PUBPOL-490S
CAPSTONE SEM: SP TOP
Offered Fall 2026
Term
Overview
Feedback is mostly positive. The strongest signal is that students say they actually learn something useful. Best for students who want substance, not a disposable elective. The sample is still thin, so treat this as directional rather than definitive.
DepartmentPPS
Terms offeredSpring
Typical enrollment18–18
Semesters of data1
3.7
Hrs / week
6
Responses
18
Enrollment
33%
Response Rate
Evaluation Scores
Overall quality
Teaching, content, and experience combined.
4.3
Intellectually stimulating
Challenges students to think deeply.
4.2
Instructor effectiveness
Explains concepts and facilitates learning.
4.3
Difficulty
Higher means harder.
3.2
Feedback Analysis
Feedback Analysislow
Analysis based on student evaluations
Based on 17 comments across 1 sections
Feedback is mostly positive. The strongest signal is that students say they actually learn something useful. Best for students who want substance, not a disposable elective. The sample is still thin, so treat this as directional rather than definitive.
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
• Students repeatedly say the course teaches something concrete, whether that is content mastery, research skill, or a strong foundation.
• Discussion is a clear strength; students repeatedly describe the class conversation as engaging and useful.
Tradeoffs
• There is no single dominant complaint theme, but the feedback is not uniformly glowing either.
Best fit for
Best for students who want substance, not a disposable elective.
Watch out for
• Most of the signal comes from a limited sample, so be careful about over-generalizing.
• A large share of the evidence comes from one instructor's version of the course, so this may not generalize cleanly.
Student Responses
Learned to think critically about research which I had never really done before. You learn a lot about methods and different kinds of research and models. Also learned to use Stata with a lot of guidance and learned how to work with datasets and run models.
Spring 2025 · Gennetian, Lisa
Basic STATA, different types of research methods, practical applications to policy research
Spring 2025 · Gennetian, Lisa
I learned how to use STATA, I understood the different empirical methods (DiD, Regressions, OLS) work, and I learned how to actually employ the various methods within my own research.
Spring 2025 · Gennetian, Lisa
STATA coding skills; understanding methodology; the foundational models in econometrics (Difference in difference; regression discontinuity, etc.); many case study of different empircal study and natural experiment
Spring 2025 · Gennetian, Lisa
1. Critiquing data 2. Asking questions based on findings 3. Augmented critical thinking skills
Spring 2025 · Gennetian, Lisa
Rating History
Rating history
Error bars show \u00B11 std dev
| Term | Instructor | Overall | Difficulty | Hrs/wk | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2025 | Gennetian, Lisa 4.3Rate My ProfessorsQuality4.3Difficulty3.4Would retake78%Based on 46 ratingsClick to view on RMP → | 4.3 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 18 |
Instructor
Also teaches
PUBPOL-303D MICROECONOMIC POLICY TOOLS3.3