PUBPOL-255
INTRO TO CYBER POLICY
Not in Fall 2026
Term
Overview
Feedback is mostly positive. The strongest signal is that discussion is a clear strength. Best for students who will actually talk in class instead of sitting silent.
DepartmentPPS
Terms offeredSpring
Typical enrollment40–42
Semesters of data2
4.5
Hrs / week
14
Responses
82
Enrollment
17%
Response Rate
Evaluation Scores
Overall quality
Teaching, content, and experience combined.
4.4
Intellectually stimulating
Challenges students to think deeply.
4.6
Instructor effectiveness
Explains concepts and facilitates learning.
4.9
Difficulty
Higher means harder.
3.6
Feedback Analysis
Feedback Analysismedium
Analysis based on student evaluations
Based on 51 comments across 2 sections
Feedback is mostly positive. The strongest signal is that discussion is a clear strength. Best for students who will actually talk in class instead of sitting silent.
Student Reports
How hard is the A?
A is doable but not automatic
The signal here is more do-the-work-and-you-should-be-fine than easy-A chatter. Students do not describe the A as automatic, but the evidence also does not paint grading as punishing.
Homework Load
Moderate homework load
Homework load looks moderate. The recurring signal is steady weekly work, but not a course that turns every assignment into a grind.
Lecture Load
Lighter lecture burden
Student comments describe this as more discussion-, seminar-, or workshop-driven than lecture-dependent. The lecture burden itself does not sound like the main source of friction.
Strengths
• Discussion is a clear strength; students repeatedly describe the class conversation as engaging and useful.
• Students repeatedly say the course teaches something concrete, whether that is content mastery, research skill, or a strong foundation.
Tradeoffs
• There is no single dominant complaint theme, but the feedback is not uniformly glowing either.
Best fit for
Best for students who will actually talk in class instead of sitting silent.
Watch out for
• A large share of the evidence comes from one instructor's version of the course, so this may not generalize cleanly.
Student Responses
I learned about how public policy works in the U.S. and different aspects of cyber policy, regulations, from hardware to software. I also learned about writing memos.
Spring 2025 · Hoffman, David
I learned about the world of cyber policy, different American governmental organizations, and international legislation. In addition, the presentation component was unique to this class and set me up well for the professional world.
Spring 2025 · Hoffman, David
Tech policy, government tech policies, how to write a memo
Spring 2025 · Hoffman, David
I gained a deep understanding of how policy works and the functions of government authority and action. I also learned about cybersecurity and the various cyber threats and debates that are occurring today. I gained knowledge about current events as well.
Spring 2025 · Hoffman, David
1. I learned how to write in a public policy style; this semester, I learned how to write a memo and a white paper. 2. I learned the various governmental agencies involved in cybersecurity and their respective roles. 3. I learned a lot about U.S. relations with foreign governments, notably China, regarding national security issues. Some specific topics we discussed are semiconductor export controls, TikTok, Deepseek, and VoltTyphoon.
Spring 2025 · Hoffman, David
Rating History
Rating history
Error bars show \u00B11 std dev
| Term | Instructor | Overall | Difficulty | Hrs/wk | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2025 | Hoffman, David 4.7Rate My ProfessorsQuality4.7Difficulty3.0Would retake92%Based on 71 ratingsClick to view on RMP → | 4.7 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 40 |
| Spring 2024 | Hoffman, David 4.7Rate My ProfessorsQuality4.7Difficulty3.0Would retake92%Based on 71 ratingsClick to view on RMP → | 4.1 | 3.6 | 4.7 | 42 |
Instructor
Also teaches
LAW-316 INTRO TO CYBER LAW AND POLICYPUBPOL-302D POL CHOICE/VAL CONFLICT4.5