Historical instructor

SIMON BALTO

Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 4.21/5 from 19 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

HIST102 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 2/5
Dr. Balto had a lot of medical issues this past semester that started pretty early on, so we probably only had about 1/2 lectures we normally would've. Aside from that, both him and Aydan were available for any questions or if you needed help. Balto was also super apologetic when missing lecture. Extra plus that it was an easy class.
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HIST155 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
Dr. Balto is an amazing lecturer who is very passionate about what he teaches. He conveys topics in a clear, respectful, and concise way (which I feel is extremely important when covering sensitive subject matter). His exams are a bit tedious but he prepares you well.
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HIST155 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 2/5
Prof. Balto was an amazing professor, I genuinely enjoyed taking this class and learned so much. Although, this semester Prof. Balto did have medical issues that affected the lesson plans but the assignments were easy with weekly discussion posts and readings. The exams were really easy to study for as long as you took notes and read the textbooks.
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HIST102 · course not matched
Quality 4/5Difficulty 2/5
My experience was a little different because he had to miss a lot of class due to medical issues, but the lectures we did have were funny and informative, and gave good information that we had to use on the exams. Overall, solid professor.
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HIST102 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 2/5
he is such a good teacher and goes so in depth. lecture wasn't monotone like others and you can tell he really wants students to succeed. loved his102 was super interesting .
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HIST102 · course not matched
Quality 4/5Difficulty 3/5
Prof. Balto is extremely knowledgeable in US history and it is very evident. He does an amazing job in lectures, stressing important points and topics that will be on the exams. Attendance was taken at all lectures, so be sure to show up.
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Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with SIMON BALTO

HISTORY 102

American History, Civil War Era to the Present

4 credits

HISTORY 102 covers American political, economic, and social development from the Civil War era to the present.

No offering record · Spring 2026

with this instructor · course overall, matching historical terms

Simon Balto

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2021–Spring 2026
HISTORY 155

The Long Black Freedom Struggle From the Civil War to the Present

Credits unavailable

HISTORY 155 explores the history of African Americans from the end of slavery to the present, focusing on activism and citizenship.

No offering record · Spring 2026

with this instructor · course overall, matching historical terms

Simon Balto

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2025–Spring 2026 · limited sample

Recorded teaching history

Distinct courses recorded per term

Explore courses taught by this instructor →
Browse recorded courses
TermCourseTitle
Spring 2026HISTORY 102American History, Civil War Era to the Present
Spring 2026HISTORY 155The Long Black Freedom Struggle From the Civil War to the Present
Spring 2026HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2025HISTORY 102American History, Civil War Era to the Present
Fall 2025HISTORY 900Introduction to History for U.s. Historians
Fall 2025HISTORY 999Independent Work
Spring 2025HISTORY 102American History, Civil War Era to the Present
Spring 2025HISTORY 155The Long Black Freedom Struggle From the Civil War to the Present
Spring 2025HISTORY 682Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2024HISTORY 102American History, Civil War Era to the Present
Fall 2024HISTORY 681Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2024HISTORY 952Seminar in Comparative History
Spring 2024HISTORY 682Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2023HISTORY 681Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2023HISTORY 999Independent Work
Spring 2023HISTORY 201The Historian's Craft
Spring 2023HISTORY 227Explorations in the History of Race and Ethnicity
Fall 2022HISTORY 102American History, Civil War Era to the Present
Fall 2022HISTORY 901Studies in American History
Fall 2022HISTORY 999Independent Work
Spring 2014AFROAMER 231Introduction to African American History

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

Instructor identity & provenance 
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