Alejandro Yarza - Georgetown University

Professor: Alejandro Yarza

Department: TBD

College: Georgetown University

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: MODERNSPAIN336
• Grade Received: Audit/No Grade
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Prof. Yarza is a great choice for Modern Spain. ("Modern" means 1750-1970). Good lectures that you will understand, basically no day-to-day homework (reading is light and very optional) and you will learn so much about Spanish history and culture. Better in person than online (COVID semester). 2 tests, 1 8 page paper about whatever you want.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: SPAN341
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Absolute must-take. Yarza is ridiculously knowledgeable about 20th century Spanish history, and Hispanic Cinema was one of my favorite classes at Georgetown. He can seem like an arbitrary grader at times, but if you reach out to him to see how you can improve your writing he's more than happy to give you pointers.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: SPAN336
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Steer clear of Modern Spain if you can. Lectures are so dry and boring. Yarza scheduled a final paper due during study days and final exam on top of it. When we complained he moved the paper so that we had a final exam and final paper due on the SAME DAY during finals. He clearly doesn't care about his students. His grades were arbitrary. Avoid.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: SPAN341
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Professor Yarza is the one of the foremost experts on the history of Spanish Cinema and the general history of Spain. Class grades revolve around participation, movie reviews, a take-home final, and a final paper. He has high standards and is a challenging professor, but I learned a lot in the process.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: SPAN336
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Prof. Yarza is super cool. He has amazing views on Spain and its history. His lectures can get a bit tedious because he doesn't wait for student participation (which is common for teachers in Spain), but you learn so much. He grades fairly easy, but his Modern Spain class is all about history; the most recent we got is Franco's death.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: SPAN341
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Favorite teacher at Georgetown. Extremely knowledgeable about the course, and was actually writing a book about the material he was teaching at the time. Absolutely recommend, and not that much work.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: SPAN341
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Fantastic class, phenomenal lecturer. He likely knows every movie ever filmed--in the U.S or Spain--and grades fairly. 10 page final, and a final exam coupled with a series of 1 page analysis of movies. You'll want to take this class.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: SPAN336
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

One of the most knowledgable people I know, incredible. Take him if you want to learn not only about Spain but about what was going on in the world at that time. Legend.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: SPAN341
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Professor Yarza is one of the best professors I've had at Georgetown. His lectures are extremely interesting and the class flies by as a result. Work consists of watching the movies (one every week and a half or so) and writing a 1-2 page response to a question that he provides. 10 page final paper. Fair grader. Awesome class.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: MODERNSPAIN
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Professor Yarza is the bet of the best. I loved his class. I never expected to learn so much. He is helpful and cares about his students.

Rating # 11

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

HE IS THE BEST !!! A MUST TAKE!!

Rating # 12

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

He's a great lecturer and really nice--you learn a ton with minimal work and get the topics of the exams beforehand. the paper's actually enjoyable because it can be on almost anything. I always looked forward to this class. recommend.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: SPAN154
• 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:

GREAT GUY. GREAT PROF.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: SPAN332
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Easiest Spanish class I've ever taken, but I actually learned a lot. Attendance is mandatory, but there's NO homework throughout the year, and the midterm and finals are straightforward. There's a 6-8 page final paper (you can write it on any topic that has to do with Spain), and a 15-minute group Powerpoint presentation about Francoist Spain.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: SPAN333
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Got really hung up on a few things along the way, so we didn't cover the final 3rd of the syllabus. But I did learn a lot about what he did actually cover. Very detailed and interesting analysis of films, although some are snoozers. He's a great lecturer too. Overall a good class.

Rating # 16

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Interesting lectures, though often not entirely clear. Absolutely no work for the majority of the semester, but then we had several things at the end which was slightly annoying. But laid back, nice, a little aloof

Rating # 17

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Great teacher, fair final exam. I learned so much in his class.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: SPAN332
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

One of the best professors at Georgetown- take any of his classes if you can! He's extremely knowledgable and intelligent, and the lectures are interesting. Workload is pretty light, but attending class and taking good notes are a must.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: SPAN333
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

By far, the best course i've taken here yet. The films are incredibly interesting, Yarza is an amazing lecturer, and we've learned a lot with practically zero work. If you're to take only one Spanish class here, take one with Yarza, any one at all.

Rating # 20

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Upper level spanish courses with Yarza are a MUST. This prof is an amazing guy...brilliant, funnily arrogant, and extremely insightful. He is able to make a synthesis of 17th century politics, literature, and art completely logical and coherent.