Michael Goodhart - University of Pittsburgh,Pittsburgh, PA

Professor: Michael Goodhart

Department: Political Science

College: University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: PS0600
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He is so nice and gives awesome life advice that has to do with the philosophers. He cares a lot about the material which makes students actually want to attend lecture. Lectures could be a little confusing, but the TAs clarified in recitation. The part I didn't like was that students participated a lot in a 150+ person lecture, which was annoying.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: PS0600
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Michael is a really awesome guy and makes himself incredibly available to his students. The readings are entirely necessary for the class. Lectures are absolutely, 100% mandatory. The slides he posts online are skeletons of the material you need to understand the arguments presented. Would recommend to anyone and am taking him again in the fall.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: PS0600
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

This is a great introduction class for political science. the proffessor understands that its his job to help you make connections and leads you to them, rather than demanding you do it onyour own.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: PS0600
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Goodhart is just a really nice guy. I don't know if you really neeeeed the textbook, but it'll certainly help (you also have to cite pages from it at some points). The class was incredibly interesting and he kept it lighthearted. I liked it so much I took him again for American political thought.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: PS0600
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

One of the best professors at Pitt. Awesome guy in general & a good lecturer. Big class so you don't have to go but it'll be hard to understand anything w/o his clarity in lecture. Always willing to help & talk things out, holds an optional prof recitation. Tough grader, three short papers and final paper; not long. Take him if you get the chance.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: PS0600
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Dr Goodhart is a really awesome professor, my favorite in the Pitt political science department. You MUST go to class and take good notes, the power points he posts don't help much. Mandatory recitations which were useful. Your grade is 3 homework's where you analyze Aristotle, Hobbes, and Mill plus a final paper. Definitely recommend him to all.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: PS0600
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Political Science major so this class was required. Big lecture with mandatory recitations. Lecture not mandatory but highly recommend going and paying attention. Homework was readings before class which you definitely want to do prior to class. TAs grade the homework. 3 assignments and a final paper. Not an easy class at all but still interesting

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: PS2469
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Loved this class! He keeps the class fun and light while going really deep into the material. Loved how the semester was broken down into "Acts". By the end everything came together so nicely. Would take him AGAIN if I wasn't graduating.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: PS600
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He was a very nice guy and helpful outside of class, but he wasn't so great at clarifying difficult subjects (i.e. Kant) for the class. He used confusing examples and the way he conducted the class (entertaining every stupid idea from 60+ people) was annoying. For an intro class, it was more work than usual.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: PS600
• 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:

Definitely one of the most detailed teachers at PITT. Clarifies very difficult topics. Generally concerned about the well being of students and very easy to talk to outside of class. Though attendance is not mandatory there are pop quizes which he uses to take attendance so go to class.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: PS0600
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

One of the best profs i've had at pitt. can be a hard grader on writing but make sure you write clearly and succinctly. truly wants everyone to do well. quizzes can give you an automatic 25 of your 100 total pts so go to class as they are pop quizzes. explains complex stuff very well and relates it to real life. made boring stuff interesting

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: PS0700
• 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:

Nice guy, great lecturer, challenging grader. You can do well in his class if you make the effort, although he asks for a lot of upper-level thinking. Prepare to do a fair amount of writing. It's a good idea to use his office hours.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: PS0600
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Inspiring and challenging teacher on a potentially boring topic. He makes you realize political theory is relevant to absolutely everything and makes you question your assumptions on so many issues. Very helpful if you go to him outside of class but explains complex things very clearly in the first place. One of the best teachers I've ever had.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: POLSI0000
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

he is a man with a big big heart.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: PS0600
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Great prof, really makes you work. If you don't do good work, you'll get a D, but if you tried, you'll never get an F. Very approachable. Fun prof. I learned a lot from his class.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: PS0600
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

one of the hardest intro classes I have taken at Pitt. But WORTH IT. Prof Goodhart is amazing--he challenges you, but you learn a ton in the process. He is a really funny guy and somehow made socrates and plato fun. If you are willing to work a little, take this class. Goodhart is the man.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: PS0600
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Very nice guy. He tries to make lectures interesting and is quite funny sometimes, even though it was a political theory class. Has high standards of students, but he challenges you in a good way and helps if you need it. I highly recommend him.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: PS0600
• 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:

He's a cool guy, discussions in class were interesting, but the subject matter is way less interesting than you'd think it would be. He's also a very tough grader, but he does not fail you if you turn work in. Sometimes the quizzes were tricky. Not a blowoff class, though it's almost presented that way.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: PS1607
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

How do you people like this guy? Ugh... he just goes on and one about things that will never be relevant about anything I will ever encounter in life. Ever. I would avoid this prof like the plague.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: PS600
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

makes you think, makes you work, good speaker, great class. take it if you are interested, don't if you are not.