Current instructor

Martin Foys

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

Raw average: 4.22/5 from 36 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

ENG177 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
Professor Foys is one of the most engaged and interested lecturers I have ever had. His lectures are genuinely interesting, and I learned a lot. However, I will say that there is a lot of reading, and the final exam study is an absolute nightmare. He has plenty of resources, but be prepared to grind!
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ENG177 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
Prof. Foys is an incredible lecturer, and is clearly very passionate about the things he teaches. He made each lecture engaging and fascinating, he structures his classes very well.
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ENG177 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 2/5
Dr. Foys was clearly excited to teach the rise of modern fantasy. The title of the course "Pop Culture and Fantasy" was misleading, however Dr. Foys was an engaging professor. It is reading heavy, but the texts are easy and inexpensive. He communicated his expectations and provided a detailed study guide for the exams. Attend lecture, take notes.
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ENG177 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
Dr. Foys is intensely passionate about what he teaches, which contributes to how incredible his lectures are. They are well-presented and insightful, and I'd probably attend on my own time. That being said, lecture attendance is mandatory (and taken on TopHat with location on), and there is a LOT of reading in the 2nd half of the semester.
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ENG177 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
Dr. Foys is an excellent lecturer with a clear passion for what he's teaching. You will read a LOT, especially towards the end, but the material is interesting. Lectures were very informative, didn't just read off slides.
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ENG177 · course not matched
Quality 4/5Difficulty 2/5
Professor Foys has a strict attendance policy, but offers extra credit later in the semester in order to 'remove' an absence. I thought this class was super interesting and was a lot easier for me because of previous experience in fantasy. If you've read (or watched) Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, or The Hobbit the class will be infinitely easier.
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Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with Martin Foys

ENGL 699 is a directed study course for junior or senior English students.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2022 · limited sample

ENGL 795 is a one-credit graduate seminar focusing on the study of a specific topic in English language and literature.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2024–Fall 2024 · limited sample

This course covers the elements of Old English grammar accompanied by selected readings.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2024: 3.64 GPA, 85.7% A/AB (n=7 letter grades); Spring 2025: 3.50 GPA, 62.5% A/AB (n=16 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.56 GPA, 62.5% A/AB (n=8 letter grades).

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Fall 2025 · limited sample

ENGL/MEDIEVAL 803 is a graduate-level course focusing on the study of specific topics within Medieval literature.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2016: 3.67 GPA, 88.9% A/AB (n=9 letter grades); Fall 2019: 3.94 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=8 letter grades); Fall 2023: 3.95 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=10 letter grades).

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2023–Spring 2026 · limited sample

Recorded teaching history

Explore courses taught by this instructor →
Browse recorded courses
TermCourseTitle
Fall 2026ENGL 681Senior Honors Thesis in the Major
Fall 2026ENGL 699Directed Study
Fall 2026ENGL 795One-credit Seminar
Fall 2026ENGL 890Pre-dissertator Preliminary Exam Research
Fall 2026ENGL 990Dissertation Research in English
Fall 2026ENGL/MEDIEVAL 520Old English
Fall 2026ENGL/MEDIEVAL 803Topics in Medieval Literature

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

Instructor identity & provenance
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