One of the most rewarding classes i've taken at GWU. Very interesting lectures, highly structured. Exams are tough, but he grades fair. If you come to class and take good notes you'll be fine. Final was one of the hardest exams i've taken at GWU however. However the class is well worth the stress at midterm and exam time.

Interesting professor, no tests or homework, just three papers. Read everything because he will give pop quizzes (very easy ones). Participate in class and go to his office hours regularly. In the papers just give your argument and a counter argument and youll do well. Low stress class, knowledgeable professor and fair grading.

Very knowledgeable professor. Tough class, but he tells you that on the first day so you know what your getting into. Learned a lot.

He is one of the most incredibly brilliant professors I have ever met. The course was challenging but it introduced an entire seminar of students to a discipline they had never even heard about. All students left the class knowing much more than they had previously. You really need to do the readings. He WILL know if you didn't read. Great course.

Took his class over the summer. Great lecturer, very knowledgeable. Tough grader, but you can get an A if you put in the effort.

Tough and kind of intimidating, but good lecturer and kind of funny sometimes.

A tough, no-nonsense professor who is cogent while lecturing and very professional (don't try to be his friend). Definitely take him if you're considering law school and want to see whether you're cut out for it. 2 grades. Midterm (35%) Final (65%). But you will learn a ton and the pressure is worth it. I would go as far as calling it a privilege.

I strongly recommend Lupu for anyone with the mildest interest in international law. My knowledge of the subject was virtually nil prior to class. A mere two months of his lectures and readings have however made me feel competent enough to discuss the subject intelligently. His law school type exams are a fascinating intellectual exercise. Take him

Best class I took at gw

OMG I'm so into him and his self-deprecating sense of humor. Public International Law is definitely the best class I've ever taken in GW. I am a pre-law student majoring in political science and I took his class, learned many things of international law. Getting an A is not easy, you need to review the notes and do the readings

Great class. Professor is a nice guy who's a little awkward and not super interested in getting to know students personally, but he's a fantastic teacher and you'll leave the class with a good understanding of International Law and logical reasoning. Getting an A is possible if you put in the work. Would recommend highly

Pretty much agree with the comments below. Don't take if you're looking for an easy A, and he tells you that on day 1. Take if you want to learn something and willing to work for it.

Lupu is a good, though mildly arrogant professor. Don't skip class, you will not pass. Midterm and final, 35% and 65% respectively. The class is doable if you put in the time for both, I'd recommend at least 1-week preparation for each. Take good notes, and do the article readings if you can (textbook isn't necessary). Unnecessarily stressful exams.

I was scared at first, but Lupu was totally worth it. Pay attention in class and take diligent notes (DON'T USE YOUR LAPTOP) with consistent attendance you should be good. Appreciates students that visit office hours and is clear on how to succeed in class. Don't get intimidated on the first day - if you're up for the challenge you can do well

Professor Lupu is amazing, and his class was incredible. You learn how to think in this class-- it's not about memorization or anything remotely like that. Thinking matters. You have 3 papers, worth 25% each, and then participation counts as 25% as well. I wish I could take this class again. Definitely go to his office hours!

Real nice guy. Can be funny at times. The class is really educative; probably worth the $5000 dollars. HOWEVER, his grading and papers get you. You have to write 5 essays for the midterm that ARE REALLY LONG and kinda hard. Similarly, the final has 4 essays that are cumulative. The midterm is worth 35% and final worth 65%.

Prof. Lupu is amazing. He tries to intimidate you in the beginning, but if you regularly show up to class and understand the readings the class is very manageable. The midterm and final are tough, especially the law school-type hypotheticals, but he really gets you to understand the material. If you're interested in law school, you should take Lupu

Lupu is honestly one of the best professors I've had at GW. His classes are set up like a law school class, so he lectures the whole time but he is funny and engaging and does encourage participation and questions to make sure everyone understands tough material. He is VERY helpful in office hours and a very fair grader. Midterm and final only.

Favorite prof of all time. His class is HARD, and he really makes you work for it. I learned more from him than I have in any other class.

I took Conflict & Commerce the first semester of my freshman year. I was going through a bunch of stuff, which probably made the class seem harder than it was, but Professor Lupu is absolutely incredible, and it's still one of my favorite classes I've taken at GW so far. You will learn SO MUCH. Do the reading. Ask questions. Go to office hours.

This class is amazing. It isn't an easy A but you learn so much. GO TO OFFICE HOURS HE IS SO HELPFUL. take this class

Public International Law was one of the best classes Ive taken at GWU. Dont be afraid at the beginning when he mentions the difficulty of the class, you can do it. Even though the readings are very long, you learn a lot and leave the class having mastered the content. Try to practice the hypotheticals if possible. Midterm and in-class final only.

Professor is a great lecturer--knowledgeable, funny, and engaging. He makes the class hard on purpose and makes that clear--wants students to figure out if they want to go to law school based on the class. Whole grade is based on midterm and final exams that really require you to do the readings, many of which are dry and long.

Great, funny lecturer! This was my favorite class and I recommend it for IA majors even if you aren't necessarily looking towards being a lawyer. Do the readings, it will benefit you for the midterm. Midterm was seriously time-consuming, a nd the hardest exam I've done. Definitely be sure to start early.

Best class I have taken at GW. Highly recommend for all IA students. Do the readings-It makes the midterm and final SO much more manageable! Doing the readings after he lectured about them was more helpful than doing them before. Overall, amazing professor with great lectures. Midterm was very stressful but doable. Dont be scared to take this class

I took his course online in the Fall of 2020. The coursework consisted of participation grades, 2 midterms, and 1 final exam. The midterms were relatively easy if you just do the reading and the lectures. His lectures are very clear and concise. Just hope you get a good TA because your grade will primarily lie on your relationship with them.

Super interesting guy. The class was completely asynchronous so it was just weeks of lectures from him basically but there's lab time to ask questions and every few weeks you get to have small group time with him to talk to him about international affairs in general (super interesting). Only tests are essays and it's open note.

Professor Lupu is super knowledgeable about what he teaches. The lectures aren't too long, and they are very clearly organized and easy to follow. The course is based entirely off of the textbook so as long as you keep up with the readings and watch the lectures you'll be in great shape. Great introduction into international affairs and politics!

Professor Lupu's prerecorded lectures were always extremely organized and concise, and pretty much covered entire chapters of the textbook in 25-40 minute lectures.

Took this over the summer, and it was pretty easy. Probably easier than the regular version. Good prof, and no stress course.

Easy summer online class.

Gives amazing lectures and the only real work you'll have to do in his Intro to International class is two short essay midterms and a final. Discussion sections are mandatory attendance though

Prof. Lupu is a terrific lecturer. The best I've had in any subject so far; he makes the lectures fun and engaging. The reading isn't too bad, but it's really really hard to get an A in this class. An A- isn't too difficult, but since nearly your entire grade is on short 2 page essays, it's difficult to consistently get 95s.

Great guy. His lectures are really entertaining. He makes the material very engaging. The reading is about 35-40 pages a week, but it's not too bad. His midterms are pretty easy. Each is just two prompts, two pages each, and it's pretty straightforward. Definitely recommend this class to anyone interested in international politics.

Professor Lupu is overall a great professor and I found his lecturing style very engaging. Some quick notes: discussion is basically mandatory, and there are three tests in the class. Two midterms that comprise of 2, 2 page essays and a final with 3 2 pages essays. I recommend scanning the textbook, but didnt find it mandatory. Overall 5/5

If you need to get the class out of the way he's the one to do it with! Lectures are so straightforward you don't even have to read the book. The only grades are 2 midterms and a final along with the discussion. They are take-home and only 2 pgs dub space or each prompt. He is really nice and the class was enjoyable, oh and recorded!

Even though Prof. Lupu covers the most important parts of the textbook in class, you should still read the textbook in order to learn more about the nuances of each issue/argument/perspective, which could help make your essays better.

His lectures are great, you dont have to read the textbook but skimming it will help for midterms and final. Lectures are interesting and mostly captivating and pretty engaging.

Prof. Lupu was an overall very good lecturer. Even though his classes just consist of reading the assigned chapters and listening to them get unpacked during lectures, he does so in a very insightful manner that really does help you understand the topics better. He's a jokester and incorporates his sense of humor into his teaching. Very good class!

International politics was a very easy class. You have two midterms and a final. Each midterm is two prompts at two pages a piece and the final is three prompts at 2 pages a piece. Not a difficult class if you take the notes and ask questions. The discussion section is mandatory and is based on attendance and participation. He is quite funny also!

Lupu is amazing! His lectures are so interesting and hes really engaging. The class is only graded on participation/attendance at discussion, 2 midterms, and one final. The tests are essays that are analysis heavy but he gives a week for you to write them

Lupu was a great prof, but I have to also give credit my TA, who was amazing. As for Lupu, his lectures were great. Very enthusiastic, informative, and engaging. I never spoke to Lupu once this semester, but he was my best professor in terms of lecturing in class. I recommend reading the chapters, it makes lecture much more understandable.

This was my first PSC class and it was a solid choice. Professor Lupu just lectures the whole course and you take notes. I personally did not read the textbook all the time although I believe it is very helpful to do so. 2 midterms, 1 final which are essays and he gives a week to do. Discussions are graded and helpful. I would recommend!!!

Professor Lupu was one of my favorite professors this semester! He gave great lectures and I loved that he posts his lectures online, really saves me when Im feeling lazy. Youre graded on essays in the class that when it came to my TA, the approach was just to throw the entire kitchen sink of lecture notes to answer the prompts.

Prof Lupu's class is really great, his lectures are really engaging and interesting, and he seems to be a really chill guy. The class is graded on three papers, about 4-6 pages each, but in my opinion, they were pretty easy because you had a lot of time to do them and could use notes. I'd definitely recommend this class

I really liked how straight forward professor Lupu's class was: 2 midterms, a final, and a discussion grade. If you made use of lecture notes and the textbook, you are able to get a good grade. The one thing I did not find fair was the fact that a 94.5% is an A-. Other than that this class is great!

Concise, interesting, and sometimes funny lectures which generally cover textbook with many examples. Recommend skimming textbook for depth. Three papers for the course are graded by TA's and are hard to get an A on for most people due to page constraints and tough questions (especially for the final). Once per week discussion which is mandatory.

Lupu was great! Lecture was always entertaining and info packed due to the fifty minute class time. Graded by two midterms, a final, and participation and attendance in discussion. As long as you attend lecture and take notes, while also staying up to date on textbook work itll be fine. Grading is a bit tough, it depends on the TA. Good choice.

Lupu is great. He knows his stuff and lectures are really good. He doesnt use powerpoints so you are forced to pay attention. If you take good notes then the essays (which are take home) are pretty easy. Lectures are recorded if you cant make it to class. The class grade is mostly based on the midterms and final

AMAZING LECTURES, best lecturer i've had @ GW. Class is graded by two midterms and a final. Prompts are taken straight from the textbook, and if you pay attention in class they're pretty easy to do well on. You're also graded based on participation in discussion once per week. Overall excellent Professor and class, would recommend to anyone.

Lectures were super interesting and fun to attend. He's funny and helpful. Two midterms and a final, all two-page essays; fairly tough grader, though, the prompts aren't too difficult. Read the chapters each week, attend the lecture and participate in the discussion session each week (it's mandatory).

I really loved Professor Lupu's lectures, they were super entertaining and he made the content interesting! The discussion section was easy to get a good participation grade in, however I did struggle with the 2 essay exams and the final. I found them challenging but I think that shows more about my skill as a poly sci student

Good professor but terrible class for undergraduates. His lectures are interesting and knowledgable and try to make things as easy as possible for you to understand. but the course is so hard for a student who's not in law school. Take this class in your last semester or it will destroy your GPA.

GET READY TO READ. Professor Lupu is the most knowledgable professor I have met at GW. That being said his class is hard. Very hard. His class is so interesting, but honestly you can't afford to miss a word he says in class in preparation for his final and midterm, which are the only two things the class is graded on.

This is quite literally the hardest class at GW for Pre-law student. It is extremely difficult and nuanced topics; HOWEVER, Professor Lupu is extremely accessible, and explains things very well.

2 online exams only. Do all readings! This is a hard class and though it is take home you need to do the readings before the exam and the exam will take you the full week to do to do well. Lots of critical thinking! Great teacher, highly recommend if thinking about law! Otherwise take someone else for this class :)

Lupu is one of the best professors I've had at GW. The class is only determined from your midterm and final and it's a lot of work and reading, but his lectures and very engaging despite being long and without slides. Also accessible and helpful during office hours.

How to do well: 1.DON'T miss a single class or a single reading. Take comprehensive notes on both. 2. Go to office hours, and ask as many questions as you can on potential midterm prompts. In class he subtly acknowledges that "this topic in particular is important", and you can (kind of) gauge the type of question he'll ask on the exam.

TAs grade everything. Really interesting

Challenging class, but I learned a lot. Lectures were great.

Took this over the summer, and it was not hard at all. Probably easier than during spring or fall.

I was very nervous when I saw that we are only graded by 2 midterms and a final, but your attendance at your discussion group will help level out your grade. His papers are very direct and if your take good notes your good. His lectures are super interesting and he seems very passionate about what he teaches. Planning on taking more of his classes!

Took him for Con Law II. One of GW's best and an excellent resource for aspiring lawyers. Grade consists entirely of 1 Midterm & 1 Final Exam, both one week take-homes (as of Fall 2022). Tough grader; feedback on assignments could be more detailed. Go to Office Hours, participate in class, and work hard on Exams, you'll be fine.

A+ Professor. Definitely difficult but if you put in the work you can get a good grade. Definitely know yourself and be prepared at all times

Lupu lets students know at the beginning of the semester that he teaches this class like a law school class, and has high expectations. The class is very difficult, but he cares a lot about student success and is more than willing to meet and talk. I got a D when I really should have failed because of how helpful and understanding he was!

Lupu was a great professor! He doesn't use slides so make sure you attend on the lectures, he covers the readings in lecture. The midterm is 35% of the final grade and the final is worth 65%. Both are open note and you have a week to do the midterm. Overall if study and get clarification on concepts you don't understand you should do fine.

Lupu is a wonderful professor for Constitutional Law II. He knows the content inside and out and goes at a really nice pace through relevant cases. 35% midterm, 65% final but both graded very fairly. He is absolutely hilarious and makes lectures actively fun. He does a good job of presenting both sides of cases and forces you to think hard. Take!

Lupu is very clear and direct with his lectures, making them easy to understand. Your grade is determined by discussion attendance and three papers. Each TA grades differently, some harder than others, so grades can fluctuate by a large margin. Make sure to talk to your TA before to really get to know what is important and what's not on the midterm

Best lecturer at GW.

Lupu really knows his stuff and is able to explain the subject matter really well and make it interesting.

Lupu can seem intense, but he's a great lecturer. He doesn't use slides, he just talks, but he goes slowly and u can always ask him to repeat himself. Very knowledgeable guy. Ur graded on 2 written midterms and a written final, that you get a week to complete. An A in his class in a 95 so it can be a little hard, but kinda worth it.

Easy class with minimum to reasonable effort. Go to and transcribe ALL the lectures. Write your own fact patterns, apply the law, and discuss with Professor Lupu ahead of time. Be careful and precise with your use of language. Everyone should get an A. Professor Lupu is fairly knowledgeable about Constitutional Law while not expert on domestic law

Professor Lupu was amazing. His lectures were funny and engaging, and he made challenging legal concepts easy to understand and conceptualize. The class material itself is dense and you are only graded on a midterm and final. If you work hard, go to every class, and take thorough notes you should do well. I highly recommend this class.

35% Take-home midterm, 65% In-class final. Lupu is brilliant and funny. His lectures are very engaging and packed with information. However, this is Constitutional Law; it's not supposed to be easy. It is certainly a challenge, but it is very rewarding, especially if you are considering going to law school. His intro to IR class is a lot easier.

Took this over the summer. I heard the regular version is hard, but the summer online class wasn't.

Definitely go to the lectures which are super helpful! Prof. Lulu doesn't use slides and just talks aloud but is willing to repeat things for students. No in-class assignments, there's just three essays which are graded by your TA so grading scale differs. Make sure you really understand all the concepts and you'll get a decent grade! Reccomend !

Professor Lupu's lectures were so funny! He uses a lot of real world examples and stories to explain information which I thought was great. The only grades are 2 midterms and a final, all of which are essay prompts. But you have a week to complete them and the prompts aren't too difficult to answer.

Best class at GW so far

Legit went to lecture twice and passed the class. Super chill guy, but the lecture was awful because it was a 300-person class without the use of slides or a microphone. Discussion TAs were dope but all graded on their own scales. class graded on 3 essays and weekly discussion participation, easy pass.

Your grade is based on midterm--20%, midterm--20%, final--40% (all papers) and then your discussion--20%. It really depends on your TA as some were better than others. Read the textbook because that is all of the information for the class. It is a really easy textbook to understand and get through quickly. Would highly recommend Lupu for this class

Lupu is a stellar lecturer; this is not on him. But the grading criteria are vague, solely measured by "how well you demonstrate an understanding of the material." Even if you address every part of the prompt, you still get marked down, and TAs give feedback that was never included in the assignment's expectations. A rubric is needed.

Graded on Discussion Attendance/Participation, 2 Four Page Midterms, 1 Six Page Final. Lectures were incredibly illuminating, very interesting. Prof talks slow enough to make the lack of slides okay. TA Mattei was awesome, very clearly distilled the important points from the reading and lecture. Talking in discussion required for 100% attendance.

Professor Lupu is knowledgeable in the field of international politics. Overall, this is a solid class, though the finals and two midterms were very difficult. Everything is graded by the TAs, though some of the TAs were very tough graders. Overall, I learned a lot from this class and appreciated the challenge, which was definitely worth it.

Best class my freshman year

Great course. Professor Lupu is tough but he is knowledge and is a great lecturer. However, the course is difficult, as it is graded on participation in discussion, and the two midterm exams, and the final, which are all essays. He is tough, but is worth taking, especially for PoliSci students where the course is a requirement.

He was fine but it's a big lecture and some abstract concepts.

Great class! I learned a lot and Lupu was knowledgable and enthusiastic. The class is graded on a take-home midterm and an in class final. Both are a few essay questions and open note. They aren't easy, but aren't impossible if you pay attention in class and follow his instructions on how to answer. The class isn't as scary as it seems at first!

Not providing slides for lectures will annoy some people, but I found the lectures engaging and insightful. Class is remarkably theory-based which can make the (short) take-home exams hard. You will actually learn a lot from the lectures if you take notes. Remember to do the textbook readings each week since that's what he bases the classes on.

Lupu's lectures are surprisingly engaging, but grading can be inconsistent. Textbook is a must-read, and communication with the TA is key to doing well. Unstuck ai was a game-changer for my exam prep.

Summer online course. Easy A.

Prof. Lupu is a phenomenal lecturer, and I say that as someone that typically has trouble paying attention to lectures. Be sure to take good notes, and you will be prepared for your graded assignments (2 take home midterms, and a take home final, each consisting of 2 2-page responses). Beyond that, go to your discussions, and you'll be successful.

Three exams: 2 midterms, 1 final. All are essay questions. Super straight forward class & great TAs.

Professor was great but TA horrible. Graded on 2 midterms, 1 final (all essays) and discussions. If you have a good TA you'll be fine.

Lupu is a great lecturer and always makes it clear to understand what he talks about. He doesn't use slides so GO TO THE LECTURE or have someone record it for you. Grading really comes down to TAs but be prepared for a LOT of reading-- everyone falls behind because it is so long and tedious. Keep up with the content & you'll be good for the exams.

I love Lupu. He's genuinely the most engaging lecturer I've had at GW. Since the class meets once a week for two hours, make the most of it. Take detailed notes and do not miss a word. His lectures are the most valuable part of the course and in them he covers the key readings and provides vital insight. Over all very manageable, but not easy.

Very important: Your grade will be determined by your TA, not the professor (unless he is your TA, in which case congratulations). Lupu is a very engaging lecturer. He makes the content extremely interesting, digestible, and relevant. There's an insane amount of writing but if you're competent you'll get by. Don't skip class, he doesn't use slides.

Professor is nice but it's your TA who determines your grade. He doesn't use slides in the lecture but he also follows the textbook. Graded on 2 midterms, a final, and your discussion section. Good choice to take the class with.

Honestly pretty easy summer online class, would highly recommend to anyone who needs to fill the req. 2 midterms, a final and discussion board. Very unclear feedback but decent grader.

Loved this class and found the lectures super engaging. Professor Lupu makes it easy to understand concepts although there is a lot of reading. Grading difficulty obviously depends more on your TA but the exams are all written and not too bad.

Lupu is a great professor, however his Public Intl. Law class was rough. Bro doesn't use slides/presentations, nor does he really write on the board much. It's all just him speaking lol. You're only graded on the midterm (35% of grade) and the final (65%). He's super funny tho, just take really good notes and go to office hrs.

This is the second class I've taken with Lupu and there's a reason I keep coming back. He is so passionate about the topics he shares. Doesn't use slides and lectures only. There is one take home midterm and one in person final. Please read the non-textbook readings and make an outline with EVERYTHING for the whole semester, it's really helpful!!