Professor Larson is clear, organized, helpful, and informative. Grades are based on one midterm, one essay, one final, and discussion points. When the Ukraine crisis began, she took the time to discuss it with us which was SO appreciated because she is so knowledgeable about international relations and I loved hearing about such a scary, unpredictable situation from someone with insight. Even after classes went back in person, she still zoomed lecture simultaneously which was also very appreciated. Larson is kind, accommodating, and a great professor overall. I learned so much about international relations, history, and politics, all of which I consider valuable to everyday life (not just testing). I can’t recommend this class enough!!

PS 126 was one of the best classes I've taken at UCLA. Professor Larson is super engaging and I always looked forward to going to her lectures. The midterm and final were pretty intense, but if you put in the time to seriously study for them, you'll do great in this class. Between the midterm and final, you have to write a research paper on one of the assigned topics. Again, put in the time to make the paper good and even have your TA look over it, and you'll be fine. This is an awesome class and I highly recommend it.

One of my favorite classes I have taken at UCLA. The lectures are fast and crammed with info, but Larson is clear and engaging. Super enjoyable topics, and I'm a fan of her old-school lecture style. I'm going to be honest: I never read a single thing for this class, and I skipped lecture a lot. I still got an A. If you are a good note-taker and go to discussion every week, then you're set. Class consists of a midterm, a paper, discussion participation, and a final (which became optional due to COVID-19). The exams are pretty easy, a mixture of definitions, short answers, and an essay. Making flashcards or a Quizlet is helpful for the definitions. Listening in class, paying attention in discussion, and a quick review of your notes covers should help for the short answers and essay. I got a 98% on the midterm. I wrote the term paper the night before, having no previous knowledge on the topic, and got 95%. Take this class if you can

Really interesting lectures and Larson knows exactly what she's talking about. I liked the no-nonsense lectures without slides; some professors use slides that are just a wall of info but Larson tells things more like a story. I dislike that she made her own textbook a required purchase but it made sense because her lectures were basically a more in-depth version of the chapters in that weeks' reading. The discussion sections were not the greatest (they never are). They were kind of awkward but the TA was nice at least. The mid-term was sort of difficult, the essay was pretty easy to write if you'd been to lectures and done the reading and the final was opt-out which was nice to see. A great class and would take Larson again :)

Professor Larson is a super engaging lecturer. In her class, you will never stop typing/writing notes the entire class but the material is very interesting and Larson always presents the information with clarity. I would definitely recommend people to take this class.

Larson is a class act. Hands down one of the best lecturers in the department. If you're into IR, American history, or defense/military affairs, both 120 and 126 are must-takes.

Exams are straightforward; do a good job on the study guide and you'll be set. Readings are interesting but completely unnecessary insofar as grading is concerned.

This class was fantastic. Larson's ability to lecture is unmatched in the department. It is a fascinating topic by itself, but she really makes it more enthralling through her presentation of the material. This was the first class that made me feel like I was at an elite research institution. The first half of class covered theoretical concepts of peace and war; the second half covered case studies from the 20th century that applied the concepts. There were two exams and an 8 page paper due. I never felt overwhelmed by this class. But you should show up and take good notes. The readings aren't too long, ether. I got an A in the class and I highly recommend it.

REALLY good teacher, but its hard to get an A in the class. A- is doable but u still have to study hard for the tests and go to every class and take really good notes. Overall, I'd recommend it. The tests are difficult to prepare for, but no surprises. And the essay is not too bad but the grading is a little subjective.

Good professor, definitely have to study hard for the tests, but they aren't surprising or extremely difficult. but they are very time crunched. if you dont know the material completely, it would be hard to finish the test on time. the essay was a bit difficult.

DO NOT TAKE LARSON FOR PEACE AND WAR. i had her last year and her TA was horrible. i have a 3.8 poli sci GPA and i got a B- in this class after getting an A on the midterm. The grading of the paper is so subjective; everyone I know got a B or lower. Her 120A class is much more fair. I didnt get anything out of 126 stay away from this class.