# JOHANN SOMMERVILLE — Courses & Reviews | UW–Madison [View on UW Courses](https://uwcourses.com/instructors/JOHANN_SOMMERVILLE) ## Dataset ### revision e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349 ### repository twangodev/uwcourses ### schema version 6 ### importer version 7 ### projection id 85abe9ff8837c2c5a134368dcc4cfc85eb723524b21ddeb3d2e953887d2f0c8f ### observed at 2026-09-07T15:55:43.033547+00:00 ### built at 2026-09-11T07:45:51.576183+00:00 ### courses 8951 ### current instructors 5754 ### limited false ### terms * 1272 * 1264 * 1262 * 1254 * 1252 * 1244 * 1242 * 1234 * 1232 * 1224 * 1222 * 1212 * 1204 * 1202 * 1194 * 1192 * 1184 * 1182 * 1174 * 1172 * 1164 * 1162 * 1154 * 1152 * 1144 * 1142 * 1134 * 1132 * 1124 * 1122 * 1114 * 1112 * 1104 * 1102 * 1094 * 1092 * 1084 * 1082 * 1074 * 1072 ### term 1272 ### departments | subject | count | | --------- | ----- | | AAE | 90 | | ABT | 20 | | ACCTIS | 36 | | ACTSCI | 14 | | AFAERO | 10 | | AFRICAN | 87 | | AFROAMER | 71 | | AGROECOL | 21 | | AMERIND | 53 | | ANAT\&PHY | 7 | | ANATOMY | 2 | | ANESTHES | 8 | | ANSCI | 57 | | ANTHRO | 95 | | ART | 125 | | ARTED | 10 | | ARTHIST | 121 | | ASIALANG | 129 | | ASIAN | 109 | | ASIANAM | 28 | | ASTRON | 38 | | ATMOCN | 69 | | BIOCHEM | 51 | | BIOCORE | 10 | | BIOLOGY | 14 | | BIOMDSCI | 18 | | BME | 66 | | BMI | 41 | | BMOLCHEM | 10 | | BOTANY | 69 | | BSE | 44 | | C\&ESOC | 73 | | CBE | 48 | | CHEM | 101 | | CHICLA | 52 | | CIVENGR | 133 | | CLASSICS | 47 | | CNP | 10 | | CNSRSCI | 50 | | COMARTS | 137 | | COMPBIO | 15 | | COMPLIT | 11 | | COMPSCI | 138 | | COUNPSY | 78 | | CRB | 19 | | CS\&D | 71 | | CSCS | 40 | | CURRIC | 193 | | DANCE | 93 | | DERM | 8 | | DS | 88 | | DYSCI | 35 | | ECE | 155 | | ECON | 145 | | EDPOL | 114 | | EDPSYCH | 97 | | ELPA | 70 | | EMA | 53 | | EMERMED | 17 | | ENGL | 206 | | ENTOM | 40 | | ENVIRST | 148 | | EP | 15 | | EPD | 67 | | ESL | 16 | | F\&WECOL | 60 | | FAMMED | 22 | | FINANCE | 50 | | FOLKLORE | 40 | | FOODSCI | 43 | | FRENCH | 63 | | GEN\&WS | 145 | | GENBUS | 72 | | GENECSLR | 17 | | GENETICS | 60 | | GEOG | 113 | | GEOSCI | 83 | | GERMAN | 82 | | GLE | 48 | | GNS | 38 | | GREEK | 27 | | HDFS | 41 | | HEBR-BIB | 13 | | HEBR-MOD | 10 | | HISTORY | 233 | | HISTSCI | 56 | | HONCOL | 13 | | ILS | 43 | | INFOSYS | 9 | | INTEGART | 7 | | INTEGSCI | 22 | | INTER-AG | 18 | | INTER-HE | 11 | | INTER-LS | 22 | | INTEREGR | 16 | | INTLBUS | 21 | | INTLST | 50 | | ISYE | 83 | | ITALIAN | 53 | | JEWISH | 56 | | JOURN | 88 | | KINES | 128 | | LACIS | 26 | | LANDARC | 61 | | LATIN | 24 | | LAW | 120 | | LEGALST | 48 | | LINGUIS | 35 | | LIS | 89 | | LITTRANS | 78 | | LSC | 52 | | M\&ENVTOX | 7 | | MARKETNG | 62 | | MATH | 153 | | MDGENET | 8 | | ME | 130 | | MEDHIST | 43 | | MEDICINE | 60 | | MEDIEVAL | 32 | | MEDPHYS | 39 | | MEDSC-M | 29 | | MEDSC-V | 41 | | MHR | 68 | | MICROBIO | 45 | | MILSCI | 16 | | MM\&I | 22 | | MOLBIOL | 6 | | MS\&E | 59 | | MUSIC | 165 | | MUSPERF | 126 | | NAVSCI | 20 | | NE | 44 | | NEURODPT | 11 | | NEUROL | 7 | | NEURSURG | 4 | | NTP | 11 | | NURSING | 111 | | NUTRSCI | 65 | | OBS\&GYN | 18 | | OCCTHER | 39 | | ONCOLOGY | 14 | | OPHTHALM | 5 | | OTM | 43 | | PATH | 34 | | PATH-BIO | 29 | | PEDIAT | 26 | | PHARMACY | 31 | | PHILOS | 77 | | PHMCOL-M | 11 | | PHMPRAC | 45 | | PHMSCI | 60 | | PHYASST | 37 | | PHYSICS | 88 | | PHYSIOL | 3 | | PHYTHER | 37 | | PLANTSCI | 52 | | PLPATH | 35 | | POLISCI | 192 | | POPHLTH | 58 | | PORTUG | 33 | | PSYCH | 101 | | PSYCHIAT | 22 | | PUBAFFR | 54 | | PUBLHLTH | 23 | | RADIOL | 11 | | REALEST | 41 | | RELIGST | 90 | | RHABMED | 9 | | RMI | 24 | | RP\&SE | 102 | | S\&APHM | 17 | | SCANDST | 73 | | SLAVIC | 89 | | SOC | 149 | | SOCWORK | 87 | | SOILSCI | 46 | | SPANISH | 83 | | SRMED | 21 | | STAT | 94 | | STDYABRD | 52 | | STS | 8 | | SURGERY | 25 | | SURGSCI | 33 | | THEATRE | 91 | | URBRPL | 60 | | UROLOGY | 5 | | ZOOLOGY | 89 | ## instructor ### instructor uid instructor\_1d7e290f25d0a6b0b6c1d634 ### source legacy ### identity basis name\_only ### identity status unresolved ### name JOHANN SOMMERVILLE ### first observed at 2025-04-16 05:20:33.104844+00:00 ### last observed at 2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00 ### ratings #### review count 51 #### quality 4.04 #### difficulty 2.53 #### quality count 51 #### difficulty count 51 #### profile id rmp:317953 #### source url #### match basis exact\_name #### observed at 2026-09-07 16:31:57.617398+00:00 #### courses #### bayesian quality 3.932869234801858 #### prior mean 3.6596857835465957 #### prior weight 20 ### current false ### courses None recorded. ### revision e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349 ### instructor url /instructors/JOHANN\_SOMMERVILLE ## history None recorded. ## timeline None recorded. ## term 1272 ## courses None recorded. ## reviews ### items ```json [ { "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:31:57.617398+00:00", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTMxMTYzMDM3", "source_instructor_id": "rmp:317953", "instructor_name": "Johann Sommerville", "course_label": "HIST123", "course_id": null, "course_uid": null, "review_date": "2018-12-27 17:04:59 +0000 UTC", "comment": "Don't take this class/professor for fun. He grades only on two midterms and a final, in which essays are the heaviest weight. He does not give essays a score above 94%, and 93% is the grade cut off for an A, so do not take this as an easy A class, despite it being "easy" insofar as no homework/papers due. He is a poor lecturer with no organization.", "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/317953", "quality_rating": 2, "difficulty_rating": 3 }, { "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:31:57.617398+00:00", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTMwODUxOTAx", "source_instructor_id": "rmp:317953", "instructor_name": "Johann Sommerville", "course_label": "HIST123", "course_id": null, "course_uid": null, "review_date": "2018-12-03 21:10:33 +0000 UTC", "comment": "He's the definition of average. He has a very cool accent and seems to be a super nice guy who definitely knows his stuff, but lectures can be really boring. I almost never went to class but did the readings and did very well. You can either go to class or do the readings, you don't really have to do both. Exams are essay and pretty easy.", "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/317953", "quality_rating": 3, "difficulty_rating": 3 }, { "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:31:57.617398+00:00", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTI5ODI3Mjk5", "source_instructor_id": "rmp:317953", "instructor_name": "Johann Sommerville", "course_label": "HIST123", "course_id": null, "course_uid": null, "review_date": "2018-04-17 22:18:28 +0000 UTC", "comment": "overall an amazing guy, also, he has a british accent. he is golden", "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/317953", "quality_rating": 5, "difficulty_rating": 4 }, { "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:31:57.617398+00:00", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTI5ODE4MDA0", "source_instructor_id": "rmp:317953", "instructor_name": "Johann Sommerville", "course_label": "HIST123", "course_id": null, "course_uid": null, "review_date": "2018-04-16 23:54:20 +0000 UTC", "comment": "Professor Sommerville is insanely knowledgeable about the subject matter and loves to talk about it. He also loves questions in class and jokes about hard cider for that matter. Not the most organized lecture slides, but he's easy enough to follow. You can totally just read the textbook and never go to class but his lectures are fun.", "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/317953", "quality_rating": 4, "difficulty_rating": 3 }, { "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:31:57.617398+00:00", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTI5MzMwNDE0", "source_instructor_id": "rmp:317953", "instructor_name": "Johann Sommerville", "course_label": "HIST123", "course_id": null, "course_uid": null, "review_date": "2017-12-24 16:00:37 +0000 UTC", "comment": "Great professor! Show up to lecture and study the material on the website and you'll be fine. Very nice and interesting guy", "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/317953", "quality_rating": 4, "difficulty_rating": 3 }, { "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:31:57.617398+00:00", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTI3MzQ2OTAx", "source_instructor_id": "rmp:317953", "instructor_name": "Johann Sommerville", "course_label": "HIST123", "course_id": null, "course_uid": null, "review_date": "2016-12-06 08:48:22 +0000 UTC", "comment": "I'd recommend this class to any freshman or sophomore looking for relatively simple humanities credits. The class seems like a lot of work initially, but I quickly realized the textbook reading is completely unnecessary because you're tested only on what's on the PowerPoint. You're assigned a lot of reading, but it's completely optional. I wouldn't recommend buying the textbook. The class is very lecture heavy, the class is basically Sommerville talking at you on stage for an hour and fifteen minutes. He gives a ton of information but it's very simple to figure out what you will be tested on because he spends a disproportionate amount of time on those topics. Two exams, 10% MC and 90% essay, graded by the TA, and he is relatively lenient so it isn't hard to do well. You barely even have to know dates or most unimportant names. Final is a 5 day take home final with just 2 essay questions Overall, I liked the material, Sommerville's British accent makes it interesting and he makes a witty joke maybe once a lecture. You should take his class!", "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/317953", "quality_rating": 4, "difficulty_rating": 3 } ] ``` ### total 51 ### page 1 ### courses None recorded. ### matched true ## social Image false