Fall 2026

Population Problems

SOC 170 examines social, economic, and political problems related to population dynamics, migration, and world ecology.

offering recorded3–4 credits
Recorded instructors · Fall 2026 Hanbi ParkMichael AcostaNicholas Mark

Summary

1 / 7

Historical reviews of Jenna Nobles, Michal Engelman: Students report heavy reading loads, with some noting materials are long and dull. Exams are described as difficult or complex, while writing assignments are criticized for having vague criteria or being unmentioned in these specific reviews.

Grade history

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average GPA
letter grades
A
AB
B
BC
C
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F

All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors

Prerequisites

Course map

None

  • None
SOC 170 used by

“Used by” includes alternatives; linked courses may have other requirements. This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.

Prerequisite text tree
  • None

Professors

Fall 2026

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2024: 3.49 GPA, 78.5% A/AB (n=191 letter grades); Fall 2024: 3.45 GPA, 70.9% A/AB (n=189 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.54 GPA, 78.6% A/AB (n=187 letter grades).

Historical instructors & teaching patterns

Historical reviews for Michael Topping describe an engaging and fun experience with clear explanations and flexible assignment deadlines. Reviewers found his lectures interesting and appreciated his willingness to grant extensions for writing assignments.

JENNA NOBLES is recorded teaching in Fall 2009, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Spring 2017, Fall 2019, Fall 2020. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

MICHAEL TOPPING is recorded teaching in Fall 2023. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

MICHAL ENGELMAN is recorded teaching in Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2020. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

MONICA GRANT is recorded teaching in Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

NICHOLAS MARK is recorded teaching in Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Spring 2026. 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.

SectionModeEnrolled / capacityWaitlist
LEC 001Classroom Instruction192 / 1954
DIS 301Classroom Instruction22 / 251
DIS 302Classroom Instruction19 / 200
DIS 303Classroom Instruction25 / 250
DIS 304Classroom Instruction25 / 250
DIS 305Classroom Instruction25 / 250
DIS 306Classroom Instruction25 / 252
DIS 307Classroom Instruction25 / 250
DIS 308Classroom Instruction25 / 251

Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.

Meeting source records
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Student experience

the class

Historical reviews for Michael Topping describe an engaging, fun, and humorous experience with flexible grading and easy quizzes. Students found his storytelling helpful and appreciated his willingness to grant extensions.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.90 GPA, 95.3% A/AB (n=191 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.53 GPA, 75.3% A/AB (n=182 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.54 GPA, 78.6% A/AB (n=187 letter grades).

difficulty & workload

Historical reviews of Jenna Nobles, Michal Engelman: Students report heavy reading loads, with some noting materials are long and dull. Exams are described as difficult or complex, while writing assignments are criticized for having vague criteria or being unmentioned in these specific reviews.

Historical reviews of Monica Grant: Monica Grant's classes are frequently cited as frustrating due to specific exam questions, busy work, and audio issues. One reviewer noted harsh grading by the TA, while others found the lectures boring and the content unengaging.

Topics

  • Population size and distribution
  • Migration
  • World ecology and development
  • Conflict and environment
  • Social segregation
  • Population policies

Grades

Historical instructor

Fall 2026 · Projected

Before grades are released

– average GPA

Approximate 80% prediction interval

About this estimate

The course’s semester-average GPA, not an individual student’s grade. The center uses 4 same-season terms, weighted toward recent results.

The range uses the finite-sample 80th-percentile rank of absolute errors from earlier same-season forecasts. Each forecast uses only records from earlier terms. At least four forecasts are required; bounds are rounded outward and limited to 0–4. This is an empirical estimate: changing instructors or grading policies can reduce its coverage.

8 earlier forecasts · 0.15 GPA average error.

Grades over time

Through Fall 2026

More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data

Where this course fits relative to

Latest available grades · Spring 2026 · all course levels

GPA

Higher than % of other courses in this group.

Course GPAs · red marks this course’s range

letter grades

More recorded grades than % of other courses in this group.

Typical course in this group: letter grades.

About this comparison

1283 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.

Download part 1
Selected offering source records
SOC 170 · Fall 2026

Population Problems

Recorded 2026-09-07
Raw records 
[
  {
    "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4",
    "semester": "1272",
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00",
    "offering_id": "1272:900:017536",
    "course_id": "SOC 170",
    "course_uid": "course_eb97963ac46895311ec0acd6",
    "term_id": "1272",
    "source_course_id": "017536",
    "source_subject_id": "900",
    "title": "Population Problems",
    "credits_min": 3,
    "credits_max": 4,
    "typically_offered": "Fall, Spring"
  }
]
Rate My Professors

Student reviews

Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.

Read original reviews
Download part 1
Madgrades

Grade history

Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.

Explore recorded grades
Dataset & model

Recorded 2026-09-07

View the dataset on Hugging Face
Model outputs & technical records
nvidia/Qwen3.6-35B-A3B-NVFP4
LLM outputs across runs
Download part 1
Full model traces

Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.

Download part 1
Model & dataset provenance 
{
  "model": "nvidia/Qwen3.6-35B-A3B-NVFP4",
  "model_revision": "1355db6a052410cfd62085d94b58866fd0f2c3c5",
  "task_version": "14",
  "output_id": "0a5b67e5e27aaacfdf718e4743e1f860342bc8446923436aa85185c11fe7b3f4",
  "requirements_status": "valid",
  "dataset_revision": "e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349",
  "observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00"
}