Current instructor

Paula Gottlieb

Adjusted rating
RMP 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
Rate My Professors ↗
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.
Rate My Professors ↗
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.
Rate My Professors ↗
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.
Rate My Professors ↗
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.
Rate My Professors ↗
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.
Rate My Professors ↗

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

Classes with Paula Gottlieb

PHILOS 241

Introductory Ethics

3–4 credits

Introductory Ethics covers moral problems, ethical theory, moral skepticism, practical ethics, and the evaluation of social institutions.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2022: 3.60 GPA, 83.8% A/AB (n=80 letter grades); Spring 2024: 3.71 GPA, 85.9% A/AB (n=78 letter grades); Spring 2025: 3.60 GPA, 83.0% A/AB (n=53 letter grades).

Russ Shafer-LandauPaula Gottlieb

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026
PHILOS 599

Directed Study

1–3 credits

Directed Study (PHILOS 599) is an independent study arranged with a faculty member.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

James MessinaSteven Nadler+18 more

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2026–Spring 2026 · limited sample
PHILOS 830

Advanced History of Philosophy

3 credits

Advanced seminar in the history of philosophy, focusing on a specific period or figure(s).

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2016: 3.92 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=12 letter grades); Spring 2018: 3.96 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=14 letter grades); Spring 2025: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=8 letter grades).

Paula Gottlieb

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2023–Spring 2025 · limited sample

Recorded teaching history

Distinct courses recorded per term

Explore courses taught by this instructor →
Browse recorded courses
TermCourseTitle
Spring 2027PHILOS 241Introductory Ethics
Spring 2027PHILOS 599Directed Study
Spring 2027PHILOS 681Senior Honors Thesis
Spring 2027PHILOS 682Senior Honors Thesis
Spring 2027PHILOS 699Directed Study
Spring 2027PHILOS 799Directed Study
Spring 2027PHILOS 830Advanced History of Philosophy
Spring 2027PHILOS 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2027PHILOS 999Independent Work
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.

Instructor identity & provenance 
{
  "instructor_uid": "instructor_2e27d38012ede39bdf36c428",
  "source": "enrollment",
  "source_instructor_id": "plgottli",
  "identity_basis": "netid",
  "identity_status": "source_identified",
  "name": "Paula Gottlieb",
  "email": "PLGOTTLI@WISC.EDU",
  "first_observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00",
  "last_observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00",
  "ratings": {
    "review_count": 27,
    "quality": 3.7,
    "difficulty": 2.56,
    "quality_count": 27,
    "difficulty_count": 27,
    "profile_id": "rmp:589692",
    "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/589692",
    "match_basis": "exact_name",
    "observed_at": "2026-10-14 18:45:50.691523+00:00",
    "courses": {
      "course_7a64c9e06bf089b093eb0116": {
        "review_count": 4,
        "quality": 3,
        "difficulty": 2.75,
        "quality_count": 4,
        "difficulty_count": 4
      }
    },
    "bayesian_quality": 3.682635566168711,
    "prior_mean": 3.65919358049647,
    "prior_weight": 20
  },
  "current": true,
  "courses": [
    {
      "course_uid": "course_2669442b26c0a7866da3daa3",
      "course_id": "PHILOS 990",
      "title": "RESEARCH AND THESIS",
      "credits_min": 2,
      "credits_max": 9,
      "gpa": null
    },
    {
      "course_uid": "course_26e8125a75c5989423cc9076",
      "course_id": "PHILOS 699",
      "title": "DIRECTED STUDY",
      "credits_min": 2,
      "credits_max": 3,
      "gpa": null
    },
    {
      "course_uid": "course_289e73f4cd1b9bba4f865556",
      "course_id": "PHILOS 999",
      "title": "INDEPENDENT WORK",
      "credits_min": 2,
      "credits_max": 9,
      "gpa": 4
    },
    {
      "course_uid": "course_2c81e4f4233fa57ad8c56280",
      "course_id": "PHILOS 682",
      "title": "SENIOR HONORS THESIS",
      "credits_min": 3,
      "credits_max": 3,
      "gpa": 4
    },
    {
      "course_uid": "course_5e5a87f73ce273d67355c810",
      "course_id": "PHILOS 681",
      "title": "SENIOR HONORS THESIS",
      "credits_min": 1,
      "credits_max": 3,
      "gpa": null
    },
    {
      "course_uid": "course_97698a6ee4d9ce06a0f4a474",
      "course_id": "PHILOS 599",
      "title": "DIRECTED STUDY",
      "credits_min": 1,
      "credits_max": 3,
      "gpa": 4
    },
    {
      "course_uid": "course_badd2b5c09509247a930e344",
      "course_id": "PHILOS 241",
      "title": "INTRODUCTORY ETHICS",
      "credits_min": 3,
      "credits_max": 4,
      "gpa": 3.488
    },
    {
      "course_uid": "course_c202f1d94774570dee955c5c",
      "course_id": "PHILOS 830",
      "title": "ADVANCED HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY",
      "credits_min": 3,
      "credits_max": 3,
      "gpa": 3.933
    },
    {
      "course_uid": "course_fc7f51f78b28005b0e94585b",
      "course_id": "PHILOS 799",
      "title": "DIRECTED STUDY",
      "credits_min": 1,
      "credits_max": 3,
      "gpa": null
    }
  ],
  "revision": "fc1811fa52e581ea57a35c0cf3343f8740a8ffbf",
  "instructor_url": "/instructors/PAULA_GOTTLIEB"
}