Current instructor

Ivan Ermakoff

/5Adjusted rating
/5RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 4.48/5 from 21 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

SOC 624
Quality 5/5Difficulty 4/5
Ermakoff is one of the best professors I have ever had. The class has an insane amount of reading, but no matter how confused I was walking into the class, I walked out of the lecture with everything making sense. Three hour lectures feel like nothing and it is genuninely the most rewarding class I have ever taken.
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SOC 624
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
Eat before class! Also, actually do the readings BEFORE class!! Follow both of these, and you will be fine. To study for exams, just follow the first 'outline' he makes during class for each reading. If you can teach your friends the basics about topics w/o looking at notes, ex: authors def of state, you will be fine! ("The instructor" is great)
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SOC 476
Quality 4/5Difficulty 3/5
Don't let my tags or Prof. Ermakoff's initial appearance fool you. He is a kind and engaging prof who wants to help you pass his classes. Lectures do flow into each other and he makes sure to keep them as interesting as possible. Also a 10 minute break during his lectures and had people sign up to bring in snacks to share. 3 exams total, no HW.
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SOC 624
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
The instructor (iykyk) might seem intimidating but is actually quite nice and has a dry wit. There are lots of readings and they can feel dense at times, but he breaks them down in a digestible way. Exams seem daunting but they're graded very lightly. It can be rough going through 2.5 hour lectures w/o devices but there are breaks and snacks!
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SOC 624
Quality 5/5Difficulty 4/5
Great class but be ready to read, we go through many great authors covering states/regimes, revolutions, and collective action. Could not recommend this class more to those interested in political sociology. Put in the work and you will see results!
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SOC 624
Quality 5/5Difficulty 5/5
Amazing professor!!! If you have the time to read definitely take this course. It's very challenging and you have to actually do the work but you will learn so much!! The professor is so knowledgeable and seemed to really care about our class doing well. 10/10 (graded on 3 exams, 2 comments, and participation in lecture)
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Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with Ivan Ermakoff

Intermediate political sociology course covering theories of power, state formation, social movements, and political behavior.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2011: 3.83 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=6 letter grades); Fall 2013: 3.83 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=6 letter grades); Fall 2023: 3.75 GPA, 83.3% A/AB (n=12 letter grades).

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2023–Fall 2023 · limited sample

C&ESOC/SOC 875 covers advanced, variable topics in sociology for graduate students.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

SOC 624 explores political sociology through theories of democracy, voting behavior, social movements, and regime breakdowns.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Ivan Ermakoff is praised for engaging, insightful lectures that clarify complex material. Reviewers value his humor and supportive style.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2025 · limited sample
SOC 990

Thesis

1–12 credits

SOC 990 is a thesis course involving mentored research for Master's or doctoral dissertations.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

No recorded grade history

Recorded teaching history

Explore courses taught by this instructor →
Browse recorded courses
TermCourseTitle
Fall 2026C&ESOC/SOC 724Intermediate Political Sociology
Fall 2026C&ESOC/SOC 875Special Topics
Fall 2026SOC 624Political Sociology
Fall 2026SOC 990Thesis
Fall 2026SOC 999Reading and Research in Sociology

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

Instructor identity & provenance
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