Current instructor

Paula Gottlieb

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

Raw average: 3.70/5 from 27 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

PHIL241 · course not matched
Quality 4/5Difficulty 1/5
She's a good professor. Tries to get the class engaged with the material. Good intro philosophy class
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PHIL430 · course not matched
Quality 3/5Difficulty 3/5
Paula was a fantastic professor and I enjoyed her class. But she grades with swing grades, so if you're not in the boundaries of a grade, you will be rounded down. For an A, the grading scale is a 94-95 out of 95, or a 98% or above. While I enjoyed the class, this ensured that while I got above a 95% on all papers, I received a B in the class.
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PHILOS 430
Quality 5/5Difficulty 2/5
Take this class if you're a Philos major, don't if you're not. It is not as real-world applicable as modern philos, which should be obvious. Paula is funny, but granted a little boring, yet very passionate. Her swing grade system is reasonable, but you need to do well for an A. Her tutorial system is very fun: papers with a discussion about it.
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PHILO430 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
This class was only made more enjoyable by somebody as knowledgeable and passionate about ancient greek philosophy as Paula. While lectures may seem to run slow, she nonetheless follows a clear and orderly mode of instruction with the occasional deadpan humor in the mix. Really immerse yourself in the readings, and you will do great come tutorials.
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PHILOS 430
Quality 2/5Difficulty 3/5
She wasn't my favorite professor in the department. Her lectures are pretty boring, and her voice honestly put me to sleep most days. I don't like her "swing" grade strategy or revising the grading scale. I just wish she counted attendance and we were graded normally on the papers. The ancients are pretty underwhelming, too.
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PHIL430 · course not matched
Quality 1/5Difficulty 1/5
Lectures are impressively boring and the only reason to show up is for the participation grade. I signed in online for lectures but was never present at my computer thereduring. If you enjoy philosophy that has practical implications on your life and can improve it in some manner, avoid this class.
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Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with Paula Gottlieb

PHILOS 430

History of Ancient Philosophy

3–4 credits

HISTORY OF ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY covers philosophers from the presocratics to the Stoics and Epicureans, with particular emphasis on Plato and Aristotle.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Paula Gottlieb’s lectures are frequently described as boring or monotonous, with one student noting her voice puts them to sleep. Reviewers also criticize the lack of syllabus dates and a 'swing' grading strategy that some find unfair or confusing.

Paula GottliebS. Riza Qadri

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026
PHILOS 454

Classical Philosophers

3 credits

PHILOS 454 offers intensive study of selected classical philosophers, movements, or problems.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2022: 3.75 GPA, 91.7% A/AB (n=12 letter grades); Fall 2024: 3.76 GPA, 82.6% A/AB (n=23 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.88 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=16 letter grades).

Paula GottliebJeremy Manheim

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026
PHILOS 599

Directed Study

1–3 credits

PHILOS 599 is a directed study course allowing students to pursue independent research or study topics arranged with a faculty member.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

James MessinaLarry Shapiro+16 more

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026 · limited sample
PHILOS 682

Senior Honors Thesis

3 credits

PHILOS 682 is a mentored study course for seniors completing honors theses in the Philosophy major.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

James MessinaLarry Shapiro+18 more

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2022 · limited sample
PHILOS 999

Independent Work

2–9 credits

PHILOS 999 is an individual mentored study course for graduate students arranged with a faculty member.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

James MessinaLarry Shapiro+22 more

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2022 · limited sample

Recorded teaching history

Explore courses taught by this instructor →
Browse recorded courses
TermCourseTitle
Fall 2026PHILOS 430History of Ancient Philosophy
Fall 2026PHILOS 454Classical Philosophers
Fall 2026PHILOS 599Directed Study
Fall 2026PHILOS 681Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2026PHILOS 682Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2026PHILOS 699Directed Study
Fall 2026PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2026PHILOS 999Independent Work

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

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