Historical instructor

SUZANNE DESAN

Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 4.43/5 from 46 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

HIST201 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 4/5
Difficult but fair professor that cares a whole heck of a lot about what she's talking about and makes every lecture almost like a movie in your head that you can easily follow.
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HIS201 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
This is one of the best Professors that I have ever encountered. Her discusion on the age of Enlightenment has helped me not just understand a complex age in human history but she inspired me to really enjoy it.
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HIS201 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
Professor Desan gives some of the most passionate, energetic lectures I've ever seen. She cares deeply about the topics she teaches and makes it impossible not to care just as much when she speaks on the topic. There is a lot of reading to do for her courses, but the reading is always applicable and related to lecture content.
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HIS201 · course not matched
Quality 2/5Difficulty 4/5
Desan is incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic, however the lectures are not needed(but attendance is mandatory). She hands out a "textbook" with all the readings you will need, and those are the basis for your papers. Everyth… Read full reviewShow less
Desan is incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic, however the lectures are not needed(but attendance is mandatory). She hands out a "textbook" with all the readings you will need, and those are the basis for your papers. Everything is graded harshly and her expectations are through the roof. If you don't like writing, don't take the class.
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HIST600 · course not matched
Quality 3/5Difficulty 5/5
Desan is so smart and I learned so much in this class. However, it completely ruined my mental health because she expected so much and was honestly mean to me many times. I felt worthless because my best work was absolutely never enough for her.
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Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with SUZANNE DESAN

No teaching recorded in Fall 2026.

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Recorded teaching history

Distinct courses recorded per term

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Browse recorded courses
TermCourseTitle
Spring 2024HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2023HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2023HISTORY 201The Historian's Craft
Spring 2023HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2022HISTORY 710Professional Development Seminar
Spring 2022HISTORY 119Europe and the World, 1400-1815
Spring 2022HISTORY 600Advanced Seminar in History
Fall 2021HISTORY 201The Historian's Craft
Fall 2021HISTORY 600Advanced Seminar in History
Fall 2020HISTORY 201The Historian's Craft
Fall 2020HISTORY 710Professional Development Seminar
Spring 2020HISTORY 119Europe and the World, 1400-1815
Spring 2020HISTORY 707Proseminar in Early Modern European History, 1500-1789
Spring 2020HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2019HISTORY 201The Historian's Craft
Fall 2019HISTORY 600Advanced Seminar in History
Fall 2019HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2019HISTORY 119Europe and the World, 1400-1815
Spring 2019HISTORY 600Advanced Seminar in History
Spring 2019HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2018HISTORY 201The Historian's Craft
Fall 2018HISTORY 600Advanced Seminar in History
Fall 2018HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2018HISTORY 999Independent Work
Spring 2017HISTORY 119Europe and the World, 1400-1815
Spring 2017HISTORY 283Intermediate Honors Seminar-studies in History
Spring 2017HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2017HISTORY 999Independent Work
Spring 2017HISTSCI 286Honors Seminar: Studies in Science, Technology, Medicine
Fall 2016HISTORY 201The Historian's Craft
Fall 2016HISTORY 707Proseminar in Early Modern European History, 1500-1789
Fall 2016HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2016HISTORY 119Europe and the World, 1400-1815
Spring 2016HISTORY 703History and Theory
Spring 2016HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2016HISTORY 999Independent Work
Fall 2015HISTORY 600Advanced Seminar in History
Fall 2015HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2015HISTORY 999Independent Work
Spring 2015HISTORY 119Europe and the World, 1400-1815
Spring 2015HISTORY 600Advanced Seminar in History
Spring 2015HISTORY 682Senior Honors Thesis
Spring 2015HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2015HISTORY 999Independent Work
Fall 2014HISTORY 358French Revolution and Napoleon
Fall 2014HISTORY 681Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2014HISTORY 705Topics in Global History
Spring 2014HISTORY 119Europe and the World, 1400-1815
Spring 2014HISTORY 707Proseminar in Early Modern European History, 1500-1789
Spring 2014HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2013HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2013HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2013HISTORY 999Independent Work
Fall 2012HISTORY 600Advanced Seminar in History
Fall 2012HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2012HISTORY 358French Revolution and Napoleon
Spring 2012HISTORY 707Proseminar in Early Modern European History, 1500-1789
Spring 2012HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2012HISTORY 999Independent Work
Fall 2011HISTORY 600Advanced Seminar in History
Fall 2011HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2011HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2011HISTORY 999Independent Work
Fall 2010HISTORY 682Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2010HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2010HISTORY 119Europe and the World, 1400-1815
Spring 2010HISTORY 681Senior Honors Thesis
Spring 2010HISTORY 699Directed Study
Spring 2010HISTORY 703History and Theory
Spring 2010HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2010HISTORY 999Independent Work
Fall 2009HISTORY 358French Revolution and Napoleon
Fall 2009HISTORY 600Advanced Seminar in History
Fall 2009HISTORY 699Directed Study
Fall 2009HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2009HISTORY 119Europe and the World, 1400-1815
Spring 2009HISTORY 699Directed Study
Spring 2009HISTORY 707Proseminar in Early Modern European History, 1500-1789
Spring 2009HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2009HISTORY 999Independent Work
Fall 2008HISTORY 283Intermediate Honors Seminar-studies in History
Fall 2008HISTORY 600Advanced Seminar in History
Fall 2008HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2008HISTORY 999Independent Work
Fall 2008HISTSCI 280Honors Seminar: Studies in Science, Technology, Medicine
Spring 2008HISTORY 119Europe and the World, 1400-1815
Spring 2008HISTORY 600Advanced Seminar in History
Spring 2008HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2008HISTORY 999Independent Work
Fall 2007HISTORY 703History and Theory
Fall 2007HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2007HISTORY 999Independent Work
Spring 2007HISTORY 119Europe and the World, 1400-1815
Spring 2007HISTORY 692Senior Thesis
Spring 2007HISTORY 699Directed Study
Spring 2007HISTORY 707Proseminar in Early Modern European History, 1500-1789
Spring 2007HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2006HISTORY 600Advanced Seminar in History
Fall 2006HISTORY 691Senior Thesis
Fall 2006HISTORY 990Research and Thesis

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

Instructor identity & provenance 
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