Historical instructor

ERIC LOCK

Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 4.33/5 from 9 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

SW605 · course not matched
Quality 4/5Difficulty 2/5
Zero organization but fascinating lectures. A passion for and knowledge of policy beyond other professors I had. Always interesting, exams were fair and generous with grading. Would recommend.
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SW605 · course not matched
Quality 4/5Difficulty 3/5
Not well organized, rambles, goes off topic, tries to make group projects then makes no time for them. That being said, sympathetic with students' situation, full of good critiques of the field, and deeply passionate. If you put in the time to follow his winding path, you'll learn more than from most professors.
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SW605 · course not matched
Quality 4/5Difficulty 3/5
Quantitative rating scale does not reflect how refreshing Eric Lock's class/lecture style is - if you want to be intellectually challenged, consider new perspectives, and actually learn something - this is a great class. You have to be prepared to focus, though, because Lock goes on tangents and isn't a linear/follow-the-power point lecturer.
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SW206 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
By far the best professor I have had at my time at UW. This class was required for my major, but I'm also genuinely interested in subject area. Sometimes gets on his soapbox, but interesting to listen to. Definitely conveys his political views, but also does a great job at staying objective and presenting all sides.
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SW206 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 2/5
Had him last spring and he was by far one of the best professors I've had! I initially had zero interest in the class, but its required for the major... Eric made the class super interesting and fun. He is incredibly knowledgeable about the subject matter and really helpful. Overall, he's an AWESOME professor!
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SW206 · course not matched
Quality 3/5Difficulty 1/5
Eric is a pretty laid back and fun professor. Class lectures are a bit disorganized and he tends to spend too much time on one slide, going on tangents frequently. Very relatable professor. Exams are multiple choice and short essay and are very easy. Unnecessary to read the readings assigned.
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Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with ERIC LOCK

No teaching recorded in Fall 2026.

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Recorded teaching history

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

Instructor identity & provenance
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