Florence is an amazing lecturer, and one of my favorite I've ever had. Her lectures are dense and you NEED to attend, but she is so good at explaining things. I've never ever been confused by anything of hers, which is rare among profs. She also remembered me over a year later despite never attending office hours, and is so so friendly. Love her.Rate My Professors ↗
Current instructor
Florence Hsia
What students say
Original student reviews · all captured dates
Lecture slides clearly outlined what we learned, so it was nice if you missed a class. Seemed very passionate about the subjectRate My Professors ↗
Great professor, and super passionate. This class was fairly interesting, but you do NOT need to do the text book readings or buy the text books. Everything you need to know is either heavily covered in lecture or available as a weekly reading. The class is mildly interesting, and I think with any other professor it would've been incredibly boring.Rate My Professors ↗
Professor Hsia is the best. She teaches clearly and passionately about the class material, which can sometimes be a bit dense. The class is very reading-heavy, but the lectures cover everything you need to know for the exams.Rate My Professors ↗
If you're not really into history, this class isn't for you. While Dr. Hsia clearly cares about what she's teaching, the content from unit to unit can get a little confusing. The slides aren't as thorough as the online quizzes need, so take good notes. If you pay attention and attend lecture, you should be fine.Rate My Professors ↗
Professor Hsia speaks so fluidly and is clearly very knowledgeable about the topics she teaches. Her exams are very straightforward if you attend lecture and remember the important names and places (the textbooks are interesting, but not necessary). She makes the lectures incredibly engaging; you'll definitely learn something new from this class.Rate My Professors ↗
Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.
Classes with Florence Hsia
Directed Study
1–3 creditsDirected study under faculty supervision on topics in History of Science, Medicine, and Technology.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Recent recorded grades — Spring 2008: 3.85 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=10 letter grades).
No recorded grade history
Seminar involving readings and/or research on the history of medieval, Renaissance, and/or 17th-century science, with varying topics.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Recent recorded grades — Spring 2019: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=9 letter grades); Spring 2022: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=5 letter grades); Spring 2025: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=5 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2025–Spring 2026 · limited sampleSeminar covering readings and/or research on the history of science in the 18th century, with varying topics.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Recent recorded grades — Spring 2022: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=1 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.
No recorded grade history
Research and Thesis
1–3 creditsIndependent research and writing of a thesis under the supervision of a faculty member.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
Independent Work
1–3 creditsIndependent Work involves directed study under the supervision of a faculty member.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
Recorded teaching history
Distinct courses recorded per term
Explore courses taught by this instructor →Browse recorded courses
| Term | Course | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Spring 2027 | HISTSCI 699 | Directed Study |
| Spring 2027 | HISTSCI 903 | Seminar: Medieval, Renaissance, and 17th Century Science |
| Spring 2027 | HISTSCI 911 | Seminar-eighteenth Century Science |
| Spring 2027 | HISTSCI 990 | Research and Thesis |
| Spring 2027 | HISTSCI 999 | Independent Work |
| Fall 2026 | HISTSCI 201 | The Origins of Scientific Thought |
| Fall 2026 | HISTSCI 699 | Directed Study |
| Fall 2026 | HISTSCI 990 | Research and Thesis |
| Fall 2026 | HISTSCI 999 | Independent Work |
| Fall 2026 | ILS 201 | Western Culture: Science, Technology, Philosophy I |
Teaching history may be incomplete. Course pages contain course-specific feedback and citations.
Instructor identity & provenance
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