Was helpful

Good class, detailed lectures. Be prepared to write.

American History is MONEY, he knows alot and can relate it to students.

This dudes great

great prof. very organized and he really knows his stuff. no tests or quizzes, just writing. highly reccomended

Had him for 2 American History classes- awesome! Lived through the Civil Rights movement- great stories. Fair grader on papers, workload manageable. Great to talk to, one of my favorites

very good teacher, TA was a harder grader but dr ruck was very good and very friendly

Ruck is an excellent professor; he requires a lot from his students. Go to class and be prepared read and write three papers (30-35 total pages). Class participation is expected, and thus so is attendance. But it will pay off; you'll learn a great deal.

Excellent Prof. Knows his stuff and is willing to help you anytime you need. Extremely detailed lectures, you'll write extensive papers, but you learn a lot.

Dr. Ruck is amazing, thorough, and engaging. His lectures are deeply interesting and emphasize fascinating trends in history. The recitations are mostly unnecessary and boring, but the lectures are golden. I considered a history major after his class; this is a must to any student.

Good teacher overall, as well as a good writer. Class is very interesting, but you will have to do work. GO TO THE REVIEW SESSIONS. The TA will help you with all the papers and review for exams.

I absolutely loved this class. THe lectures were engaging and always put in historical context and well illustrated. I loved the three novels we read and I think they really complimented the lecture. The papers, despite there being three of them, were not bad and even kind of fun to write.

And the like.

Ruck is great-- his lectures are engaging, clear and well structured. He does a great job of linking the past to the present, and although the class requires a moderate amount of writing, it's worth it. I'd recommend him for anyone, even if you don't have a great interest in history.

This guy isnt a professor, he's a freakin' history channel documnetary incarnate. Truly entertaining, interesting, and engaging... you'll probably forget there's 100 other people in the class with you. Readings are easy, lectures amazing, assignments short, sweet, and to the point.

The man really knows his stuff.. makes lectures actually interesting and is a great guy if you get to know him. There is a decent workload but you can get a lot out of this class.

Great teacher. He's very knowledgeable and always has interesting lectures. Tests are very fair (all essay) and allow you to show an understanding of the material rather than try to decode the wording of tricky multiple choice questions or memorize a list of names and dates.

Very good professor. Does not expect a lot of work, no homework is assigned. You need to read 3 substantial books and write papers on them, but that is about it. Highly recommended for anyone at all interested in history that wants an easy class.

Dr. Ruck was the most amazing professor I have had in my college career. The class was entertaining and had the perfect amount of work, just enough but not too much. Highly recommend this class to anyone with an interest in history.

Great Prof. Has great stories, really knows his stuff. If you like sports, it's a great class that gives you a lot of different perspective. Kind of business oriented, so beware. Papers are kinda hard but fair. Tests can be a little rough, but he prepares you well. DO THE READINGS!

He's amazing! He knows everything, I swear. Lectures were very interesting. Definitely take this class with him!

amazing professor! transforms history of sport into a story that grips you.

Kinda boring lecture. TA's grade pretty hard. You are given the full exam before it and you're allowed to re-write your paper so it's a pretty easy class. I learned a decent amount from this class, and I would suggest him as a professor!

awesome class....good teacher... worse thing might of been my TA with grading papers....other then that easy!

I loved this professor more than I could ever explain to anyone. So much, in fact, that I intend to take "History of Sports" next semester and I almost couldn't care less about sports or their history.

I love Prof Ruck because he is the only person that has been able to teach me anything about History where I could stay awake to listen to it. His lectures can seem long at times, but he knows what he's talking about and makes important connections that our generation would be interested in. Great guy!

very good professor. Take him and Jon White as his TA, they make a good team at making history interesting instead of pure facts on paper

A fair amount of parallel reading is required, but nothing overwhelming. A great lecturer with an intimate feel for history. His goal is to make students feel history's never-ending influence on today and how it relates to us personally

I loved this prof. Listening to his lectures reminded me of watching 20/20 and he looks similar to John Stossel too! I definitely would recommend this class.

His lectures were really interesting and the tests are not really hard. There is a lot of reading but it's not hard to read at all. I definetly recomend him

This is a very fun and exciting course. Its very interesting.

Awesome professor....very engaging and definetly knows what hes talking about. Fair and you will take a lot away from his class. Highly recommended.

Despite being pent-up in the basement of the Cathedral in Fall (uncomfortably warm for those of you who don't know yet), I found Ruck's lectures to be enjoyable. You must be meticulous in note taking though b/c he provides no visual aides. Class was pretty straightforward... it's just US history. Ruck is VERY well versed in history.

loved this class; ruck is very good at making us history relevant and showing how it affects us today. the ta's did most or all of the grading and that's where all the discussion was, but ruck is also very approachable if you want to discuss anything with him

Great lecturer, good guy. US History: 1865-Present was a great class. Lots of reading, but doable. Material wasn't too hard.

I love Rob Ruck. Take his class... I never had any prior interest in history untill i heard the point of view Ruck holds on the past and how it affects our present lives. He is definately one of my favorite prof.s at Pitt

He was a good lecturer. There was lots of reading, but not too much. If the TAs (they're the graders!) are as difficult to please as they were for my class, you're better off avoiding it, because all grading is subjective. Tests are in essay format, and you have to be a mind reader to know what details are expected in the answers.

He's very enthusiastic and passionate about the subject. Lectures are interesting. Too much required reading. The TAs are the ones who do all the grading though. I had Abigail Carlin - HORRIBLE! She grades unfairly on the papers and exams. She has nothing to say, so class sits in silence for minutes. Ruck is awesome, but the TA ruined it for me.

Had him earlier in my college career and didnt really appreciate his knowledge till now. He is by far one of the best professors at Pitt. US After 1945 was a great class. 3

Quite possibly the best class at pitt taught by the best professor. Even if you aren't crazy about history, the class is worth taking just so see the passion with which Ruck lectures. If you have even the slightest bit of interest in american or political history, this is the class to take. Absolutely amazing.

A whole lot of reading assigned, but I didn't do all of it and I did fine. If you want to participate a lot, do the readings. Tough paper grader. Need to have great intro, be organized, and write simply. Gives good feedback on your work, though. Extremely nice guy, interesting lectures, and he really wants to hear what you have to say. TAKE HIM!

I loved this professor. His lectures were so interesting, it made me want to go. He made me appreciate history and made it interesting. Unfortunately, the TA's did all the grading and they were tough. recitations were terrible. I would have loved it if it was just him! TA's ruined the class.

Lectures were very good. He presents the info in a very clear and interesting way. Very easy to pay attention as he is engaging and well spoken. Only downside is he grades nothing so your grade depends entirely on the TA.

a good teacher but i swear if i have to hear another story about the city of pittsburgh...its a us history course, but half the time he talks about pittsburgh. i never went to class after the first week, got an A-. the grade depends completely on your TA though.

Lecture was a blast. He's very interesting and well spoken. My only major complaint was that he let his less than adequate TAs write some of the essay questions. The assignments were subsequently shallow, not on par with the depth of the course. The textbook was also tedious and poorly written. Still, fabulous professor, highly recommended.

Excellent teacher, very well spoken and enjoyable to listen to. The class was super easy. Everything was essay based, with the questions available well in advance to allow time to study them specifically. Easy A" with little effort. Going to the class isnt nessecary, and the only time I used the text was to study for the essay tests.

By far and away the best bar none professor in the history department, maybe the school. Ruck has the unique ability of inspiring in his students the same fascination with history that he has, and trust me, you will love him for it. I would go on but I'm limited to 350 characters. Great great great professor.

Ruck is an awesome teach, got me excited about lectures and history in general. Tests are all essay based, not to bad if you study. Overall, great experience

Amazing teacher-- he's very passionate about subject. Grade depends entirely on TA's though, and the only assignments are take-home essays. Offers 1 or 2 opportunities for extra credit. Great class!!

He was an awesome teacher, his lectures were made mandatory and he just talked about history as if he was there. Very passionate about the subject, test questions are given ahead of time and very easy to receive high marks in his class. Highly reccomment

Great teacher. He knows everything there is to know about American history, super helpful. Lectures were always entertaining and interesting.

He is an interesting teacher and a fair grade. He is more interested in his students learning the material rather than just spitting the material back at him. Therefore, he allows extensions is needed. It's an interesting class to take! Especially, if you don't have prior knowledge of history.

keeps class very interesting, can ramble a bit on unecessary material but really tries to relate issues at hand and relate to students, GREAT guy and great professor, will give REAL feedback on papers and is there for you even though he's very busy, grades fairly and no one really gets below a B in his sports history class, definitely worth taking

Quite a bit of reading but great teacher, great class, by far one of the best classes I've taken at Pitt.

One of the best classes I've had at Pitt, Professor Ruck is a great lecturer and I would take his class again in a heart beat. There isn't much of a work load, the grade is mostly essays and participation and as long as you're paying attention to lectures you'll do fine

Very knowledgeable and passionate about History. Really gives you a different perspective on things and makes you think about things in a way you didnt before. Very good professor, good class, definitely recomended

Best professor at Pitt. His lectures are almost like storytelling... so interesting even for those who don't like history (like me). Not much work, very fair tests, good recitations. Take this for a history gen ed!!

Pr. Ruck is AMAZING. His lectures are very interesting and you will enjoy going to his class. Unfortunately, the TA grades ALL of your work and Ruck sees none of it. I learned a lot and enjoyed the class but I hated that my grade was solely from a grad student TA. P.s. she grades hard.

History of Sports is undoubtedly one of the best classes I've taken. Prof Ruck is a great guy. If you talk to him one-on-one, he's more interested in you as a person than as a student; this was very refreshing. The class is not hard, but you'll learn a lot. Get to know you TA as well--they have a large influence on your grade.

Great professor. Very interesting lectures. Not good TA choice, which is unfortunate because the TA does ALL of the grading and it's very very subjective. Probably nearly impossible to get an A in this course, but you should be able to get a good grade if you put in the effort.

I am only a freshman, that being said professor ruck is great. You can't really take notes in class because he skips around a bit, but it really feels like story time rather than class. TAs grade everything, but my TA was great and i had a great experience. Take Dan Holland as TA

Didn't show up to class, other than to get the syllabus and take the final. Seems like a good dude, and from what I stayed for, an excellent lecturer. Grading done by all the TA's I had Dan Holland. Can pull an A, as long as you know how to write. Didn't study, didn't read the books with the class, only cracked the textbook for evidence in essays

Just go to class and put the work in. Your view of the history of sports, both in Pittsburgh and throughout the world will be forever changed for the better. Taking this class with this professor in the location that it's taught in is an experience you'll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. Ruck is a great professor and Hist1083 is awesome!

Awesome Professor, would take him any chance I get. Took History of Sports with him and it was probably my favorite class I've taken at Pitt.

I took Professor Ruck for History of Sports, he was by far the best professor I've ever had at Pitt. During the semester, both of my grandparents passed away, he and his TA were both very understanding and helpful during those times. Expect to read a lot and write a lot of papers. But I highly recommend him to anyone.

One of the best classes I have had at Pitt. Dr. Ruck loves sport. It is apparent through his lectures that his life is devoted to it. The class is not particularly hard if you show up and do the limited readings. Gives you the essays for tests in advance, and is willing to help with the papers. Great professor, great class.

Rob Ruck is a very talented lecturer. His assignments are fair and not too demanding. I recommend for anyone interested in sports and nonsports people. I support Rob Ruck.

I had Rob for History of Sport. He knows his stuff and is a really nice guy. He assigns 3 books throughout the semester that I bought but really only used as reference when studying/writing papers. You can get away with not reading and get A's and B's. You have a trip to the Heinz History Center that I skipped and still got a 100% on the paper.

Puts a lot of effort into preparing lectures. TA does all of the grading on essays, so you may or may not luck out. You definitely don't need to read the texts to do well. Attendance is taken at every lecture & recitation and counts toward final grade. The rest of the grade consists of three essays and a midterm & final.

Really cool guy that works really hard to get you the information needed to succeed in his class. Essays are short and very manageable. Reading the texts isn't mandatory but it will certainly help for the essays. Bases test questions off what is discussed in lecture and attendance is taken in recitation.

Professor Ruck's class was a treat to go to. He speaks with so much knowledge about sport that it's just fun to listen to. Found that the grading on papers was a little too critical which you can blame on Dan Holland I suppose. I would still take this course again, but don't take it unless you like sports quite a bit.

Rob is the best. Take his class or die an unhappy person.

Great professor who really knows what he's talking about. His lectures can get a little long due to not a lot of visuals but the videos he shows are interesting. Definitely take him if you can!

I took Professor Ruck for History of Sport. He is an awesome guy, and well respected by his peer and his students. His lectures were great, he didn't write anything down or use any media, he just talked about sports, and it was still very interesting. If you read the books the class is easier, especially for the essays

Probably my favorite class I've taken so far. Class is not that much work as long as you start the essays early particularly the final one. I did next to no reading and ended up with a good grade.

Rob Ruck is a great guy and a good professor. His lectures only consist of him speaking the entire time, so be ready to take notes without any visual aids. He's very passionate about sports and makes the class very interesting. All grades were essays and essay exams so its a decent amount of writing. Overall, a very good class.

Ruck was one of my favorite professors that I've had so far at Pitt. He's genuinely interested in the topics he speaks about, and cares more about kids learning than critiquing them. He also had very interesting stories about his own life and his explorations throughout the world. I'd highly recommend taking at least one course with him.

The class isnt a cake walk in that you have to read 3 books, write 4 essays and participate in class, however Ruck makes the class very eye opening for those who love sport. Hes highly regarded in the field and its a pleasure getting the opportunity to learn from him. Gives great genuine feedback and tries to get the best out of all his students

Fantastic professor, lectures are very interesting and critical to your success in the class. If you show up to class and pay attention, you'll do fine. You don't even have to take notes, just skim the books when it's time to write the essays. Make sure to prepare a lot for the tests though, because he gives the questions ahead of time.

Rob is the man. Seriously cares about your success, and pushes you to learn as much as possible. Knows a ton about sports, and lectures are fascinating.

Ruck's teaching style takes a bit to get adjusted to, however, the way he teaches his classes definitly leaves you feeling like you got more out of the course than just an A. There are a lot of readings be they are all relavent and interesting.

Rob is a really knowledgeable and interesting guy. His lectures are very talking heavy and kinda hard to get used to. Genuinely cares about his students. Its evident that he knows and cares about what he teaches. Overall, if you like sports, Robs classes are a solid choice.

Can't recommend Prof Ruck enough. Let's get the challenges out of the way: very lecture heavy in the first half of the semester, and the essays/exams can be pretty rigorous. But Prof. Ruck is one of the most highly regarded sports historians in the field and it's easy to see why. If you really love sports, this is the class for you. Lot's to learn

Fantastic lectures. Very accessible out of class. I learned a lot from his class. Highly recommend.

Great guy. Lectures a lot but they're engaging. All assignments are essays. One wish was that he recorded lectures. It's hard to cite material from lecture without the ability to rewatch lectures.

Professor Ruck is my favorite professor so far. He is kind, caring, and has a fantastic amount of interesting stories and pieces of advice. History of Sports is a great class and he is a great teacher.

Robert Ruck is an all time teacher. Lectures are just amazing, learned so much from him. An all around funny, caring, inspirational, and great person. Best professor at Pitt so far. Class itself it reading and writing heavy. 100% a class to take.

Dr. Ruck is an amazing professor, he is very knowledgeable and passionate about sports. His lectures are extremely interesting, and he and the TA are always open to answering questions and giving you feedback on your papers. But, this is not an easy class (we wrote a total of 8 essays split into 4 assignments + there are 3 books + weekly readings).

Rob is a wonderful lecturer. if you really like sports and want to learn more than I recommend you take this test. There is a lot of writing and essays but if you read and attend the lectures you will get a good grade on them. You will be graded on attendance but classes are very intriguing. Love this class

Great professor, topics of discussion were always interesting, make sure to participate because he cares about what you have to say. Lots of essays for midterm and final but were easy to complete because you just need to talk about what we discussed in class and read in the books.

Rob truly cares about the world of sports and wants everyone in his classes to feel that passion too. The only thing I'll say is that his grading/how his TA grades can be a bit harsh. Plus the way he lectures is that he just talks with no slides, so it takes a bit of adjustment. Other than that, he tells great stories and has great guest speakers.

He is a great professor that is very passionate about sports. His lectures can get boring since it is just him talking with no slides, but if you love sports you will stay engaged. He is very smart and his class is mostly written take home exams and 3 papers. Great class overall, would definitely take another one of his classes.

Really great and passionate guy. A very nitpicky grader, but as long as you care, he cares. He absolutely cares about his students. Some of the readings are pretty long, but as long as you read a little bit and have something to say in class, you will be fine. Assignments & exams were all essays, but you have a long time to do them. Recommend fs.

Ruck was a great professor, he didn't use slides during lectures so that can be tough to get used to. He is very insightful and interesting. If you like sports, this is a must take class!

Prof Ruck is a fantastic lecturer. The class is reading/writing heavy, but he makes the material engaging. Unstuck ai was a lifesaver for streamlining study prep. Definitely take this course if you're interested in sports history.

Dr. Ruck is amazing. His lectures were inspirational and captivating. If you like sports to any extent, you have to take this class. There were 2 larger essays, and 2 take home "exams" in which you got a few prompts and had to write a response to them. Overall a very manageable class that I really enjoyed. Attendance is not mandatory but go its fun

Great professor, classes are mainly discussions on the readings he assigns before every class. Only read grades are the essays he has you write, but is always offering to help write and make sure you succeed. He also is not a tough grader. If you enjoy sports even remotely, I highly recommend this class.

Rob is great, extremely knowledgeable and well-spoken. You probably shouldn't take this class if you're not interested in the topic, there is a lot of reading and participation is expected. However, if you put in noticeable effort, you'll probably get an A.

Graded on 5 papers total, not too difficult but do take time. He gives you plenty of notice to be able to start them early. The nicest professor and really cares about what he teaches, definitely recommend any of his classes if you have the chance. Also all of the readings are for the most part done from works he has written.

Professor Ruck was a great lecturer and made it easy to listen. He didn't use slides or any sort of material to lecture, so you have to pay attention to take notes. Only graded on 5 essays and attendance, so it is easy to get an A as long as you show up ready for lecture. Definitely don't take this class if you aren't interested in the topic.