Joshua Itzkowitz Shifrinson

2 reviews
Average rating: 5.00

This professor has taught: GFPL100, PLCY288J, PLCY288P, PLCY401, PLCY720, PLCY780

Grades

During the Spring 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters, students could choose to take some of their courses pass-fail mid-semester which skews grade data aggregated across multiple semesters.

Average GPA of 3.40 between 161 students*

Grade Distribution+-0510152025303540455055606570% of studentsABCDFWother
A-: 26.71%
A: 34.16%
A+: 4.97%
B-: 3.11%
B: 5.59%
B+: 16.77%
C+: 1.24%
D: 1.24%
F: 3.73%
W: 2.48%
* "W"s are considered to be 0.0 quality points. "Other" grades are not factored into GPA calculation. Grade data not guaranteed to be correct.
Review this professor
InformationReview
Joshua Itzkowitz Shifrinson
PLCY288J

Expecting an A-
admin
12/17/2024		Hands down one of the best professors in the policy department. If you're interested in foreign policy or international relations, I cannot recommend this class enough. Prof. Shifrinson is extremely knowledgeable about the subject, and I learned more in this single class than any other class I've taken at UMD so far. There is a lot of reading to do, but there wasn't anything assigned that felt like busywork. As long as you attend the class and engage in the discussions, you'll be fine.
Joshua Itzkowitz Shifrinson
PLCY401

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
12/10/2024		This has been one of my fav profs ever at UMD. I took his PLCY401 class (which I was not super interested in from the offset), but he made the content super engaging and interesting. Our class was about 15 people and mostly discussion-based, but I learned SO MUCH more than I tend to learn in my other discussion-based classes. Every time you speak, he makes you feel understood, and if you're off the mark, he guides you in the right direction, and you actually learn. He doesn't post his slides, so you have to go to class, and the two essays he assigns are pretty demanding, but he is a very fair grader and does set his students up for success. This feels like what a college class actually should feel like - a challenge without being impossible. As a person, he is also super cool. he's super knowledgeable without making you feel stupid and really does care about his students. great class rlly recommend even if you have no background in International relations and national security.