political science class, Roeder was an amazing professor. He was extremely clear and fair in his grading, transparent on what was important, and showed zero bias in whatever he was talking about. His readings were tough, but that's just a given when reading academic political science texts. Overall, a professor I would take again

The class was pretty straightforward expectations-wise. Take really clear notes on the lectures because he is a pretty monotone lecturer and it's easy to get lost in all of the information he is giving you. And treat the quizzes like midterms because that's basically what they are. A lot of people underestimated how difficult those would be.

prof Roeder was really cool. I must say though, start studying after the first lecture because it's lots of material. he doesn't have a final which is nice but still study. you have two big papers but as long as you start early and ask for help you'll be fine. pay attention to lectures, VERY close attention. overall he's great

The professor himself was a very mellow person and seemed nice. As for the class itself, the lectures weren't hard to understand. He was a slow talker which I believe is an advantage because he would take his time to explain each detail of his slides. However, he would tell us certain parts of the material wouldn't be on the test but they were.

Roeder is a great professor, but I found his quizzes to be the most difficult component of the course. He's a fair grader and drops the lowest score, but take the quizzes seriously because they can significantly drop your grade. 3 quizzes, 3 research papers, and perusall readings. Kind professor and wants his students to succeed.

Professor Roeder is wonderful! He has a sense of humor, and explains concepts thoroughly. This class is graded very fairly--only 2 essays, one reading per week and two quizzes. However you have to stay focused throughout the lecture because literally everything that comes out of his mouth is important. He's great. You should take him.

There are two essays for this class and the prompts weren't too bad, they're graded by the TAs so how they're graded can depend on who you have. There are two quizzes and they are lowkey difficult, make sure you study for them and review the names that go along with certain theories and you should be fine. The readings aren't too bad, just long.

Great and very knowledgeable professor. Loved his lectures. Reading can be a bit heavy on some weeks. Quizzes are slightly more difficult. Two papers but grading difficulty depends on your TA. Would recommend taking his class and attending lectures.

Professor Roeder's POLI12 class is pretty solid. Lectures can be dense, but watching the recordings helps. Essays and quizzes are manageable with prep. Unstuckstudy was a game-changer for study sessions - highly recommend!

beware of the quizzes, they are tricky and you should study for them like midterms. weekly mandatory readings you have to spend >90 mins on. podcasts lecture but write down what he says too since slides are bare, mandatory discussion. 2 essays same weeks as quizzes. a little bit dry of a lecturer, class is tough for a lower div but curved, no final

So many readings on Perusall, you don't actually need to read them for full credit though. STUDY for the quizzes I got cooked. Essays are graded by the TAs. Discussion sections took attendance but I never went to lectures bc they were recorded.

Great professor! neat slides that do well in helping summarize information. Slides are bare, write down most of what he says aloud/rewatch his podcasted lectures to get a good understanding. quizzes should be taken as if they were midterms or finals, you cannot just skim. rewatch podcasts! Two easy essays and easy weekly readings.

Prof Roeder was great! Lectures can be a little monotonous but are very clear about exam content. Quizzes are difficult but curved and graded readings mitigate them. You're only graded on readings, 2 essays, and 2 exams. Very accessible outside class! Make sure you have a good TA because the readings can be dense and difficult.

He's a very effective lecturer and makes complicated material easy to understand, but he's not particularly engaging. The class isn't hard but it's not an Easy A, per say. Your grade is dependent on four things (2 essays, 2 quizzes), so you have to do well on everything. The quizzes are tricky but accurate reflections of lecture content