Roger W. Murphy

Roger W. Murphy

GOVT,POLI,PS

Add your Evaluation

Averages:

Overall Rating

Grade Received

Course Difficulty

Difficult

Quantity of Notes

Overkill

Tag Summary:

True/False: 1

Fill in the Blank: 1

Essays: 40

Mandatory Final: 32

Cumulative Final: 2

Textbook Required: 26

Extra Credit: 5

Attendance Required: 7

40 Total Evaluations

PS-250 : International Relations - Posted 12/1/2017

Overall Rating:

Poor

Grade:

Not Specified

Quantity of Notes:

Moderate

Difficulty:

Moderate

Comments

AVOID!!!

PS-250 : International Relations - Posted 11/24/2017

Overall Rating:

Poor

Grade:

Quantity of Notes:

Not Specified

Difficulty:

Difficult

Comments

Murphy's not approachable, gives no feedback, doesn't show up for office hours, and is dating a former student. Avoid!

POLI-250 : Intro To World Politics - Posted 12/4/2013

Overall Rating:

Good

Grade:

Not Specified

Quantity of Notes:

Moderate

Difficulty:

Moderate

Comments

Great teacher! Funny & speak's in a british accent. There are power points but he doesn't just read off of them. He also lectures a lot. Interesting class, easy, and enjoyable.

POLI-457 : War And Peace In International Relations - Posted 5/15/2011

Overall Rating:

Good

Grade:

Quantity of Notes:

Moderate

Difficulty:

Difficult

Comments

Let's be honest, this was a tough as balls course. Not because of the information or anything, because Murphy does a really good job of explaining it. Rather, he has to be the toughest grader in the department! No one in the class ever got above a 93 on things, and when there are only 4 grades this can be rough. But Murphy is one of those mythical teachers that most students only hear about; he will totally bump your grade for attendance and participation. I went to every class and talked when I could, and when it came time to final grades I went from an 85% to an A! Any class taught by him is a good one, and I highly recommend taking him for every class that you can.

PS-260 : Intro To Comparative Politics - Posted 12/22/2010

Overall Rating:

Good

Grade:

Quantity of Notes:

Moderate

Difficulty:

Moderate

Comments

Points throughout course-150

Final was worth-100 points

Murphy is a great teacher and really knows his stuff, but watch out! Tests are worth 45 points, and your 6 page paper is only worth 20. You have to study and make sure you know terms, because he tests with an essay question and 5 I.Ds. Definitely take him.

PS-260 : Intro To Comparative Politics - Posted 12/19/2009

Overall Rating:

Good

Grade:

Quantity of Notes:

Overkill

Difficulty:

Difficult

Comments

He is very laid back but he does grade hard on the tests. All of the lectures are put on blackboard, and most people don't come to class. The book is pretty repetitive of the class lectures, but it does go more in depth and I used it more for studying then my notes. He is good teacher, there is just a ton of material to cover. And there's weekly quizzes off the Economist magazine, which are fairly easy. I recommend him!

PS-260 : Intro Comparative Politic - Posted 5/12/2009

Overall Rating:

Good

Grade:

Quantity of Notes:

Overkill

Difficulty:

Moderate

Comments

Murphy is interesting teacher, he knows what he is talking about. He is British, from Liverpool, England. If you are major in Political Science, I suggest you to take his class. You still got to read lots but you'll get pay back as getting A.

PS-250 : International Politics - Posted 12/5/2007

Overall Rating:

Good

Grade:

Not Specified

Quantity of Notes:

Overkill

Difficulty:

Moderate

Comments

Murphy gives interesting lectures and is passionate about political science. He enjoys student discussion and is approachable. Even though the textbook is required, it is not necessary unless you are having difficulty understanding the concepts in class. The most important information is in the notes.Be sure to record any examples he gives you of the concepts he discusses because you will need to cite them in order to do well on the exams.You will learn in his class.

PS-250 : International Politics - Posted 5/11/2007

Overall Rating:

Good

Grade:

Quantity of Notes:

Overkill

Difficulty:

Moderate

Comments

Dr. Roger Murphy...what can you say? He is extremely well-versed in international politics and is practically a walking history book. Literally, the man knows every single political event that has happened since the start of human existence. He's from Britain so his accent is fun to listen to. He does lecture for his full 55 minutes though and so the notes are pretty substantial. There's no attendance policy but if you don't show up good luck getting a good grade. The textbook isn't necessary if you come to class because if I usually only used the book if I needed a definition or something. You have to write one 5-page paper and post to these weekly discussion forums on Blackboard. The tests consist of one essay and usually six short answer, but the final is two essays and five short answers. If you go to class, pay attention and take good notes then it isn't that difficult. But you do have to work to get a good grade in this class. He's a fun and very funny guy though so I would recommend taking him!

PS-250 : - Posted 4/19/2007

Overall Rating:

Grade:

Quantity of Notes:

Moderate

Difficulty:

Moderate

Comments

It was an okay class, but like someone else said unless you are already knowledgeable about international politics you may get lost, because he always makes reference to international historical events while lecturing. Its kind of hard to stay awake. And while attendance is not required, its VERY important to take notes, because some of the things found in the study guide may not be easily found in the book.

PS-260 : Intro To Comaprative Politics - Posted 4/8/2007

Overall Rating:

Poor

Grade:

Quantity of Notes:

Overkill

Difficulty:

Difficult

Comments

Roger Murphy grades unnecessarily hard. He gives an absurd amount of notes and only tests you on about 10% of them; you will spend a lot of time trying to study the pages upon pages of notes and by the time you take the test, everything will have blended together and your mind will go blank. Even if your mind doesn't go blank, he doesn't give you enough time to fully answer the questions. I have him for a night class and he always lectures for the entire 2 hours and 45 minutes. Also, on test days, he lectures BEFORE the test for an hour and only gives you an hour to write instead of the rest of the period (teachers are technically not allowed to do this). It takes him two weeks to give back exams and his e mails are very brief like you are irritating him by writing him. His study guides are ridiculous and pretty much useless. Seriously, I don't know why anybody would like this guy.

PS-361 : Politics Of Western Europe - Posted 12/20/2006

Overall Rating:

Grade:

Quantity of Notes:

Overkill

Difficulty:

Difficult

Comments

I'd like to say that this course is interesting and stimulating, but Dr. Murphy's lectures provide you with nothing more than a sore hand and 50 pages of notes per exam. Be sure to make it to this class on time, as he seems to start class exactly on time, if not a few minutes early. And don't hope to get out early, because you won't, and you'll often find that class will go for an extra five minutes so he can finish his lectures. Dr. Murphy is nice and very intelligent, but his class is complete information overload, so start studying early for your essay tests. You'll get no study guide and no hints of what to study, so your best bet is to know everything, which is impossible. The research paper is graded fairly easy, and you get to pick any topic, but make sure you stay ahead on the discussion boards. Dr. Murphy is always open to questions, so feel free to ask them. Overall, this class is challenging, but you will learn a lot.

PS- : Any - Posted 5/10/2005

Overall Rating:

Good

Grade:

Quantity of Notes:

Overkill

Difficulty:

Moderate

Comments

Dr. Murphy is very knowledgeable about the subject and is undoubtedly an asset to Western. If you want to do well in his class, you have to go to class and take as many notes as possible. Most of the questions on the exam come directly from the lecture. If you don't go to class regularly, you will definitely do poorly in his course.

PS-3898 : Amer Ntl Govt - Posted 4/22/2005

Overall Rating:

Grade:

Quantity of Notes:

Overkill

Difficulty:

Moderate

This is a very good class to take. Murphy is a great teacher, and he knows his stuff. He'll keep you entertained with his unique sense of humor. The tests are formatted just like they are in his other classes... picking 4 or so questions from a list of 6 or so. They aren't hard at all, and if you have to miss for some reason, he follows the book pretty well. Thus, you can answer the questions without his notes.

PS-250 : International Politics - Posted 12/30/2004

Overall Rating:

Grade:

Quantity of Notes:

Overkill

Difficulty:

Difficult

Comments

This class is interesting and Dr. Murphy was fun but avoid it as a night class!

The tests are hard and all essays

PS-457 : War And Peace In International Relations - Posted 12/9/2004

Overall Rating:

Good

Grade:

Quantity of Notes:

Moderate

Difficulty:

Difficult

Comments

Take anything by Murphy. He's a good professor. This class is pretty hard; he gives a lot of notes, and you have a book review, presentation, major paper, and three tests to put under your belt. However, it is a 400-level class. So, it shouldn't be cake anyway. All said, I learned a lot and I'd recommend it to anyone, especially internationally-minded PS majors.

PS-260 : Comparative Politics - Posted 12/9/2004

Overall Rating:

Good

Grade:

Quantity of Notes:

Moderate

Difficulty:

Moderate

Comments

Any class taught by Murph is a good one. Take it!

PS-250 : International Politics - Posted 12/9/2004

Overall Rating:

Good

Grade:

Quantity of Notes:

Moderate

Difficulty:

Moderate

Comments

Any class taught by Murph is a good one. Take it!

PS-250 : International Political Science - Posted 10/24/2004

Overall Rating:

Good

Grade:

Quantity of Notes:

Overkill

Difficulty:

Easy

Comments

this class was fun. do you ever watch the history channel and it always seems to be a british guy doing the voice over, well imagine a class of that. The class was a night course for me, and ive done pretty well on all the tests. pretty much, if you show up and take notes and study your notes you'll get an A.

GOVT- : Ir - Posted 5/12/2004

Overall Rating:

Good

Grade:

Quantity of Notes:

Moderate

Difficulty:

Moderate

Comments

Roger Murphy is the best Political Science teacher Western has. He knows the information, and can effectivally teach it. He's almost impossible to get an A in, but he's a good teacher none the less.

PS-260 : Comparative Politics - Posted 5/8/2004

Overall Rating:

Poor

Grade:

Quantity of Notes:

Overkill

Difficulty:

Difficult

Comments

One of the worst classes I've taken at WKU. Dr. Murphy is a cocky, unhelpful prof. He gives assignments with no help and when you ask him he just blows you off. It's also WAY TOO many notes. You don't even compare government systems, you just go through the history of all these countries. Luckily, I had had Dr. Murphy before so I knew his style. Don't go to class- just copy someone else's notes.

PS-260 : Comparative Politics - Posted 5/4/2004

Overall Rating:

Good

Grade:

Quantity of Notes:

Moderate

Difficulty:

Moderate

Comments

This is an interesting course and Dr. Murphy is a really knowledgeable, charasmatic professor. The material can get a tad overwhelming, as there are many countries that you will cover for each test. Dr. Murphy got behind in our class, so our second one was a killer- too much information for just one test. I've heard that getting behind is a pretty recurring characteristic of this class, so be prepared.

Basically the class consists of learning the history, structure, proceedings, and other odds-and-ends about several governments in the world. Your grade is based on: 3 tests (1 of which is a non-cumulative final) and 2 papers (1 comparing 2 governments, 1 on a magazine article) It's pretty straightforward... its not hard, just mass amounts of material. Be ready to cram before a test, but other than that, it's a pretty laid-back class with a laid-back, funny professor.

PS-260 : Comparative Politics - Posted 12/18/2003

Overall Rating:

Good

Grade:

Quantity of Notes:

Moderate

Difficulty:

Difficult

Comments

Dr.Murphy is the most awesome professor. He is one of the most knowledge professors I have had. He is highly entertaining. Is one of those rare professors who know their subject and how to teach it to others. His test are all essay/identifications, with a choice of questions to answer.

You must include every detail to receive an A in this class. There are also several papers to write. Again, every detail or you can expect a B or lower. The textbook was basically filler for his lectures. You could probably get by without buying it. You must stay up on current events.

GOVT- : Honors American Nat'l Gov't - Posted 12/16/2003

Overall Rating:

Grade:

Quantity of Notes:

Overkill

Difficulty:

Difficult

Comments

Dr. Murphy is a highly intelligent man and can lose you very easily with his lecture notes. Sometimes he will verbally give you the notes, sometimes they come from powerpoint, but either way, there are way too many. The class would not be so bad if he didn't grade so hard. He grades extremely hard, and it doesn't help that all the questions are essay, so your answer has to be similar to what he would put, and he's very smart. He's a nice guy, and has a great British accent, not a bad class, but it is tough.

PS-110 : American Nat'l Govt - Posted 12/16/2003

Overall Rating:

Good

Grade:

Quantity of Notes:

Moderate

Difficulty:

Moderate

Comments

ROger murphy is awsome. He is the coolest British dude i have ever met. all he does is lecture, but his finals are just essay questions that sometimes are based on opinion. and you can choose what ones you want to answer. allways study the court cases, and do the assignments and you should be good to go. a good class

GOVT-110 : American Government - Posted 12/15/2003

Overall Rating:

Grade:

Quantity of Notes:

Moderate

Difficulty:

Moderate

Comments

This class was one that I enjoyed. Murphy is an English man in his 40s who loves to joke around and make class interesting. There are only 2 papers due throughout the semester. His tests were all essay and I can't remember if the final was mandatory or if it was cumulative but I know that it was essay. He holds a review before each exam wich are VERY helpful to attend. I can't remember if attendence is required or not but I reccomend that you attend.

GOVT-260 : Comp. Pol. - Posted 11/3/2003

Overall Rating:

Good

Grade:

Quantity of Notes:

Overkill

Difficulty:

Not Specified

Comments

What a great guy... very funny, very intelligent, and a great chummy British accent to boot. He grades tough, but he gives you enough notes to win at who wants to be a millionaire, so if you STUDY, you'll be OK. Highly reccomended... the best at western...

GOVT-250 : International Relations - Posted 10/21/2003

Overall Rating:

Grade:

Quantity of Notes:

Moderate

Difficulty:

Moderate

Comments

Mr Murphy was great.... very funny. His commentary along with the materials made the class enjoyable.

GOVT-250 : International Relations - Posted 6/13/2003

Overall Rating:

Good

Grade:

Quantity of Notes:

Not Specified

Difficulty:

Not Specified

Comments

Murphy is the finest professor at WKU. In addition to knowing his subject matter extraordinarily well, he is actively helpful outside of class. His lectures are entertaining and informative. You should attend as often as possible, because missing notes will hurt you on the test. Murph is the coolest. Take him

GOVT-250 : International Politics - Posted 5/13/2003

Overall Rating:

Grade:

Quantity of Notes:

Moderate

Difficulty:

Moderate

Dr. Murphy's government class was actually entertaining. I'm not a history or government person, I was doing this as a required class for my major, and I learned a lot. He follows the book pretty closely, but if you don't attend class, you won't know what parts you need to know and what parts you don't. He doesn't give quizzes, attendance isn't mandatory, and all you do in class is take notes. There are three tests (including a final) which consist of two essays (choice out of 5) and 5 short answer questions (out of about 10). Then there are 2 assignments that are 10% of your grade each. I recommend his class.

GOVT-250 : IR - Posted 12/11/2001

Overall Rating:

Good

Grade:

Not Specified

Quantity of Notes:

Moderate

Difficulty:

Not Specified

Comments

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