4.6
Quality3.0
Difficulty93%
Would Retake251
Reviews93%
Would Retake
251
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
203
4
27
3
7
2
6
1
8
What Students Say
“The definition of a proper professor”
POLISCI1G06 - 5.0 rating“Honestly one of my favourite classes”
1G06 - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
53%
Textbook Required
25%
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Your expected effort level
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A-
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Improving
+0.34 avg changeRatings by Course
PSCI1G06
5.0
(1)POL4J06
5.0
(1)POLSCSECT
5.0
(1)POLSI4M6
5.0
(1)POSCI4M06
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
POL4MM6
5.0
POLSC1GO6
5.0
POLISCI1G06E
5.0
POL1G06
4.4
POLSCSECT
4.0
Reviews (251)
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Mr. Coke aka Todd Alway loves his big words (tautology, empirical etc...) and has some hilarious mannerisms ("YOU SEE..." *while frantically shaking hands*)... oh, and answer questions at your own risk, be prepared to be butchered (while frantically shaking hand at YOU!!) Oh, and worlds like "****" and "backward countries" are prevalent.
halirious, helpful and entertaining class .. lots of body movements during class. looking forward to hv the other level3 class with him next term!
Todd's a great guy and super enthusiastic about his lecture material. Really intelligent and is a great prof to have for a seminar, as he keeps everyone awake and on their toes. It's unfortunate that the department cancelled 4J06 (Global Governance), but keep an eye out for Todd, as I'm sure he'll be teaching other classes at MAC.
Excellent professor. He's probobly the best lecturer I've had so far. If your like Politics I highly recommend taking his class. If you don't he may be too much of a challenge. Nevertheless he's still a very good professor
He's really loud and vibrant. You definitely won't fall asleep in his class. His exams are really well done, it's essay questions and he gives you a bunch of topics he MIGHT put on. if you know them all VERY well, you'll do well. I got a C+ and studied the day of and hardly went to class.it's really interesting though,so i wish id went!
The previous couple comments are all accurate. Helpful, enthusiastic, and excellent at presenting/lecturing. As long as you are awake, even if you find the subject matter unintersting, watching him present the information will make you interested in the subject matter. A great professor.
Like the first post said (or maybe last) he never failed to have his diet coke in hand. And it's true, you better be extremely mentally prepared when trying to answer a question, he can be very intimidating. But he was a great lecturer, and his exam was very fair.
He is the best Professor I have ever had at Mac! An introductory course is generally not that illuminating but he made even the most elementary material to be profound. His assignments and exams are extremely fair. He is highly intelligent and does not suffer fools so make sure you have done your homework before speaking with him!
Very enigmatic and entertaining. He gets really into his lectures that you can't help but pay attention. Extremely intelligent also, there's nothing this guy doesn't know. However he's very intimidating and will rip you apart if you ask him a question.
His voice is irritatingly high and he refuses to use a mic so his lectures are basically unbearable. If you don't want to be butchered into a million peices, don't ask questions or answer questions. Talks far to fast to understand.
The cola addiction is funny; funnier when he was sick and brought juice in. Incredibly bright guy. Great at imparting some wisdom, and then allowing the class to discuss while he acts as moderator. At times intimidating because he does know so much, but by the end of the class you've learned so much you'll appreciate it.
unnecessarily demanding class for one that is only a secnd year course.
He is a great prof to have for a seminar, since he talks for awhile and then lets the class talk as well. Very smart and a really nice guy in general.
Todd was one of the only reasons I would say McMaster was a good school. He's been let go sadly and you can basically get rid of the political economy side of the department with him. Inspiring, intellegent and down to earth(sometimes). I still can't figure out his political leanings though!
it is impossible to learn when someone incessantly spews information at you in a high pitch shrill. Todd is actually a really nice guy -helpful & willing if you need after hours help. he makes an undigestable load of reading material mandatory.
Addicted to coke, shrill shrill shrill voice that hurts your ears so much. He speaks ridiculously fast though and its hard to follow him. Speaks off a powerpoint every class and doesn't really explain the concepts that well. I would give him a 60/100, I don't recommend him.
This guy knows it all. I have never learnt so much in one class. He makes you work but is fair and very helpful. People who complain about him probably do not attend class regularly and expect an easy mark. He is one of the most exciting profs I have had. By the way I get good grades and enjoy a challenge.
Drinks a lot of coke, and doesn't use a microphone, but a pretty interesting prof. He talks really fast and its hard to keep up with taking notes. If you want to do well in the class, you have to go to lecture.
His overheads are GOLD.
First off,thanks for not making us buy textbooks.Instead you gave us relevant articles to read for intl econ orgs class.Much appreciated!Only problem with Dr. Alway is that he talks way way way way too fast.He covers way too much content in one lecture.If he just slowed down a touch he would be the best professor ever.Otherwise, super awesome guy.
I like his energy, and because he speaks quickly and dramaticly, I actually listen extra hard, because you have to you, if you want to keep up.Another thing, if during the lecture you sort of get lost with what exactly his point is, either raise your hand, or just have his print-outs infront of you and use that as a guide. I really like him.
The MAN!!
Todd is the most hard working professor at the department. He teaches more classes than any other professor. He talks fast, but if you listen, do the readings, and put some effort in, you will get a good mark! He's a very intelligent person and as an honours political science student, I can say that aren't any other profs who can do a better job!
Alway is awesome !
Alway is one of my faves! His lectures are generally pretty interesting, and his overheads help SO much. He uses online articles as much as possible, which definitely saves a lot of money. He doesn't believe in trying to trick students during exams, so you go into the exam knowing exactly what is on it, word for word. Awesome guy.
I love this guy! He is in my dreams, jumping around on stage talking to ME! I will take classes with him just so I can see him. I know I will learn a lot as well but my motivation is LOVE!!!! :P
Awesome professor! :)
Best prof in the department. Incredibly smart. Very high expectations. Dont touch his seminars unless you love GPE.
Makes you feel like he is preaching, I didn't enjoy his lectures at all. He is boring, if it wasn't for his screaming when he lectures I would have fallen asleep
I worked hard in this class. Can't believe how much I was taught. People in other section say that Prof was a joke. Glad I got Prof Alway. He's soooo entertaining and soooo smart.
I like him, but you have to be on the ball to follow him. recommend recording the lectures
Awesome prof, really fun and entertaining. Had no interest in Poli Sci before him, now its my major. My fave first year prof
LOVED him as a professor.
Easy class, loud professor who loves his coca-cola. Just listen in class and read the lecture notes later, its pretty straightforward. His exams are easy as well. I'd recommend him. Don't go if you have a headache though.
WOWWWW!!! Blown away at how much I have learned so far. He loves to teach and it shows. Other classes do not even come close to comparison at the level of knowledge, passion, and entertainment value he provides. Thank you Dr Alway!!!
Had him for 1g06 and 2i03. course is demanding, but there is no other prof I've come across at McMaster that will get you to learn so much in one sitting while making it ridiculously entertaining. HIGHLY recommended and his lecture notes are Golden!
This course is hard work. Dr Alway is so involved and intense. I completely understand these difficult concepts because of him. Why don't all Profs use his teaching style to make it enjoyable and show that they love what they do. I will definitely take more courses with him. Thanks for all of your knowledge.
Easiest course ever, didn't buy the textbook, didn't go to class. He knows his stuff and is a good prof, loves his Coke and yelling without a mic or anything. Easy to understand, puts notes up online. Would recommend and would take more courses with him again.
Amazing classi!!! Cery informative and tys proff uses an extremely unique and interesting approach when teaching lectures. Written assignments are intense though!! But u benefit from them immensely in the long run! I strongly recommend this course as long as u r willing to attend classes and put ur best effort forward
This is my first time rating a professor because I absolutely LOVE him! I had him for 1G06 and it was one of the reasons I fell in love with political science. I have him for a full year PS stats course right now and I am estactic!!
Good prof, one of the best pol sci profs at Mac actually. I found 1G06 to be a bit of a challenge first year but it's helped me a lot since then. No gimmicks, tells it like it is. Very honest but his TAs do seem to mark on the tougher side.
best prof ive ever had.. he is the reason i got into politics..everyone loves him.. hes hilarious.. references pop culture to help you understand topics.. your always entertained in his class.. makes going to lecture fun
One of the MOST AMAZING profs that you will EVER have at McMaster's Political Science department. Some people think his assignments are hard, but I think they are fair and I like the challenge. THERE IS NO WAY you cannot hear him b/c he is loud...although this guy lives on 6 cans of coke a day, he knows his material like the back of his hand!
AMAZING PROF! Understanding, genuinely wants students to do well. He is the reason I am majoring in Political Science. Seriously hoping that I get him as a professor in future years.
Amazing professor, very engaged with material in class, genuine interest in the material he teaches. Very talented and humorous orator, would definitely retake a course with him again. Also genuinely cares about the success of students and will go out of his way to help his students. Its a shame he only teaches the 1G06 and 3N06 in most years.
BEST PROF at mac in my opinion. Very enthusiastic about political science, and clear about everything. He speaks fast so I would reccomend recording his voice and retyping everything later. I did this second term and found it to be very helpful. How well you do in the class really depends on your TA, because they mark most of your assignments
Don't bother taking this class. I was going to major in Pol Sci. Changed my mind. You learn nothing, prof speaks too fast and gives too much info. TAs mark essays and tutorials exceptionally hard. Exams are essentially essay questions. You have to write 20 pages single-spaced to do decent. This is a useless course and made me turn away from Pol Sci
great prof, really passionate. however exams were not based on lecture material. you didn't need to go to lecture or read the text to do well which as i have learned hinders your ability to gather a basis in upper year courses.
Professor Alway is an amazing individual both inside & outside the classroom. I had been taught by him in both first & third year, and have come to really appreciate the work that he does. He posts all his notes online, & genuinely cares for his students. Yes, he can speak fast, but its just all a part of his enthusiasm for the subjects he teaches!
Brutal class. Extremely hard. Ta and Prof marks you like you're phD Political Science students. Essays are insane. DO not take.
Love Professor Alway's engaging lectures, he is obviously passionate about the material, and has a great sense of humour. How well you do in class depends on how you perform in tutorial so get on your TA's good side.
This course made me turn away from Political Science forever. Very dry, boring and hard. If you expect a minimum B you better be able to dream Political Science.
Some of these reviews make me think Dr. Alway has some sort of evil twin teaching at this university. My experience with him has been incredible. I am interested and knowledgeable about polisci to begin with, and this course is very challenging and drives you towards improvement. Also, Dr. Alway is very clear, and explains difficult concepts well.
Very hard course. Class average is a C+. Also very boring. All essays where they mark you like phD students. Avoid this course and professor.
very enthusiastic and helpful
Turned me away from Political Science forever. Hard, boring and monotone. AVOID ADAM KINGSMITH as a TA.
This is the third class I have taken with Dr Alway. The knowledge and enthusiasm he brings to EVERY lecture is inspiring. He challenges you by introducing new concepts and ideas. People who show up for only a few lectures will not do well. He is an academic and expects you to put the work into his class. I would take every class he teaches.
Best Prof on campus! Loved his class tons of energy derived from copious amounts of Coke. So smart (Summa Com Laude for his degrees) every lecture jammed with important info. Skip and you will not do well. Very kind and helpful when you approach him. He should teach profs how to teach. Thanks Dr Alway see you in all your classes in years to come
Took his first year course and it was a blast. He treats his undergrad students like PhD students but even so, he is always willing to help you understand course material. His passion for Poli Sci makes students passionate. If you're not up for the challenge, don't bother. Also, your grade depends on who your TA is. Had a lovely TA hehehe :)
Dr.Todd Alway is by the best professor I had in my first year.His passion for political Science is simply amazing. However, my TA was terrible and actually ruined the course for me. The TA marked the paper's as if I were a 3rd year students and as well picked favorites.
He's awesome and a super interesting prof! The assignment essays are a bit tough and require a couple days of prep but overall worth it! Its not very hard to get an 80 in his class, just do the work right, and attend classes and you'll do even better! it's very straight forward, if you generally know concepts with some examples, you'll be fine
Tough class. Must go to lectures. Textbook is not necessary, just pay good attention in class. Alway is a very bright man, but his vocabulary is very academic and difficult to understand sometimes. TAs are hard markers on essays. Was my hardest class in first year. Although all this, he is a great man, my favorite prof, despite my 68% in class.
TAs mark essays and exams like you're pHD students. I got a C. Hardest course in first year.
Amazing professor and probably the best McMaster has to offer!
Great Prof! Course is pretty tough and TAs mark hard, however if you have an interest in political science, then take this course. The one thing I stress is that if your essay skills aren't fantastic don't take this course. It is almost all essays. Again, BE GOOD AT ESSAYS!
This course taught me more than all my other classes combined. Dr Alway is so smart and knows what he is saying. I think I'm going to double major in Poli Sci because of this course.
I took this class 3 years ago and just got accepted into law school. Looking back it was a terrible course. Prof rambles, lectures not mandatory, TAs hard, exams very hard, marking hard. This class is all essays.
AMAZING PROF! def my all time favourite. He is truly and genuinely so passionate about what he teaches, and brings 100% of his high energy personality every single lecture! He interacts with his students a lot which is very rare. He is funny and makes the lectures very interesting. A perfect combination of getting the info across and being fun!
one of the best professors at McMaster University, I was lucky to have him.
Professor Alway is a very interesting lecturer, and made the material interesting. He may seem unapproachable in class but he is an extremely nice person and always willing to help if you put in the effort.
Professor Alway is very respected by his students, I took the course in the SpringSummer so it was fast & furious but by far the most interesting course in 1st yr. This is not a bird course and it is never boring, it did feel more like a third year course than 1st yr so I had to really work hard at studying. Want to take Poli-Sci now as my major.
his class is very interesting. he discusses political issues and presents us with both sides of the argument.
Great prof and great course! I couldn't ask for a better intro to Political Science. The assignment & exams in this class are all essays so avoid if you don't like writing them.
Dr. Alway is an amazing professor and the reason I became interested in Political Science in the first place. I sat in on his lecture with a friend once and was immediately hooked. He is so passionate when he speaks about politics and you can't help but feel motivated when you're around him. He's an amazing prof and quite hot to boot ;)
Excellent professor and class. Best course I had first year hands down. No complaints whatsoever. Fair with assignments and genuine about helping you.
Alway cemented my decision to pursue a degree in poli sci. He's incredibly enthusiastic, cares about his students, and is very passionate about the subject. He lays out each lecture in a very easy to follow format. There were a lot of readings assigned, however, I found over time I didn't have to do many of them because his lectures covered enough.
Honestly one of my favourite classes. Alway was fair in his exams, and essays were super easy! His lectures are somewhat long but if you are interested in politics then you should enjoy them. Also, he posts all lectures online before class which is VERY handy when comes to studying for exams and even when taking notes in class.
The definition of a proper professor. Provides great clarity in every topic he touches upon, extremely enthusiastic about his field of study, outlines requirements as expected, and makes you work for a good mark in terms of tutorials and tests. Group work can be nerve-wracking but nonetheless this class should be taken by all first years. Good luck
Wonderful professor!! Easy easy course. He provides all the notes to the lectures on avenue, still worth listening in lecture though. Very passionate about what he teaches.
He's really engaging and you'll never be bored in his lectures. He makes sure to try to keep every subject interesting and he encourages modern and relevant references for discussion. Beware of tutorials though, you'll be working in groups a lot but if you enjoy that kind of learning you'll love this class.
Dr. Alway is a phenomenal prof. He is funny, and extremely enthusiastic so you will not be bored. He is very approachable and will help you when you need it. Tutorials are good, there is a lot of group work. The tutorials are 25% of your grade so if you go all the time and participate, it's an easy 90% (for participation). STUDY FOR THE EXAM.
What a fantastic prof! The most enthusiastic lecturer I have ever seen, he literally jumps around stage aha. I learned so much from this class and Dr. Alway helped spark my desire to pursue the study of political science. Even if you don't like politics, this is a great course for any 1st year to take!
Alway is one of the best teachers I've had the pleasure of being a student for. He is the reason I switched out of Business into Economics/Polisci. Not only does he really care about his students, he's very accommodating and reasonable, and his papers are very open-ended, which is a lot of fun. If you have any interest in PoliSci, take 1G06.
Alway is the reason that I switched from wanting to major in JPPL to the new Judicial Studies program. He is an amazing lecturer and genuinely cares about the success of his students. I highly recommend this first year class to every single person who is even slightly interested in politics or even just wants an amazing prof.
Very talented speaker, you would be lucky to have him as your professor.
The best professor i have had. Extremely helpful and treats you like a person and wants everyone to succeed. Is very understanding with deadlines and special circumstances and cares more about your quality of learning than anything else. Exams and assignments are easy because his criteria is clear and he will go above and beyond for his students
He is amazing
Mr. Alway is great. He is inspirational, and always willing to re-explain. He really is a passionate and dedicated teacher. In my opinion, the best professor at McMaster. He is also an accomplished speaker. I show up for this man's courses just to hear him again. I learned, and continue to learn from this professor.
Doesn't use slides and speaks very animatedly/rapidly so can be a bit hard to follow at times, but Dr. Alway is brilliant and his course is one of my favorites this term.
Dr. Alway is amazing! So passionate about politics, he's my best teacher this term!
Amazing Prof, always very enthusiastic and passionate in lectures, and very approachable outside of class. The marking is tough but fair
Awesome teacher, super funny
He is the nicest man at Mac. Love you Todd.
A Professor who actually cares about teaching.
Alway is a gem! Cares about teaching and his students. I personally thought he was way too overqualified to be teaching a first year course. But lectures are heavy and definitely require attendance and attention. His loud voice definitely woke me up in the mornings, he's hilarious and awesome!
Alway is amazing. Had him for 1G06 (1AA3/1AB3) & have seriously considered taking polisci stats with him, even though I am not a polsci major & don't need it for mine. He really cares about his students and is receptive to their issues. Wish I could have picked more than 3 tags b/c he is also hilarious & accessible outside class among other things!
Such a great lecturer! I can testify that all poli sci majors at McMaster are in the major because he has attracted them to the field. Very few profs can make even dry (boring) content like stats intriguing, but he does great. I've taken 1G06, 3PR3, 3O06 with him. SO AWESOME. And I did well too. He marks fairly.
Im just finished first year, and I had him first semester. I can honestly say this guy is the epitome of what a professor should be. He's an amazing guy and you can tell he genuinely cares about his work and how others perceive it to be. The work is fairly easy, as long as you read and understand simple concepts. The best prof Ive had in my 1st yr
Dr. Alway is the best professor I've had. His lectures are amazing as he keeps the students engaged and inspires you to learn about global economy. Course material is taught well and easy to follow. Definitely worth taking a course with him.
The best professor I've ever had in my entire academic career. He is PASSIONATE and genuinely cares about your education. You truly learn a lot. His lectures are phenomenal & he gives you everything you need to know for the exam. If I had the choice, he would teach all of my lectures. He is also down to earth & approachable. HIGHLY reccommend!!!!
Best prof at Mac! Made students who hate math successful in a math based course. He takes the time to listen to you and will cut you some slack if you are polite when asking for an extension.
Fantastic prof, and no small part of why I switched into Political Science. The man drinks Coke like he's being sponsored.
I have taken multiple courses with Dr. Alway and he continues to inspire me. He is one of the best profs at McMaster.
Best lecturer I've ever had. Makes dry content interesting and is always willing to help his students.
This man is pure genius.
loved it
Professor always classes are very intresting every since I took his class I am considering to continue studies in political sciences and he really tells you both sides of the story in different political events and gives you the opportunity to think about it based on your idea and experiences which enhances the learning in this field.
Great proff, any chance to take Dr. Alway take the class.
Really good prof, know his stuff and really passionate about teaching it. He's very energetic and makes the class so much fun.
My favourite professor! So incredibly engaging and skillful in making otherwise boring material seem exciting and interesting. Remains very neutral and unbiased while exposing both sides of each debate. Such a great guy, I absolutely loved his classes.
Love how he starts of each lecture with a little scare. He has this tone of voice that is quite interesting to listen to He's not out to get you, he's genuinely nice and loves when kids come by his office. He gives a LOT of hints for the exam.
Super approachable. The first paper was tough if you did not understand the assigned text (that was five dollars at the bookstore). However he goes over the text and explains it thoroughly in lecture. The tutorials included several small group assignments. This was a lot of fun because I met a lot of friends through this. His lectures are amazing.
The whole semester is basically a preparation for the final essay (graded on proposal/presentation/participation/essay). So I found the information being taught in class to be sort of irrelevant. Final exam should be removed since the class was largely research-based. But definitely a simple, straight-forward class other than that. Great prof.
One of the best profs I've had. Really enthusiastic about the course, teaches in a way that held my attention for the full 2 hours. To do well you have to make some effort; either go to lecture or get the notes from a friend and study them. Using the overheads he posts alone isn't enough for an A or B unless you already know the content yourself.
I had this course Monday 7-9 in the Winter semester yet I was never not entertained. Alway speaks so loudly there's no way you can fall asleep. Kept content interesting. Honestly very fair course. You get in what you put into it, put effort into your paper. Only real bugger was that my TA was pretty hard marker.
No need for caffeine! Leave your phone in your bag! Enjoy the ride!
10/10
He can talk about paint drying and it'll still be interesting. If you took grade 12 politics his first-year pol sci course won't be anything new but it is sure as hell an amazing class. He is extremely passionate about politics and the workload is fairly light. Coke needs to sponsor this guy already.
this guy is amazing. although i took the morning lectures and could barely get out of bed most days, when i did, he gave me a good start to the day. very energetic, knows what he teaches, delivers it well and concisely. if you take this, get a head start on reading J.S. Mill's On liberty (check syllabus) as the essay focus a lot on his principles.
best prof I've had by far, I've been in 3 of his classes and have been impressed each time. he's obviously passionate about the course material which makes his teaching even better. also really funny and talks so loud that you are constantly engaged in the lecture
Lectures with Alway are always entertaining, although if you do not attend class or fail to follow some the high speed delivery of the course content you may struggle with this class.
I loved this class. I wasn't sure going into it how much I would enjoy the topic as depending on the teacher politics can become a dry subject but I am pretty sure he could talk about anything and make it interesting. He is really good at making sure you understand the material and really cares about his students succeeding. Would highly recommend
This man is amazing and is the reason I am in political science. I have now taken 4 classes with him and every single one has been a ride. Best lecturer who will surely entertain you even through a 2 hour lecture on a Monday night. Makes boring (but necessary) content interesting. Very fair level of difficulty, you get out what you put into it.
you're lucky he's awesome. just go to class
Took this class because I was interested in Political Science and I was not disappointed. Always is an engaging prof who clearly cares about the material he teaches. Super easy to do well if you go to class and do the readings otherwise you'll be struggling on the exam. Definitely would take another class with him!
He cares so much about his students. The class itself is not that hard and you will want to attend lectures for his personality. 10/10 recommend his class. The only downside is the tutorials are vague but maybe that was just my TA.
Dr. Alway is a great professor. I took both POLSCI 1AA3 and POLSCI 1AB3. Be sure to attend lectures, not only for the material but also because he makes it very interesting so it is almost impossible that you don't learn anything valuable. The only thing is that his TAs mark very hard and expect a lot of unnecessary "specifics" from students.
You can tell he really cares about his profession and wanting to make sure his students understand the content of his course. Be aware though, he only yells during his lectures so sometimes its a little excessive and distracting. The TAs can be tough markers but if you go to them about assignments or grades they're usually good with helping out.
I had Dr. Alway for Stats 3NN3. Math is not my strongest subject so this class was a bit intimidating. The class was easy for me because I went to all the lectures - the math is easy once you've seen Alway demonstrate how to solve the questions. He was also really determined to make sure we all understood and did well which was nice of him!!!
I took 1AB3, and while you don't have to attend lecture, I definitely recommend it to do well in the class. Depending on your TA they're tough graders, which makes the exam difficult a well. Research paper and exam were both 35% so be ready to work hard on your paper if you don't mind that I'd recommend the course.
Amazing prof!! Made me fall in love with Political Science
One of the best professors in McMasters Social Science department. The level of enthusiasm he has when he gives lectures is always fresh and energizing compared other profs in the department. Genuinely a nice, laid back guy and a very good professor as well.
Alway is an amazing prof but 2NN3 is probably the driest course I've taken so far. It's not Alway but just content itself is super boring, I doubt anyone really wants to sit through research methods and data collection for an entire semester. Some of it was difficult but Alway was very helpful and really tried to explain the concepts to us.
Very loud, but a great prof. Content is perfect, and uploads summaries. Focus on arguments made in class b/c they make up the exam. Two major papers. 1st is On Liberty; 2nd is on a debatable topic. My TA was a hard marker and slacked. The prof is very organized, though. Tutorial has group projects. Group assessment at the end. Exam has three essays
Actually made me want to go to my elective -- Alway's energy is unmatched by literally any other prof and he makes it very easy to get excited about the subject. Goes into excellent detail while still remaining concise. Virtually no readings for the course and he told us *exactly* what was going to be on the final. Legend-tier prof
amazing prof. makes the most boring courses fun!
The man didn't use a microphone in a lecture of 400+ people and I loved it. Usually that would annoy me, but Alway is eccentric and it's great.
This is a good course to take with Alway. The TAs mark very hard. I got a paper back and wanted him to regrade it. Other profs are highly opposed to this, but it was no problem for Alway and he was happy to take a look. Lectures are great, this guy really cares about his students well being and the content he is teaching.
Taking POLSCI 1AB3 was one of the best decisions I made. An amazing professor, he takes the time to explain the topics in details. The course was focused on international relations and international politics. Highly recommend to discuss the process of final essay with the TA beforehand. Great course to take & great professor!
The jump scares at the beginning of his classes + the ever-present Coca-Cola on his desk are great quirks. Great prof if you like lectures.
Had him for 1aa3. By far one of my favorites, captivating lectures and is really into what he is teaching
Dr. Alway is AMAZING! As a polsci major doing a specialization in public law and judicial studies I was scared to take was polsci 3nn3 statistics which is mandatory my sister took this class and failed, and I suck at math but to my suprise I ended with a 93% you need to study and attend all lectures but if you put in the work you'll see results!
YES! Take his class. He is passionate and inspiring, truly a GEM! I appreciate his positive and driven spirit that he brings to lecture each day. Thankful to have taken his class.
i always love his classes, he is amazing. he can keep students engaged but still inform us.
Our class is actually sad we only get to learn through our online modules with him. Would definitely take a class he teaches again!
Best PolSci prof at McMaster. Very clear instructions and lectures. He handles some of the most important undergrad content, and is well suited to do so.
Dr Alway has done nothing but make this online semester more enjoyable. His recorded lectures are concise and straight to the point. Any assignments given have a clear outline of what's expected and things are graded fairly. He has reweighed our term essay and exam to better fit out personal needs and I am so grateful. I 100% recommend Dr Alway!
Doing school online this year has been rough and Professor Alway has been accommodating, understanding and ready to help. Great Prof!
This class is designed well for online students. You can watch the lectures on your own time and there are tutorials that help keep students engaged. The activities and quizzes and papers we do during the course of the term allow for many chances to improve your grade. Keep it up, Prof Alway!
Although I didnt get the opportunity to attend Dr. Always live lectures or generally speak to him since this class was online, he genuinely enjoyed the material he was teaching, making him a great teacher. Course material should be light enough that you should be able to do well by just watching the prerecorded lectures.
The best prof at Mac!! He is amazing and very knowledgeable in political science. The way he set up the tutorial sis fantastic and uses PBL very well. No need to buy the text book. He gives one for free. Watch out for assignment though. Lots of essays and not enough space to write. Lots of group work as well. Very approachable and fast replies.
Although I didn't have a chance to meet Dr. Alway in person as everything was online. He is very passionate about what he teaches, his lectures are prerecorded so you can watch them at your own time, you have the option of participating in synchronous tutorials or asynchronous tutorials. There is a lot of essay writing but the topics are easy
His passion is unmatched. No need to do the readings because he makes it so easy to understand. The TA's can be difficult markers but Dr. Alway has a special place in my heart. Due to covid he changed the marking scheme so the take-home exam was optional so I just did the essay instead. I also made my first genuine uni friends in my tutorial group!
Dr. Alway teaches with humour and visuals. He is a great prof and made me love political science. If you don't like cheesy things, then you probably won't like him.
Dr. Always lectures are extremely interesting. It is evident that he passionate about political science and that is certainly reflected in his lectures. His course work is fairly simple, as long as you stay on top of the lecture videos (I took online). Overall, I would highly recommend any of his classes.
Professor Alway is one of the best teachers I have come across at this University. The guy knows what he's talking about, has thorough lectures, and will go through hoops to make sure you understand the material if you ask for help. Overall a great person and teacher.
Amazing Prof
Alway was probably the best prof I have had at Mcmaster University. His lectures are easy to understand and he is always available to help. Overall he is a great person and he's representative of the kind of teacher everyone should aspire to be.
I just love this guy. He's the real deal: extremely passionate, highly engaging and overall a nice guy who actually wants to see his students succeed. I genuinely believe he is the reason why so many students decide to minor in polisci. Take his first year courses! Such a sweet, funny and brilliant man!
I took POLSCI 1AA3 as well, both classes were great. Dr. Alway had pre-recorded lectures but, he had a green screen so he was actually in his powerpoint! Weekly quizzes, mandatory tutorials, and a couple of essays for this class which is a lot but you have ample time to complete them. Also, he is accommodating and can reach him via email anytime.
Great prof, his pre recorded lectures are very interesting and there are lots of opportunities to get easy marks in the class
Amazing and engaging professor
Dr. Alway is very engaging, uses ample of real world examples when teaching to hit it home. The 1 reason why I wouldn't necessarily take him again is because of how long his lectures are/ how much "fluff" there is in between necessary information. I don't have time to listen to cumulative 15 mins of important information in 2hrs worth of lecture.
Professor Alway is a kind person and a fantastic Professor. He is an expert in the material that he teaches, and he teaches it in such a way that it stays in your mind, and makes you want to learn more. He is the perfect example of what every single Professor should stride to be like. Thank you for being a great Professor in such a bad year, sir.
Super nice prof. 2-3 lectures to listen to a week (depending on the topic) with a quiz to do after (fairly easy just pay attention). This may change but he used to use the format of 1 assignment (essay), mandatory tutorials accompanied by assignments, and an exam (essay). This class taught me to write better essays and essay topics are generally EZ
As always, Todd is a beaut. Went in not knowing an ounce about stats and being nervous about the math. This ended up being my favourite course all semester. Alway broke really complex statistical ideas down in a way that you could understand and perform it yourself. Tests and assignments were straightforward as long as you watched the lecture.
Good prof
I am now in my second year currently taking my third class with Alway. Alway's first year classes inspired me to take Polsci instead of Anthro You will love these classes. TAs are always professional/friendly. Marks were always fair Late submissions -2% daily saved me in first year Text is optional Insightful lectures. Loved the group assignments
I had Todd Alway in first year (I'm now in year three and will be taking his 3NN3 class), he's a FANTASTIC prof, never made class boring. He is a fair grader, he is clear on what he wants in our papers, what criteria we should follow for an A+. Alway's class is the only class I always looked forward too, he's very outspoken, and such a kind human.
Alway's lectures are hilarious, my guy does a one man show every week. The tutorial portion takes 30% of the grade, which consists of 4 group presentations (or you can email your TA and do it individually-would highly recommend)
Always looked forward to the tutorials and lectures. Overall, incredible classes and always great TAs in all of Alway's classes. No complaints whatsoever. Everyone that I've spoken to about this class said they also really enjoyed it. Show the man some appreciation and send in your course evaluations this week.
this was a great class, even though I took it entirely online. I learned a lot and was able to use the information in other courses aswell. prof is very passionate and it's easy to learn under someone who cares
Professor Alway was always very accessible, even though the class was asynchronous. The content was easy to understand, the modules were engaging, and the quizzes were straightforward. The course itself is definitely project heavy, so just make sure you understand the content really well.
Alway is the best prof I've ever had, truly cares for his students and makes lectures enjoyable by being enthusiastic and passionate about what he does.
If you're reading this cuz you're nervous about 3NN3, dont be. Alway has always made difficult stuff easy to understand and it's the same with this class. Crazy looking formulas and concepts were super easy to understand and I honestly learned quite a lot of useful stuff from this class. Just DO NOT skip class or tutorial, they're important.
Dr. Alway's lectures are amazing, he makes you truly understand the content well. The content isn't difficult but the TA I had rarely gave more than an 80. I assume other TAs are better. The weekly quizzes are easy, so long as you go to class. Readings are optional for POLSCI 1AA3. The exam is long, but the prompts are interesting.
He is a good professor with lengthy lectures and assigns a lot of readings. I enjoyed the course and grading criteria was clear.
LOVEE Alway. Best professor I've had so far. All his lectures are interesting because of the energy and interest he puts into them. He is very caring about students and wants you to do better and will offer many opportunities and chances to ask questions, get feedback or clarification.
This is my second time taking Dr. Alway's class. Although I have taken this course all online this semester, the lectures were very easy to understand and very intriguing, group assignments were very interesting and there were only three individual assignments- Literature Matrix-10%, Literature review- 25% and Research proposal-35%.
Alway is such a gem. His lectures were amazing and entertaining. The TA I had was also really nice as well. This class wasn't super easy but if you put in effort, I'm sure you can do well. I ended with an A-, but I'm positive I could of gotten higher if I did more of the readings and spent more time on my writing.
Dr. Alway is a recognized star, because even with only recorded lectures, the course was top-notch. Dr. Alway provides in-depth content in a way that is never boring or irrelevant. The group projects were very interesting. The course content is useful both for beginners and seasoned professionals. The tests had interesting questions.
Alway was an amazing professor - one of my favorite so far! His lectures were engaging and entertaining each week. The course didn't require a lot of extra work besides watching lectures, doing the quizzes, and participating in the tutorials - but the marking was tough
Awesome
Best professor at McMaster. I've had 5 classes with him and I've done well in all of them because he explains everything to a tee and always offers help if you still don't get it.
Todd is a goated professor, the best at mcmaster. He is passionate and very engaging. if there is a course with todd alway do not hesitate to take it.
alway is my favourite prof i've had so far. his in person lectures made me excited to go to school! he is clearly very passionate about what he teaches and he makes every topic so engaging. it depends a lot on your TA, but i found grading fair and was able to get a good mark with moderate effort. he also posts all relevant chapters from the text.
Every positive thing that has been said about Dr. Todd Alway is true. He is an amazing and passionate professor who cares deeply about his students and the content he is teaching. His lectures are entertaining and interesting, you definitely won't fall asleep in class.
Amazing professor all around love the way he structures his classes and assignments. would take all his classes if I could
Alway is an absolute gem, I've taken two of his classes already and I'm planning to take more throughout my degree. His lectures are artfully delivered, engaging, and easy to follow. He gives excellent feedback and is easy to approach. Even though I had an awful TA for one of his classes I still enjoyed it.
EXCELLENT PROFESSOR!!! Will definitely take more of his courses
If you don't like him, you genuinely might be the problem. This professor is what every prof should aspire to be when in the classroom, and outside of it. Extremely articulate, smart, go-lucky, and caring for every student. Loved all his classes.
Todd provided all required course readings for free! Overall hes a great prof and hes very understanding; his lectures are always super animated which helps with understanding material easier.
Great prof, very energetic, his energy certainly wakes you up at 9 in the morning. Looked forward to his lectures, he engages with the students and has very interesting lectures.
Good course. The format of the final got switched because of ta strike or else I think I might have did a bit better in the course. Really chill course. I would recommend.
Todd is so energetic he's my fav prof at Mac so far. Did not read one required reading the whole term and still did great. Barely put effort into assignments and still got like an 80 on them. The final got switched to multiple choice which really bumped up my grade. Not a hard course at all, pretty fun, and should be an easy B at least.
Dr. Alway is hands down the best professor in the faculty. He is very interesting, a funny guy, and always there to support his students. He made the most boring content a class could teach, interesting and fun to learn. His recorded lectures aren't your general type. You'd think a Hollywood CGI and production company made it. Love him so much!
It's safe to say, if you do bad in his class.. the problem is you and not him. He gives you sample questions for what the test will look like, so definitely follow those. When it comes to definitons, they are pretty common sense. Again, he's a good professor.. and the only one that understands that students prefer the hybrid model of school.
his lectures are so animated and interesting. the assignments were mainly group projects done in tutorials. assignments are straightforward but some ta's can mark hard.
He is a great lecturer, in terms of keeping students engaged, but the lectures move fast. In the course I took, there were weekly quizzes, to give an overview of the content covered throughout the week, which was helpful. Overall, I would definitely take another one of his classes again but just prepare myself for a heavier workload.
One of my favourite profs at Mac, and the lectures are truly fun to attend. It is easy to do well if you try. The only thing I didn't love was how tutorial 'participation' was worth 30% and was based on group projects, so if you were put in a not-great group your grades could suffer. Overall, I recommend Always classes!
Alway is pre cool! This is the second course I took with him and I loved them both. He is the most amusing prof ever. Unfortunately for me, I managed to pass all the quizzes without watching the lectures so I didn't have a reason to watch his entertainingness.
Dr. Alway is the most entertaining lecturer and really knows his stuff. He is super friendly and I wish I made more use of his office hours as I only went once but I would 100 percent take another one of his courses. If only all profs at mac taught like he does!
While Dr. Alway is a great professor, his course is no cakewalk. Be prepared to study hard, read, and put in serious time for your papers. This is a fairly difficult course regardless of which program you are in.
I cannot describe my love for Dr. Alway. He IS the reason I switched into polsci. Be warned- he talks fast and you must go to lecture. But other then that- dr alway is HANDS DOWN, the BEST prof I have had at McMaster so far
This professor is surely amongst the best within his respective faculty. His exams and assignments have clear objectives which is always a positive factor. However, the recorded lectures can run a bit long and the paper assignment and final exam can be very lengthy and demanding. If thanking 1AB3, be ready to put in the work for a reasonable mark.
One of the best professors I've had so far. He is excellent at explaining complex topics, very punctual and easy to understand. Fills the room with great energy, and regularly engages with the audience. I really hope to see him again soon.
Dr. Todd is honestly the best professor ever!!!!!! His lectures are literally the highlight of my week. Such an amazing lecturer, SO engaging, you will never be bored in Dr. Todd's class. He makes complex topics super easy to understand. I have friends in science that sit in on his lectures because he's just THAT GOOD!
Goat. Honestly the best prof i've ever had, 1AA3 is fairly simple, but Alwat makes it 10x more enjoyable with his very interesting lectures.
BE WARNED OF THE TA's. if you're doing group projects trust me, and switch to the individual option cuz if you're stuck w a bad group ... then welp cuz it's 30 % of your grade. If you're taking this as a bird course rethink your choice, and open Mosiac.
Todd Alway is the goat. He cracks a coca cola at the beginning of every lecture and goes off the second the clock hits the half-hour. The consistent high attendance rate of the class is the truest testament to his lecture quality. Passion is off the charts. Makes me want to leave the woman in stem lifestyle behind and change majors.
I love Tod! He is an engaging professor who clearly loves his subject and his students. He is a fast speaker and doesn't post the lecture slides, so prepare to be typing the entire lecture. Strong writing skills are a must, as the midterm and final exams are both in essay format.
Dr. Alway is great! Be prepared to absorb everything, and write everything he says in lecture because that is what you are going to be evaluated on, and slides are not available on A2L. Quizzes were straight forward, however, the tutorial group projects were not my cup of tea, and I believe were not properly graded. Overall, a very engaging course!
Dr. Alway explained concepts clearly in the A2L lectures and made the content material interesting. Gave clear instructions for midterm and final exam, and told you what concepts were important for each of the tests. Great prof.
Dr. Alway is an amazing professor, he makes the material seem interesting and easy to digest. He is heavy on lectures therefore lots of attention is required. The course itself is not hard, however be prepared to write a decent essay in 2 hours
Dr. Alway is very passionate about what he teaches which makes his lectures engaging and interesting (no matter how boring the subject matter is). The course is however essay heavy. The midterm is an essay and the final exam is three take home essays. Group work also makes up a significant portion of your grade. TAs are known to be hard markers.
Dr. Alway is the single best educator I have encountered in my life. I was taken aback by his level of passion in the material he teaches, as well as the energy and excitement that he presents these topics with during lectures.
Seems like a good guy overall, however, very strict on extensions and not great at replying to emails unless you follow up. Online class is all based on group projects- they decide your entire grade, which I didn't love. Not the most accommodating even with SAS and gave no feedback whatsoever on anything. Module-lectures were entertaining.
Best prof at Mac hands down!!! He keeps you engaged and excited. This course was harder than most because the concepts are new and you need to think like a political scientist to do real research. If you do the work (It's university, DO YOUR WORK), you learn so much and can use that knowledge in all of your other courses.
i honestly felt scammed by all the positive reviews tbh! he's a very passionate lecturer but goes INSANELY fast and doesn't post anything online which is an absurd combo ... idk like he seems like a cool guy but i would never take one of his classes again. never responds to emails, TAs mark crazy hard, just do not take this for an easy A
This is a very lecture heavy course so make sure you have someone to share notes with in case you miss a class - lectures are not recorded. Alway is an amazing professor who makes attending a class with very intricate content to become entertaining, informative, and interesting! I had a bad experience in tutorials, having to present all by myself.
This is my 4th class with Alway and he has to be my favourite prof in the department. I was worried about taking stats and yet found it easy to understand the material because of him. He never disappoints and explains everything SO well. Some of his email responses don't make sense sometimes but that's only a minor thing.
3NN3 with Alway is interesting but TOUGH! Don't sleep on how difficult and cumulative the final exam is. But most importantly, focus on doing well on the tutorial assignments! Alway's lectures are impeccable as usual of his standards in where his material is presented in an engaging and memorable manner. The GOAT!
Dr. Alway is a passionate lecturer, but the class moves quickly, and there's no online materials. Group projects make up a big portion of the grade. unstuckstudy was a lifesaver for preparing for the exams!
The best prof at Mac. I purposely go out of my way to take as many classes as possible from him. Best prof at Mac easily, couldn't say enough great things about him
His deadlines are one of the worst I have ever seen in a prof. His weekly quizzes are the absolute worst when you're already stressed!
Pretty easy class, with weekly quizzes based on the lectures, a couple of papers to write, and a take-home midterm/exam. Lectures are not recorded but the professor is engaging so it makes up for it. Compared to its counterpart 1AB3, this is the easier class and a great choice if you want to see if you're interested in political science.
One of the best profs. He is very passionate about what he teaches, and is funny while doing so.
Genuinely one of the greatest professors i've encountered thus far. He's funny and his lectures are incredibly engaging while also being very digestible. Course content is easy to understand, as are the assigned readings. Alway is really nice and likes to chat with students before lectures. Super interesting guy who really cares about the course!
he is so pookie
amazing prof. so nice and you can tell he genuinely cares about students.
he is not the nicest i wouldn't take it his course unless mandatory
2NN3 is a combination of 1AA3 and 1AB3. Group projects with a large paper. Lectures were online. Grading is all dependant on the TA, but this semester overall, TAs marked hard. Exam was light work.
Awesome prof! Lectures were engaging even at 8:30 in the morning and I found the content easier to understand after attending a lecture (I learned this the hard way after skipping a couple of times). My TA did tell me that he advised them to not give grades above 90% for this course but I was able to finish with an A+.
He is really energetic, even at 8:30 am
Really great guy! Beware of group work and the TA's marking it (got screwed over and was definitely not assessed on an individual basis). Overall, good class and nice introduction to the university academic experience
I loved his lectures so much, he was super engaging and the material was interesting. I loved the structure of the course and the take-home exams made things more manageable. The group projects were worth 30% of your grade and you were stuck with them for the entire semester. This can tank your grade because you're not truly marked individually. :/
8:30am on the dot he greets you with a booming HELLO lol he was funny and engaging tho. For the class itself your TA matters more as they mark the group projects, half your midterm, and entire final (could change). I did perfect on the MC quizzes and midterm but it all comes down to your writing on those group tut papers and final exam (2 essays).
professor was amazing! but this entire class depends on your TA, and your group members. a LOT of group work throughout the semester and your TA is marking everything.
The lecture content and quizzes were online, but he also held a 1 hour lecture talking over the week's material. Very helpful and respectful, and helped me when I didn't know the math behind it all. Willing to help, talk through things, and give strategies to succeed. Wants his students to succeed, and gives clear lectures throughout the week
Best prof I have had at my 3 years at McMaster. He's funny and goes out of his way to help you if you request help. His classes are very accessible due to them being online and he makes difficult material very easy to understand. Somehow he made me learn statistics (I didn't even know I could learn statistics and math). Wish he taught more classes
I cannot say enough how bad this course is run. All online lectures with only 1 comprehensive example per. Tutorials were only relevant to assignment No rubrics were given for said assignment
SO BAD. No rubrics were given for assignments worth 50%. Run so poorly, if lectures were inperson only I feel average would be better.
He's great! He has a relatively harder marking scheme than others in the social science department. You can definitely do well if you dedicate yourself and go to office hours with your TA, and his lectures are so much fun and genuinely interesting- you will like poli sci after attending his lectures.
Professor Alway is one of the best professors at Mac, students enrolled in Polisci see a lot of him but he is strapped down and ready to help each of them succeed. He knows how daunting taking math is after not doing it for years and was very supportive in doing what ever was needed to help students achieve good mark in his class.
amazing, engaging lectures and is clearly very passionate about what he's teaching, which is extremely important in a professor.
The best professor, I had him 4 semesters in a row: 1AA3, 1AB3, 2NN3, 3NN3. You can recall the content so easily and succeed because he just makes it that interesting that it sticks. He has office hours and explains anything you don't understand or how to improve on future assignments. Easy to succeed in all his classes without doing readings.
AMAZING PROF great class
Long essay but amazing prof
PROFESSOR TODD ALWAY I MISS YOU DEEPLY. WISH I COULD SEE YOU EVERY SINGLE SEMESTER FOR THE REST OF MY ACADEMIC CAREER. I LOVE DIET COKE ONLY BECAUSE IT REMINDS ME OF YOU.
best guy around
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
53%
Textbook Required
25%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.34 avg changeRatings by Course
PSCI1G06
5.0
(1)POL4J06
5.0
(1)POLSCSECT
5.0
(1)POLSI4M6
5.0
(1)POSCI4M06
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
POL4MM6
5.0
POLSC1GO6
5.0
POLISCI1G06E
5.0
POL1G06
4.4
POLSCSECT
4.0