Current instructor

Michael Caldwell

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

Raw average: 4.25/5 from 16 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

PSYCH 401
Quality 5/5Difficulty 2/5
LOVE THIS CLASS! Very interesting lectures, explained all content in plain English. Very entertaining storyteller (all relevant examples, not tangents). Really funny and will occasionally say something out-of-pocket to keep us engaged during evening lectures. No homework, pretty easy tests. Testified in the Slenderman case!
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PSYCH411 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
I took Dr. Caldwell's capstone course (PSYCH 601) and can say he is a super funny guy and incredibly knowledgable about juvenile delinquency. Great class, I learned a lot, and his canvas structure is really good. Definitely take this capstone if you are interested in criminal psych
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PSYCH 401
Quality 4/5Difficulty 2/5
Prof. co-teaches with a colleague, both very kind. Content is interesting & interspersed with jokes/videos, though lectures drain on. They legit highlight the most important stuff in the slides--this is what they test you on. Exams are straightforward if you go to lectures & pay attention. 3 exams, 3 EASY discussion posts, 1 cum. final, attendance.
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PSYCH 401
Quality 2/5Difficulty 3/5
You are only graded on discussion posts and exams, plus attendance at the END of class. There is zero outline for any of the exams despite him giving 60+ slide decks every lecture, which he just reads off of in the most painfully boring voice. I emailed him and the TA replied saying I shouldn't be burdening him with an email ? I hated this class.
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PSYCH 401
Quality 5/5Difficulty 2/5
Michael's lectures were always entertaining and interesting! Even though it was a late class, I was still motivated to go to listen to him lecture. His and the other lecturer's experience shines through during their lectures. I love to hear the stories and background of their careers. They both were very knowledgeable and experienced!
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PSYCH 401
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
Super funny, he also taught with another professor. Lectures were super engaging and the topic was really interesting too. There were two books they say you need for class, but you don't really need to read anything. You're graded by 3 quizzes, 3 discussion posts (super easy), and 1 final cumulative exam. Definitely take the class.
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Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with Michael Caldwell

PSYCH 401

Psychology, Law, and Social Policy

3 credits

Examines the role of psychological principles and research evidence in U.S. laws, social control, and policy.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Michael Caldwell co-teaches with colleagues, using engaging lectures with videos and career stories to explain content clearly. Reviewers find the material interesting and the exams straightforward if students attend and pay attention.

Michael CaldwellGregory Van Rybroek+1 more

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2025

Recorded teaching history

Explore courses taught by this instructor →
Browse recorded courses
TermCourseTitle
Fall 2026PSYCH 401Psychology, Law, and Social Policy

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

Instructor identity & provenance 
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