PLANTSCI 350 explores the intersection of plants and human wellbeing through a horticultural lens, examining how plants have shaped society and culture.
“Used by” includes alternatives; linked courses may have other requirements. This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.
Raw average: 4.71/5 from 35 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.
For this course: 5.0/5 raw quality · 2.0/5 difficulty · 2
reviews
RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.
Irwin Goldman is described as a wonderful and engaging lecturer who makes the content interesting. Reviewers note that while lectures are long, he often ends them early later in the semester, and exams are considered doable with study.
Recent recorded grades — Fall 2025: 3.20 GPA, 61.5% A/AB (n=52 letter grades).
Historical instructors & teaching patterns
IRWIN GOLDMAN is recorded teaching in Fall 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future
schedule.
Calendar & sections
Fall 2026
Schedule loads here as you scroll.
Section
Mode
Enrolled / capacity
Waitlist
LEC 001
Classroom Instruction
51 / 55
8
Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.
Irwin Goldman is a wonderful and engaging lecturer who makes the content interesting. Students find the class easy with no outside readings, though exams require hard study.
Recent recorded grades — Fall 2025: 3.20 GPA, 61.5% A/AB (n=52 letter grades).
difficulty & workload
The class is easy with all content from lectures and no outside readings. Exams are doable but require hard study.
Lectures are long, but the professor starts letting students leave 15-30 minutes early midway through the semester.
Topics
Plants as foundation of food, clothing, and shelter
Plants in music, art, and spirituality
Human-plant co-evolution
Plant domestication and breeding history
Impact of plants on human society
Grades
Latest available · Fall 2025— not enough history to project Fall 2026.
average GPA
A / AB grades
letter grades
Instructor
Grade distribution · % of letter grades
A26.9%26.9%
AB34.6%34.6%
B13.5%13.5%
BC13.5%13.5%
C7.7%7.7%
D1.9%1.9%
F1.9%1.9%
More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data
Where this course fits relative to
Latest available grades · Fall 2025 · all course levels
3.203.20GPA
Higher than 1111% of other courses
in this group.
Course GPAs · red marks this course’s range
5252letter grades
More recorded grades than 3434% of other courses in this group.
Typical course in this group: 70.070.0 letter grades.
About this comparison
1320 courses over the same term, each with at least 30
recorded letter grades. Cross-listed courses count once. GPA is not a measure
of difficulty or teaching quality. The typical course is the median by recorded
grade count; tied values are not counted as lower. Grade counts describe course scale, not unique students or typical section size.
Descriptions compare GPA with this group’s average: at least 0.20 higher or lower; otherwise close to average. Section size uses median recorded enrollment: small up to 30, mid-sized 31–99, large 100+. Lectures and discussion/lab sections are described separately.
Sources & history
UW–Madison
Catalog & offerings
Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.
Catalog observation history
Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.