Historical instructor

JOHN KENNAN

Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 3.12/5 from 8 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

ECON 750
Quality 5/5Difficulty 4/5
Prof Kennan is the GOAT. There hasn't been another with the clarity in thinking that I have seen in him. He will never spoon-feed you the answer, but he'll never leave you stranded either. Incredibly generous with time and very funny!
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ECON 711
Quality 5/5Difficulty 4/5
Absolutely brilliant. His lessons always have a grand narrative behind them, and he never gives away the story, always moving the student forward in suspense until the point is made. No handholding through the difficult prose either. A great experience for the serious learner.
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ECON 713
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
His lectures are thought-provoking. He's actually very nice, despite of what everybody says. Don't be deterred by his manners, he's very approachable and helpful, if you try.
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ECON 450
Quality 1/5Difficulty 5/5
the most horrible prof. He is notorious for hating undergrads...Useless office hours...He doesn't understand why undergrads can't understand easy stuffs which in fact is hard for most of students, though. Besides, no curves with extremely difficult exam...averaged about 30 out of 100
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ECON 450
Quality 1/5Difficulty 5/5
the most horrible prof. He is notorious for hating undergrads...Useless office hours...He doesn't understand why undergrads can't understand easy stuffs which in fact is hard for most of students, though.
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ECON 450
Quality 2/5Difficulty 5/5
Bad. Just Plain Bad. Smart, yeah, but acts as if you should know most of what he's teaching already and figure out without any difficulty what's pretty hard material. Grading is too strict. The text is easy to follow but does you no good because his exams and homeworks have questions that come from absolutely nowhere. Impossible to prepare.
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Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with JOHN KENNAN

ECON 899

Recent Advances in Economics

1–3 credits

ECON 899 covers selections from all fields of economic research.

No offering record · Spring 2026

with this instructor · course overall, matching historical terms

Kim RuhlAshley Swanson+3 more

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2021–Spring 2026

Recorded teaching history

Distinct courses recorded per term

Explore courses taught by this instructor →
Browse recorded courses
TermCourseTitle
Spring 2026ECON 899Recent Advances in Economics
Fall 2025ECON 703Mathematical Economics I
Fall 2025ECON 899Recent Advances in Economics
Fall 2025ECON 955Workshop in Labor Economics
Fall 2024ECON 750Labor Economics
Fall 2023ECON 703Mathematical Economics I
Fall 2023ECON 750Labor Economics
Fall 2022ECON 750Labor Economics
Fall 2022ECON 955Workshop in Labor Economics
Fall 2021ECON 750Labor Economics
Fall 2020ECON 311Intermediate Microeconomic Theory - Advanced Treatment
Fall 2020ECON 750Labor Economics
Fall 2020ECON 990Thesis
Fall 2019ECON 311Intermediate Microeconomic Theory - Advanced Treatment
Fall 2019ECON 703Mathematical Economics I
Fall 2019ECON 750Labor Economics
Fall 2018ECON 703Mathematical Economics I
Fall 2018ECON 750Labor Economics
Fall 2017ECON 750Labor Economics
Spring 2017ECON 956Workshop in Labor Economics
Fall 2016ECON 750Labor Economics
Fall 2016ECON 955Workshop in Labor Economics
Spring 2016ECON 751Survey of Institutional Aspects of Labor Economics
Spring 2015ECON 956Workshop in Labor Economics
Fall 2014ECON 311Intermediate Microeconomic Theory - Advanced Treatment
Fall 2014ECON 750Labor Economics
Fall 2012ECON 750Labor Economics
Spring 2012ECON 581Honors Thesis
Spring 2012ECON 956Workshop in Labor Economics
Fall 2011ECON 711Economic Theory-microeconomics Sequence
Fall 2011ECON 750Labor Economics
Fall 2011ECON 990Thesis
Spring 2011ECON 956Workshop in Labor Economics
Fall 2010ECON 711Economic Theory-microeconomics Sequence
Fall 2010ECON 750Labor Economics
Spring 2010ECON 956Workshop in Labor Economics
Fall 2009ECON 711Economic Theory-microeconomics Sequence
Fall 2009ECON 750Labor Economics
Spring 2009ECON 956Workshop in Labor Economics
Fall 2008ECON 450Wages and the Labor Market
Fall 2008ECON 750Labor Economics
Fall 2008ECON 990Thesis
Spring 2008ECON 956Workshop in Labor Economics
Fall 2007ECON 450Wages and the Labor Market
Fall 2007ECON 751Survey of Institutional Aspects of Labor Economics
Fall 2006ECON 990Thesis

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

Instructor identity & provenance 
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