Historical instructor

JOHN ZUMBRUNNEN

Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 4.80/5 from 40 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

PS100 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 1/5
I had an introductory study abroad for incoming freshmen only class with him in Ireland 4 years ago. JZ is the goat!
Rate My Professors ↗
PS201 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 2/5
John is my favorite prof at UW! He is super caring and fun to learn from. I spent a lot of time with John because my class was only 18 students and involved an intense study abroad, and John is not a professor that becomes boring over time. He is eager to help and understanding.
Rate My Professors ↗
INTERLS106 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 2/5
JZ is an awesome professor who is super considerate and caring of all his students. I had him in a 8am class and he brought bagels and donuts pretty frequently because he knows how much 8am class sucks. He was always willing to meet outside of class. Everything he did was engaging and it made my first semester easy to ease into.
Rate My Professors ↗
POLISCI 160
Quality 4/5Difficulty 2/5
Zumbrunnen is interesting and engaging, tries to connect with students. Tends to get sidetracked by students. Class was very elementary, first half of lecture was spent reviewing material from the previous lecture. Weekly online quizzes and three short papers due throughout semester, no final exam.
Rate My Professors ↗
PS160 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
Great lectures and very accessible outside of class with questions in which hes very willing to meet and talk. If you get the chance, take a course and get to know him! Hes a great guy.
Rate My Professors ↗

Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with JOHN ZUMBRUNNEN

POLISCI 201

Special Topics in Political Science

Credits unavailable

POLISCI 201 introduces students to compelling recent events and current research in political science.

No offering record · Spring 2022

with this instructor · course overall, matching historical terms

John Zumbrunnen

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2020–Spring 2022 · limited sample

Recorded teaching history

Distinct courses recorded per term

Explore courses taught by this instructor →
Browse recorded courses
TermCourseTitle
Spring 2022POLISCI 201Special Topics in Political Science
Fall 2020INTER-LS 106First-year Seminar in the Social Sciences
Spring 2020POLISCI 201Special Topics in Political Science
Spring 2020POLISCI 361Contemporary American Political Thought
Spring 2020POLISCI 699Directed Study
Fall 2019INTER-LS 106First-year Seminar in the Social Sciences
Fall 2019POLISCI 699Directed Study
Spring 2019POLISCI 400Topics in Political Science
Spring 2019POLISCI 699Directed Study
Fall 2018INTER-LS 106First-year Seminar in the Social Sciences
Fall 2018POLISCI 699Directed Study
Spring 2018POLISCI 400Topics in Political Science
Fall 2017POLISCI 160Introduction to Political Theory
Spring 2017INTLST 320Contemporary Issues in International Studies
Spring 2017POLISCI 201Special Topics in Political Science
Spring 2017POLISCI 400Topics in Political Science
Spring 2017POLISCI 601Proseminar: Topics in Political Science
Spring 2017POLISCI 699Directed Study
Spring 2016COUNPSY 325Seminar: Students Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity (seed)
Spring 2016INTLST 320Contemporary Issues in International Studies
Spring 2016POLISCI 400Topics in Political Science
Spring 2016POLISCI 699Directed Study
Spring 2016POLISCI 986Political Theory Workshop
Fall 2015POLISCI 699Directed Study
Fall 2015POLISCI 986Political Theory Workshop
Fall 2015POLISCI 999Independent Work
Spring 2014CURRIC 630Professional Development for Schools and Community Educators
Spring 2014POLISCI 699Directed Study
Spring 2014POLISCI 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2013ILS 371Interdisciplinary Studies in the Arts and Literature
Fall 2013POLISCI 400Topics in Political Science
Fall 2013POLISCI 699Directed Study
Fall 2013POLISCI 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2013POLISCI 699Directed Study
Spring 2013POLISCI 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2012POLISCI 400Topics in Political Science
Fall 2012POLISCI 699Directed Study
Fall 2012POLISCI 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2012POLISCI 682Senior Honors Thesis
Spring 2012POLISCI 699Directed Study
Spring 2012POLISCI 931Seminar-political Theory
Spring 2012POLISCI 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2011POLISCI 681Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2011POLISCI 699Directed Study
Fall 2011POLISCI 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2011POLISCI 699Directed Study
Spring 2011POLISCI 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2010POLISCI 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2010POLISCI 699Directed Study
Fall 2009POLISCI 699Directed Study
Fall 2009POLISCI 999Independent Work
Spring 2009ILS 206Western Culture: Political, Economic, and Social Thought II
Spring 2009POLISCI 699Directed Study
Spring 2009POLISCI 931Seminar-political Theory

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

Instructor identity & provenance 
{
  "instructor_uid": "instructor_dff03385a7dcd1bead3a0359",
  "source": "madgrades",
  "source_instructor_id": "4530799",
  "identity_basis": "source_id",
  "identity_status": "source_identified",
  "name": "JOHN ZUMBRUNNEN",
  "email": null,
  "first_observed_at": "2026-09-06 23:14:58.172943+00:00",
  "last_observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00",
  "ratings": {
    "review_count": 40,
    "quality": 4.8,
    "difficulty": 2.5,
    "quality_count": 40,
    "difficulty_count": 40,
    "profile_id": "rmp:1282510",
    "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1282510",
    "match_basis": "exact_name",
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:30:56.032068+00:00",
    "courses": {
      "course_017a664e53519bdfefed2e63": {
        "review_count": 3,
        "quality": 4.67,
        "difficulty": 2.33,
        "quality_count": 3,
        "difficulty_count": 3
      },
      "course_f316b1c0bcfe1eba601b7ab6": {
        "review_count": 2,
        "quality": 3.5,
        "difficulty": 2.5,
        "quality_count": 2,
        "difficulty_count": 2
      }
    },
    "bayesian_quality": 4.419895261182199,
    "prior_mean": 3.6596857835465957,
    "prior_weight": 20
  },
  "grade_statistics": {
    "gpa": 3.582,
    "graded": 974,
    "counts": [
      566,
      228,
      105,
      28,
      17,
      8,
      22
    ],
    "sections": 58
  },
  "current": false,
  "courses": [],
  "revision": "e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349",
  "instructor_url": "/instructors/JOHN_ZUMBRUNNEN"
}