Historical instructor

WALTER STERN

Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 4.93/5 from 14 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

EDPOL/HISTORY 412
Quality 4/5Difficulty 2/5
Tended to just read off the slides, but not necessarily "boring". Really nice guy and made topics interesting. Overall, nothing incredibly good or bad about him, just a very average prof. Would take a class with him again :).
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EDPOL/HISTORY 143
Quality 5/5Difficulty 1/5
Very easy class. Weekly readings are easy, and Walter is very accommodating for any student needs. I cannot recommend him enough if you have to fill some miscellaneous credits. He is passionate about his work, and wants to share it with others.
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EDPOL/HISTORY 143
Quality 5/5Difficulty 4/5
Professor Stern is one of the best professors I've ever had. His passion for the subject matter came across in every lecture and discussion and made me excited to go to class every day. Readings were supplemental every time and the final project had lots of creative freedom.
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EDPOL/HISTORY 412
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
The BEST professor I've ever met at UW-Madison. Even though his office hour is full, he will still take time off from his busy schedule to meet with you if you send him an email. He is so nice and PPT used in class is super clear. He will provide specific and inspirational feedback on your paper. Just choose him, and you will not regret it!!!!!!
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EDPOL/HISTORY 412
Quality 5/5Difficulty 2/5
Great professor, finds tons of great resources for reading, engaging topics and easy to follow in lecture, a good idea to read as much of the secondary sources as possible but easy to get away with skipping them here and there, lecture isn't required but has pop reflections which are released in class, do reading responses early, great class
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EDPOL/HISTORY 412
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
One of the best profs I've had at UW, really cares about his students' learning and success and the material itself. Lectures and readings are interesting and discussions are engaging, try to get into his discussion section if you can! Not too much work outside of class, and the work felt like it enhanced learning, not just busywork.
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Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with WALTER STERN

EDPOL/HISTORY 143

History of Race and Inequality in Urban America

3 credits

Examines the historical relationships between metropolitan change, economic transformation, and the construction of race to understand their impact on inequality and marginalized communities.

No offering record · Spring 2026

with this instructor · course overall, matching historical terms

Walter Stern

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2023–Spring 2026
HISTORY 999

Independent Work

1–6 credits

HISTORY 999 is an independent work course involving directed study under faculty supervision.

No offering record · Spring 2026

with this instructor · course overall, matching historical terms

Stephen KantrowitzWalter Stern+21 more

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2021–Spring 2022 · limited sample

Recorded teaching history

Distinct courses recorded per term

Explore courses taught by this instructor →
Browse recorded courses
TermCourseTitle
Spring 2026EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Spring 2026EDPOL/HISTORY 143History of Race and Inequality in Urban America
Spring 2026HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2026HISTORY 999Independent Work
Fall 2025AFROAMER/EDPOL/HISTORY 712Education and the Civil Rights Movement
Fall 2025EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Fall 2025EDPOL/HISTORY 412History of American Education
Fall 2025HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2025EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Spring 2025EDPOL/HISTORY 143History of Race and Inequality in Urban America
Spring 2025EDPOL/HISTORY 612History of Student Activism From the Popular Front to Black Lives Matter
Spring 2025HISTORY 682Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2024EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Fall 2024EDPOL/HISTORY 412History of American Education
Fall 2024EDPOL/HISTORY 906Proseminar on the History of Education
Fall 2024HISTORY 681Senior Honors Thesis
Spring 2024EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Spring 2024HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2023EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Fall 2023EDPOL 999Independent Reading
Fall 2023HISTORY 999Independent Work
Spring 2023EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Spring 2023EDPOL/HISTORY 143History of Race and Inequality in Urban America
Spring 2023HISTORY 682Senior Honors Thesis
Spring 2023HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2023HISTORY 999Independent Work
Fall 2022EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Fall 2022EDPOL 999Independent Reading
Fall 2022EDPOL/HISTORY 412History of American Education
Fall 2022EDPOL/HISTORY 903History of Education of Multicultural America
Fall 2022HISTORY 699Directed Study
Fall 2022HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2022EDPOL 150Education and Public Policy
Spring 2022EDPOL 999Independent Reading
Spring 2022EDPOL/HISTORY 907Seminar-history of Education
Spring 2022HISTORY 681Senior Honors Thesis
Spring 2022HISTORY 682Senior Honors Thesis
Spring 2022HISTORY 999Independent Work
Fall 2021EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Fall 2021EDPOL/HISTORY 412History of American Education
Fall 2021EDPOL/HISTORY 612History of Student Activism From the Popular Front to Black Lives Matter
Fall 2021HISTORY 681Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2020AFROAMER/EDPOL/HISTORY 712Education and the Civil Rights Movement
Fall 2020EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Fall 2020HISTORY 681Senior Honors Thesis
Spring 2020EDPOL 150Education and Public Policy
Spring 2020EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Spring 2020EDPOL 999Independent Reading
Spring 2020EDPOL/HISTORY 907Seminar-history of Education
Spring 2020HISTORY 999Independent Work
Fall 2019EDPOL 999Independent Reading
Fall 2019EDPOL/HISTORY 412History of American Education
Fall 2019EDPOL/HISTORY 903History of Education of Multicultural America
Spring 2019EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Spring 2019HISTORY 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2018AFROAMER/EDPOL/HISTORY 712Education and the Civil Rights Movement
Spring 2018EDPOL 600Problems in Educational Policy
Spring 2018EDPOL 990Research or Thesis
Fall 2017EDPOL/HISTORY 412History of American Education
Fall 2017EDPOL/HISTORY 903History of Education of Multicultural America
Spring 2017EDPOL 600Problems in Educational Policy
Spring 2017EDPOL 999Independent Reading
Fall 2016EDPOL/HISTORY 412History of American Education
Fall 2016EDPOL/HISTORY 907Seminar-history of Education

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

Instructor identity & provenance 
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