PUBPOL-857
QUALITATIVE METHODS
Offered Fall 2026
Term
Instructor
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 offeredFall
Typical enrollment18–34
Semesters of data3
3.5
Hrs / week
58
Responses
73
Enrollment
79%
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.
4.6
Difficulty
Higher means harder.
2.2
Feedback Analysis
Feedback Analysishigh
Analysis based on student evaluations
Based on 206 comments across 3 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?
More reachable A
Student comments make the grading bar sound relatively reachable. This reads more like a course where steady work is rewarded than one where students describe the A as unusually hard to land.
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.
Student Responses
Survey design, observational studies, and content analysis.
Fall 2023 · Rogerson, Kenneth
- basic understanding of numerous qualitative research methods - practice with using numerous qualitative research methods - a better understanding of the strengths of qualitative methods
Fall 2023 · Rogerson, Kenneth
I know how to choose suitable method for my qualitative research. Specific things I have learned from this course: 1) how to make an interview instrument, 2) how to make good case studies, 3) how to make a field note
Fall 2023 · Rogerson, Kenneth
I developed an understanding of the diverse array of qualitative instruments, their relative strengths and weaknesses, and a hands-on introduction to their use.
Fall 2023 · Rogerson, Kenneth
I came to this class with basically zero knowledge about qualitative research. I learned about different types of qualitative research methods and how to create methodological instruments.
Fall 2023 · Rogerson, Kenneth
Rating History
Rating history
Error bars show \u00B11 std dev
| Term | Instructor | Overall | Difficulty | Hrs/wk | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | Boucher, Nathan 4.5Rate My ProfessorsQuality4.5Difficulty2.9Would retake94%Based on 32 ratingsClick to view on RMP → | 4.5 | 2.0 | 3.2 | 21 |
| Fall 2024 | Boucher, Nathan 4.5Rate My ProfessorsQuality4.5Difficulty2.9Would retake94%Based on 32 ratingsClick to view on RMP → | 4.5 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 18 |
| Fall 2023 | Rogerson, Kenneth 4.9Rate My ProfessorsQuality4.9Difficulty2.8Would retake88%Based on 21 ratingsClick to view on RMP → | 3.8 | 2.5 | 3.8 | 34 |
Instructor
Also teaches
PUBPOL-165 INTRO TO US HEALTH CARE SYSTM4.2PUBPOL-852 ORGANIZATIONAL ETHICS3.4