Current instructor

Joseph Bowling

Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 4.24/5 from 33 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

ENGL 241
Quality 4/5Difficulty 3/5
Lectures were lowkey boring, but not mandatory so it's okay. Super helpful when we met outside of class. But, it's really dependent on what TA you get and how they interpret the rubric, as he doesn't grade any of the assignments.
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ENGL 241
Quality 3/5Difficulty 3/5
ENGL241 is a lot of reading, but has very minimal assignments. Your entire grade is concentrated in a portfolio of reading responses and reflection that can be difficult to revise if your TA is not accessible. Bowling is a lecturer who is very passionate about the material and encourages a classroom that brings multiple interpretations.
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ENGL 431
Quality 5/5Difficulty 1/5
Lectures drone on a bit, but they're interesting enough. Assignments were easy and he gave nice feedback on all of them. It's shakespeare so a lot of the reading is tedious, but you can get youtube explanatories of chapters and it works the same. Super easy A and I think Dr. Bowling is a great guy.
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ENG176 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 1/5
Very nice guy. Easy A if you get all the attendance. The lecture was a bit boring though, but he was trying to make it fun.
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Quality 3/5Difficulty 1/5
Lectures are a little monotone and hard to stay interested in for the length of the class. Held class a little late quite often. Grading was labor-based which I see the appeal of, but it can make assignments you're proud of less rewarding since something subpar would have gotten you the same grade.
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Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with Joseph Bowling

Examines the depiction and valuation of other academic disciplines in British and American literature, including their intellectual influences on selected works and movements.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Past student reviews · Joseph Bowling

Joseph Bowling taught a course covering political philosophers, with grades based on two papers and a group presentation. Students found him understanding and flexible, noting he adjusted the schedule to meet class needs.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026

Survey of English literature and culture through the 18th century, covering genres from epic to sonnet and developing critical reading and writing skills.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Past student reviews · Joseph Bowling

Joseph Bowling teaches ENGL 241 with a heavy reading load but minimal assignments, where the grade concentrates in a portfolio of reading responses and reflections. Students found the lectures engaging or boring, and noted that grading depends on TA interpretation since Bowling does not grade the assignments.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026

Study of four Shakespeare plays after 1600 with the reading of several others.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2022: 3.86 GPA, 89.3% A/AB (n=28 letter grades).

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2022 · limited sample

Directed Study is an English course for junior or senior students with prior or concurrent intermediate-level work in the same subject, requiring consultation with an academic advisor.

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
TermCourseTitle
Spring 2027ENGL 175Literature and the Other Disciplines
Spring 2027ENGL 241Literature and Culture I: to the 18th Century
Spring 2027ENGL 432Later Works of Shakespeare
Spring 2027ENGL 680Honors Project
Spring 2027ENGL 682Senior Honors Thesis in the Major
Spring 2027ENGL 699Directed Study
Fall 2026ENGL 175Literature and the Other Disciplines
Fall 2026ENGL 176Topics in Literature and Film
Fall 2026ENGL 431Early Works of Shakespeare
Fall 2026ENGL 681Senior Honors Thesis in the Major

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

Instructor identity & provenance
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