Yuri Urbanovich - University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA

Professor: Yuri Urbanovich

Department: Political Science

College: University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: USEM1570
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

I love this professor! Class readings are completely optional. As a professor, he tends to have very long lectures instead of discussions but he obviously very much cares about what he is teaching! You won't get a good grade on the exam but everyone comes out of the course with an A. He is one of those professors who doesn't care about grades.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: USEM1570
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Fascinating man and interesting class. His lectures can get somewhat rambling and dull at points but he really is a fascinating man to listen to, especially near the end of the course when he teaches about the fall of the USSR by telling stories about his time growing up and living there. Lots of outside reading that is kinda dull

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: USEM1580
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

I took The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union. Professor Urbanovich's lectures are fascinating. He has amazing stories about his life in the USSR. Readings can be very long and boring but his lectures make up for it. As long as you participate, you should get an A. Very easy grader. He cares more about how much you learn than grades. Great class!

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: PLCP2600
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

He makes the lectures interesting. Prepare your presentationgroup work EARNESTLY and don't miss class (you can miss one but no more than two). Readings are interesting but sometimes gets overwhelming.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: PLCP3240
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Great Professor, very helpful, and very knowledge, Highly recommended!! He is a great lecturer, very clear, and very passionate about the course.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: PLCO2600
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Fantastic Professor! Book readings aren't always necessary, but definitely do the collab readings. Tests are easy if you study and the final isn't bad either. Urbanovich wants his students to understand and entertains any questions, anytime. He is great!

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: USEM1580
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Great professor. I recommend to anyone interested in russian history.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: PLCP1072
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He is the best professor in UVA. He genuinely wants his students to understand the material. I liked him so much, i took another class with him the next semester. TAKE THIS CLASS! He is so nice! No need to read the material. Go to class, pay attention and def. take notes.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: USEM1580
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

1 midterm, 1 final, and participation grade. Yuri gives a crystal clear image of Soviet history. Exams are fair as it consists of mostly core material that we talked about in class or read in the exam; only a few obscure facts are asked. Most important is still to note every single word Yuri says in class!

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: USEM1580
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Professor Urbanovich is an extremely knowledgeable and caring professor. This class really helped me understand the Soviet and post-Soviet periods of history. Not only that, but I looked forward to the class each week because Prof Urbanovich was funny and engaging. I would definitely take another course from Prof Urbanovich!

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: USEM1580
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Ok, he's a nice guy, but beware: this is not a typical USEM. It is a lecture, not a discussion. If it is a discussion he tends to take over and suddenly we (the class) were wrong about something. He's really opinionated and assigns an unearthly amount of reading. Class was mostly made fun by Facebooking each other about the funny things he says

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: PLIR3770
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Prof. Urbanovich has a wonderful lecturing style, telling stories about Russian politics and the history of foreign policy in the USSR and Russia. He gives quizzes and tests requiring you know dates and have read the chapters assigned. He is a very fair professor.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: PLCP320
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Great professor, easy to understand and takes a real interest in his students.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: USEM180
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

This class is amazing-- even if it is really early in the morning. Urbanovich is a great professor and lectures are very interesting. If you have any interest in the USSR, or just foreign affairs in general, take this class!

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: RUTR247
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

My friends, I would say that Yuri is one of UVA's finest assets. His classes are worth it for the anecdotes alone. Tests are manageable, and if you want to understand what life in the Soviet Union was really like, he's your man.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: PLCP324A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

OMG!!! I can honnestly say that he is the best prof. teaching at UVa right now. I had 0 interest in Soviet/Post-soviet history and politics before taking his class. Mind you it was J-term and we had to be in class for 5 hours a day, yet I looked forward to hearing him talk everyday. He is highly knowledgeable, VERY engaging, caring, kind, funny.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: USEM180
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

A self-motivated class -- students have to do the reading and participate, or they won't get anything out of it. Readings are excellent, lectures are long and sometimes unfocused. Very little class participation most of the time -- "seminar" becomes 2.5-hour lecture.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: USEM180
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

This is a great class to take- just not on Monday mornings for 2 1/2 hours. Lectures can go on, but the material is easy

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: PLCP324
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Urbanovich is the man. I had no clue about Soviet politics/Russian history before taking his class and now feel like I can have an informed conversation about anything to do with Russia. He was a weapons control diplomat before becoming a professor so he has incredible stories and class always fly by. TAKE IT

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: PLCP324
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

This was a jterm class, so inevitably there was a different feel (i.e. stress-wise); however, prof. Urbanovich is very fair, funny and will make 5 hours of class worthwhile. I had no interest in his subject prior to this class, but i am considering the concentration in FA for this region now. Great class, very knowledgeable!!!