Historical instructor

ELLEN SAMUELS

Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 4.25/5 from 20 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.

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

What students say

Original student reviews · all captured dates

GWS101 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
Professor Samuels is very nice! Exams are fairly easy, assuming you have done the readings throughout the semester. Memorization is not required, but you are expected to apply key terms and central themes on exams papers. Expect to have 25 pages of weekly textbook reading, and to read a memoir on your own time (5 page essay on final exam).
Rate My Professors ↗
GWS445 · course not matched
Quality 3/5Difficulty 4/5
It's a theory class. Level of difficulty is weird: clearly too hard for most of the class, but not actually very rigorous. Take-home exams. Great class if you want to read Foucault, Haraway and some body theorists, but it's not set up to provide you with much critical engagement.
Rate My Professors ↗
GWS101 · course not matched
Quality 4/5Difficulty 2/5
Samuels class was really easy! she is really understanding of everyones busy lives so the workload isnt bad... I really enjoyed her class for the most part it was an easy A. TA's are all weird and don't really take the time to know you but still easy A
Rate My Professors ↗
GWS101 · course not matched
Quality 3/5Difficulty 4/5
Professor Samuels is nice enough, but overall this class is pretty useless. Take a different GWS class, like 103 which is amazing. She provides a lot of time for review, but the class is still difficult because the standards for grading are so high. Assignments are also not well explained. I wouldn't recommend this class.
Rate My Professors ↗
GWS101 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 1/5
Passionate teacher and very clear in presenting information. I would definitely recommend her!
Rate My Professors ↗
GWS101 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 1/5
Super easy class, attendance for lecture and section are mandatory, there are weekly readings but many are very interesting, exams are not difficult at all, very passionate about what she teaches
Rate My Professors ↗

Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with ELLEN SAMUELS

Graduate course covering feminist theory with an emphasis on literary and cultural theory and criticism in English.

No offering record · Fall 2021

with this instructor · course overall, matching historical terms

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2017–Fall 2021 · limited sample

Recorded teaching history

Distinct courses recorded per term

Explore courses taught by this instructor →
Browse recorded courses
TermCourseTitle
Fall 2021ENGL/GEN&WS 737Feminist Theory and Criticism
Spring 2019ENGL 407Creative Writing: Nonfiction Workshop
Fall 2018GEN&WS 445The Body in Theory
Fall 2018GEN&WS 790Research & Thesis: Master's and Professional Level
Spring 2018ENGL 990Dissertation Research in English
Spring 2018GEN&WS 100Open House Gender Learning Community Seminar
Spring 2018GEN&WS 790Research & Thesis: Master's and Professional Level
Fall 2017ENGL 990Dissertation Research in English
Fall 2017GEN&WS 100Open House Gender Learning Community Seminar
Fall 2017GEN&WS 343Queer Bodies
Fall 2017GEN&WS 790Research & Thesis: Master's and Professional Level
Spring 2017ENGL 799Independent Reading
Spring 2017ENGL 990Dissertation Research in English
Spring 2017ENGL/GEN&WS 737Feminist Theory and Criticism
Spring 2017GEN&WS 100Open House Gender Learning Community Seminar
Spring 2017GEN&WS 299Directed Study
Spring 2017GEN&WS 790Research & Thesis: Master's and Professional Level
Fall 2016ENGL 407Creative Writing: Nonfiction Workshop
Fall 2016ENGL 990Dissertation Research in English
Fall 2016GEN&WS 100Open House Gender Learning Community Seminar
Fall 2016GEN&WS 640Capstone Seminar in Gender and Women's Studies
Fall 2016GEN&WS 790Research & Thesis: Master's and Professional Level
Spring 2016ENGL 990Dissertation Research in English
Spring 2015ENGL 245Seminar in the Major
Spring 2015GEN&WS 101Gender, Women, and Cultural Representation
Spring 2015GEN&WS 990Research & Thesis
Fall 2014GEN&WS 445The Body in Theory
Fall 2014GEN&WS 699Directed Study
Fall 2014GEN&WS 880Proseminar: Graduate Study in Gender and Women's Studies
Fall 2014GEN&WS 990Research & Thesis
Spring 2014GEN&WS 445The Body in Theory
Spring 2014GEN&WS 682Senior Honors Thesis II
Spring 2014GEN&WS 990Research & Thesis
Spring 2014GEN&WS 999Independent Research
Fall 2013GEN&WS 101Gender, Women, and Cultural Representation
Fall 2013GEN&WS 681Senior Honors Thesis I
Fall 2013GEN&WS 990Research & Thesis
Fall 2012GEN&WS 101Gender, Women, and Cultural Representation
Fall 2012GEN&WS 445The Body in Theory
Spring 2012GEN&WS 340Topics in LGBTQ Sexuality
Spring 2012GEN&WS 990Research & Thesis
Fall 2011GEN&WS 101Gender, Women, and Cultural Representation
Fall 2011GEN&WS 445The Body in Theory
Fall 2011GEN&WS 999Independent Research
Spring 2011GEN&WS 101Gender, Women, and Cultural Representation
Spring 2011GEN&WS 340Topics in LGBTQ Sexuality
Spring 2011GEN&WS 682Senior Honors Thesis II
Fall 2010GEN&WS 101Gender, Women, and Cultural Representation
Fall 2010GEN&WS 681Senior Honors Thesis I
Fall 2010GEN&WS 999Independent Research
Spring 2010GEN&WS 101Gender, Women, and Cultural Representation
Spring 2009GEN&WS 101Gender, Women, and Cultural Representation
Spring 2009GEN&WS 642Advanced Seminar in Lgbt Studies (lgbt Studies Capstone)
Spring 2009GEN&WS 682Senior Honors Thesis II
Spring 2009GEN&WS 699Directed Study
Fall 2008GEN&WS 101Gender, Women, and Cultural Representation
Fall 2008GEN&WS 681Senior Honors Thesis I
Fall 2008GEN&WS 720Special Topics in Gender and Women's Studies
Fall 2008GEN&WS 999Independent Research
Spring 2008GEN&WS 449Special Topics in Feminist Theory
Fall 2007GEN&WS 449Special Topics in Feminist Theory

Teaching history may be incomplete. Course pages contain course-specific feedback and citations.

Instructor identity & provenance
{
  "instructor_uid": "instructor_9c29d32914237a3863a1098b",
  "source": "madgrades",
  "source_instructor_id": "4396446",
  "identity_basis": "source_id",
  "identity_status": "source_identified",
  "name": "ELLEN SAMUELS",
  "email": null,
  "first_observed_at": "2026-09-06 23:14:58.172943+00:00",
  "last_observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00",
  "ratings": {
    "review_count": 20,
    "quality": 4.25,
    "difficulty": 2.3,
    "quality_count": 20,
    "difficulty_count": 20,
    "profile_id": "rmp:1067880",
    "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1067880",
    "match_basis": "exact_name",
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:41:20.575283+00:00",
    "courses": {},
    "bayesian_quality": 3.9548428917732976,
    "prior_mean": 3.6596857835465957,
    "prior_weight": 20
  },
  "grade_statistics": {
    "gpa": 3.617,
    "graded": 1687,
    "counts": [
      760,
      672,
      205,
      28,
      10,
      5,
      7
    ],
    "sections": 61
  },
  "current": false,
  "courses": [],
  "revision": "e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349",
  "instructor_url": "/instructors/ELLEN_SAMUELS"
}