It’s that time of year again. The semester feels like it just started, but class registration is already here. Type A students have probably already done an exhaustive search on Albert and added all their classes to their shopping carts, and type B students usually start doing it on the morning of registration. Either way, all of us consult Rate My Professor before making any final decisions.
But NYU Prague’s Rate My Professor reviews are shockingly sparse. Some professors don’t even come up.
To make sure you don’t have to go in blind, here’s our honest take on the classes at NYU Prague. To search through our reviews, either use “Control + F” to search your course’s name or find it by topic.
LANGUAGE CLASSES
Review #532: Elementary German II (aka GERM-UA 9002)
Professor: Josef Ager. He is a great person and super energetic and lively, that’s why class time usually flies very fast because he is very involved in the process. He truly tries to engage students to learn a language.
Class style: The professor tries to focus on speaking, and we spend a lot of time discussing something and learning new vocabulary, which is super useful. He is Austrian and German is his native language. It is a great opportunity to practice your skills with a native speaker and get used to the accent and correct pronunciation. The professor usually only speaks in German during the class. Of course, you can ask him some questions in English if you need to, but he prefers the class to speak in German. You have to be ready to step out of your comfort zone and try to grasp German words quickly, which took me some time to get used to. The class is twice a week for an hour and a half, which is not that long, so you don’t feel overwhelmed or drained after. We have a book the professor gave us at the beginning, and we often focus on topics there, but he can give us some extra interesting material if he feels the need. We cover some vocabulary and grammar in each class and then try to insert it into a particular context.
Exams: We had one vocabulary quiz a few weeks before the midterm and the midterm exam last week. Both exams weren’t very hard. They pretty much covered everything we discussed during the lessons. So you just have to be attentive in class and take notes and do your homework regularly to get good grades.
Assignments: The professor usually assigns a decent amount of homework, sometimes it includes written tasks as well. It can feel a bit stressful to cope with everything, but I’ve noticed huge progress in my German skills, so it’s definitely worth it.
Extra info: I suggest you take a German course if you already have some knowledge because one semester is not enough to gain a good level of a language you’ve never learned before. But for people already know a bit, it is definitely a great opportunity to improve your German.
Review #331: Intermediate Russian II (aka RUSSN-UA 9004)
Professor: Tatiana Styrkas. This professor is really nice and very accommodating.
Class Style: Be prepared for this to be a very small class, especially if you aren’t a beginner. My Advanced Russian class was just me and Professor Styrkas. Although that might sound strange or even daunting, at least you’re getting private lessons for the price of a group. The small class size forces you to participate often, helping you acquire the level of speaking confidence that is usually hard to get in a traditional group setting. At the advanced level, the curriculum is based on reading short stories as well as a heavy emphasis on conversation. The exercises are designed to challenge you and get you speaking on a variety of topics; however, don’t worry, Professor Styrkas is very kind and accommodating. It’s understood in her class that it’s OK to make mistakes.
Exams: There is a midterm and a final. The exams are taken in class and are based on reading and grammar topics from the textbook. There is also a short essay portion to each exam which is done at home. The midterm was of average difficulty; I suggest doing all the practice exercises in the textbook and reviewing the reading, and you’ll be just fine.
Assignments: There is a short homework assignment due every class, usually a grammar or writing exercise from the textbook. These will take you about 30 minutes to do. Professor Styrkas also expects you to keep a diary in Russian and write two entries a week. These are graded for completion only, so don’t stress too much about spelling or grammar mistakes.
Extra Info: Professor Styrkas takes all the Russian students on some interesting field trips within Prague. So far, we’ve visited an Eastern Orthodox cemetery and the Slavonic Library, and we’ll soon be seeing a ballet performance.
POLITICS AND LAW CLASSES
Review #413: Contemporary Issues in Law— Law and Human Rights in Central Europe (aka SOC-UA 9413 or ANTH-UA 9074)
Professor: Zdenek Kuhn, a judge in the Supreme Court of the Czech Republic and is very accessible and kind. He is more than happy to discuss the class, law, or anything else with you outside of class.
Class Style: Classes are mostly lecture-based, with some discussion. Lectures are long and full of information, but if you at least skim the readings, you will do great.
Exams: Your midterm is an oral presentation structured loosely around the idea of a mock trial. You are assigned a position on a case based on a real lawsuit in the European Union. You write a short (one or two-page) memo on your stance, and then in class, Professor Kuhn questions you and the others in your case on your positions. There is also a final paper.
Assignments: Other than the midterm and final paper, there are no formal assignments. There are readings for every class meeting, but they are well organized and very manageable in length.
Extra Info: If you are interested in pursuing a career related to law, this class is extremely interesting. I highly recommend this course!
Review #061: European-American Relations in the 21st Century – POL-UA 9598
Professor: Tomas Klvana. The professor seems strict and demanding at first sight, but actually he is a very wise and intelligent man who really wants to teach you and make you interested in the subject and tries to make every class engaging. He has a very delightful background: he served as Spokesman and Policy Adviser for President of the Czech Republic and Special Czech Government Envoy for Communications of the Missile Defense Program, a U.S.-Czech-Polish project which brought him to work with his counterparts in the U.S. Congress, Pentagon, State Department and the White House. He was a Shorenstein Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. During lectures you really feel that he is an expert in what he is talking about, so it makes you want to learn from his experience and to listen attentively to his opinion on different topics.
Class Style: I like the fact that the class is twice a week, so you don’t feel too overwhelmed with the information because it is distributed equally. Nonetheless, you have to be ready to read big scientific papers for every class attentively because the professor usually will ask you about the main ideas of the reading he assigned to you. I can spend two to three hours preparing for the class, which is hard at times, especially when you are tired in the evening. Although, lessons are quite interesting and interactive – we usually have discussions in groups or share some ideas in the class. The atmosphere is pleasant and it makes you want to share your opinion with everyone as you feel you won’t be judged by, but rather, heard by the professor and other students.
Exams: We had a midterm quiz (20% of the final grade) which consisted of 10 questions requiring long open answers. There weren’t very tricky questions, all of them covered topics we discussed in class. Although, this exam was a bit challenging as we covered a lot of things in the class, so I didn’t pay attention to some details which came up in the midterm. We also had two projects: one group presentation (10% final grade) and individual presentation (25% final grade) which were interesting to prepare and then discuss in seminars.
Assignments: There is also a grade for class attendance and activity (10% of the final grade) – this grade changes throughout the semester (depending on your activity and participation in class discussions). I can claim that the professor assesses your work fair enough without any of his personal convictions influencing your grade.
Extra Info: You have to be truly interested in politics and international relations to take this class, otherwise it will be challenging for you to read long texts and discuss topics you are not engaged in.
Review #360: Religion, Culture, and Politics of Eastern Europe (aka RELST-UA 9360 or ANTH-UA 9073)
Professor: Petr Mucha
Class Style: A great mix of things! Class usually begins with a discussion of our weekend trips (if we went on any) from a religion/culture/politics perspective. We’ll then go into a lecture with discussions and questions sprinkled throughout, sometimes someone will present their response paper or a presentation. We always end class by going for a walk and looking at buildings or monuments throughout Prague that are related to our topic.
Exams: Only one – a short, multiple-choice exam focused on principles and ideas discussed in class.
Assignments: A response paper on a topic of your choosing, an oral presentation (up to 10 minutes), and a final paper. The great thing about this class is that, at the beginning of the semester, you get to choose your presentation topic and presentation date (the same goes for the response paper) so you can adjust to the schedule of your other assignments.
Extra Info: If you couldn’t already tell, I really enjoy this class. The professor is incredibly kind and passionate about the topic, the class is broken up fairly well (despite being two hours and fifty minutes long), and the discussions almost always feel like genuine conversations. The assignments and exams are spaced out well and are relatively low-stress, yet I still feel like I’ve learned a ton. I highly recommend taking this course.
Review #092: History of Nationalism in Central and Eastern Europe (aka HIST-UA 9176)
Professor: Milada Polisenska, who specializes in the field of international relations and history.
Class style: The class combines both lectures and field trips, which makes the class very interesting. The trips give you important insights about nationalism.
Exams: We will have a final paper at the end of the semester which makes up 30% of our grade.
Assignments: During the semester, we have to write a few reflections on the assigned topics. They make up 20% of the final grade. These reflections are usually about our impressions and thoughts after a certain reading or a field trip. This helps you consolidate material and make sure you fully understand the topic. Also, we have 10-minute presentations, each student assigned to a specific European country, exploring nationalism in that country. Presentations also are 20% final grade.
Extra info: The course itself is quite interesting, but its main part is lectures, so you have to be ready to listen carefully and be concentrated on the topic that professor presents. Short presentations are the only way we interact with the professor and other students in this class.
Review #045: Modern Dissent in Central Europe: The Art of Defeat (aka EURO-UA 9301 and SASEM-UG 9400)
Professor: Jan Urban. This is my favorite class I’m taking this semester by far. A quick Google search on Professor Urban will give you a small glimpse into his unbelievable background. As a dissident during the Communist regime in the Czech Republic, he experienced firsthand many of the topics that his class – as well as many other sociology, politics, or history classes – covers at NYU Prague. I find his stories truly fascinating and incredibly impactful.
Class Style: Professor Urban’s classes combine lectures and discussions. Typically, he will assign one or two students to make a brief presentation on the reading due that day to kickstart student discussion as well as his own lecture.
Exams: No exams! Admittedly, there is no syllabus for this class so I do not know what finals will bring but we have not had an exam yet.
Assessments: The midterm assessment is a short (4 page) paper on a topic of your choice. There have been a few other very brief reflection assignments throughout the semester.
Extra Info: Be prepared for an unusual lecture style! Professor Urban does not prepare slides and often weaves personal anecdotes throughout his lectures. It is a very interesting class but you definitely need to focus in order to make the most of it. While the class does not have a very clear structure, I still feel like I am learning so much. I highly recommend taking class with Professor Urban if you have the chance.
ART CLASSES
Review #320: Czech Art and Architecture (aka ARTH-UA 9662)
Professor: Simon North
Class Style: A very balanced mix of lectures and field trips. The syllabus and course description promised lots of field trips – and this class definitely delivers on that. Just two months in, we’ve visited the Prague Castle/St. Vitus Cathedral, the Royal Gardens, the Charles Bridge, and countless museums and churches. If you want to step out and explore Prague, this is the class for you.
Exams: Two exams throughout the semester and a final exam. The exams tend to be surprisingly challenging and there are 6 major assignments or exams over the course of the semester. It’s a great course for art history students but may be challenging for those who have no experience in the subject.
Assignments: Two papers and a presentation.
Extra Info: Be prepared to spend a lot of time outside the classroom and around Prague. As someone who has never stepped foot into an art history class, I was excited to take Art & Architecture here in Prague. Be warned, if you don’t have a background in it, this class is a lot of work. Nonetheless, it’s a rewarding experience and has taught me a lot about Prague itself.
Review #497: Photography I for Non-Majors (aka ART-UE 9301)
Professor: Bara Mrazkova, a photographer. If you’re interested in the class, look her up – she has some pretty cool photos on her website. She keeps her lectures interesting and short. If anything, they’re a bit fast-paced. She’s accessible and always willing to help you out if you’re struggling.
Class Style: A bit of lectures, a bit of darkroom time, two field trips. In class lectures, we focus on the history of photography, technical instructions, and artistic value in photography, as well as studying some important American and Czech photographers’ work. You spend lots of in class time learning how the camera and darkroom process works. It’s a lot to learn, but you spend a lot of time practicing and going over it as a class. When it was time to do it on my own, I felt well prepared.
Exams: A midterm exam and a final with written, multiple choice and open answer questions, but they’re not hard if you pay attention in class. You should go over the notes before it, but don’t stress too much about them. She’s more focused on the assignments.
Assignments: The assignments: 6 photos and a hard copy annotation explaining your series. There are 4 of these assignments total, each on different topics, due about every two or three weeks. You have to develop all of these photos using a film camera in the darkroom on campus. BE WARNED: it’s a huge time commitment — it takes a ton of out of class time to master these techniques. The dark room can be a very tricky place, and sometimes things just continuously go wrong. For me, though, it’s been worth it. It’s tedious, but so rewarding when you get it right, and these are souvenirs you’ll keep for the rest of your life.
Extra Info: you have to come with a film camera – it won’t be provided to you, and you also have to pay for film and photo paper. However these are much cheaper here than in the US. One roll of black and white film (for 36 photos) is about $5 and photo paper (for 25 photos) is about $6.
Review #005: Central European Film (aka SASEM-UG 9403)
*Central European Film is taught by Professor Ivana Dolezalova. This class is not to be confused with the Central European Film class taught at FAMU. They are very similar in structure and even in films, but the pacing is different.
Professor: Professor Dolezalova has gotten a reputation for some of the questionable things that she has said. She is a part of an older generation that lacks a sort of cultural sensitivity that we see on the NYC campus. Don’t take what she says too seriously but if it offends you, then say something.
Class style: The three hour class is broken up into two parts. The first part is more discussion-based, and during it we discuss the previous day’s movie (15%). WARNING: She often makes people come up to the front of the class and read their response paper, so if you are shy, then you might want to skip this class. The second part is, of course, watching the movie. DO NOT make any plans after class if you plan on taking this. More often than not, you will stay after the appointed time, whether it’s by 20 minutes or nearly an hour.
Exams: The midterms are quite simple (25%). You choose a topic from a list and write a six page paper on the theme that you choose. It is based on the movies that you watched and you turn in a physical copy during class. The final is similar but it is eight pages, double spaced (35%).
Assignments: The homework is pretty light for this class (25%). She will send you some discussion questions before you watch the movie and then you will write a two to three page response paper for each movie based on those questions.
Extra info: The content of the movies can be traumatic and triggering. The movies primarily focus on the holocaust, Nazism, and communism and there are themes of suicide, death, and emotional scenes of warfare.
MUSIC CLASSES
Review #404: Chamber Ensembles (aka MPATC-UE 9080)
Professor: On Albert it says that my professor is Holmanova, but the teacher I actually work and rehearse with is Jana Vychodilova. She plays piano accompaniment for my pieces since there aren’t any other music performance majors here this semester.
Class Style: It’s a performance style class, where we rehearse and play repertoire together.
Exams: There are really no formal exams for this type of class, but rather a performance given at the end of the semester, and so our grades are determined by that.
Assignments: There aren’t really any assignments other than learning your music and coming to rehearsal with your parts prepared.
Extra info: Chamber music here this semester is a lot different than in New York. Here, I just play with a piano accompanist, so we play flute music that has a piano part instead of playing a more formal and established chamber piece. In New York, you’re usually placed in a group of 3-5 musicians. There are pieces that exist for duos that are also chamber music, flute and piano duos too, like the Aaron Copland Duo, but for the most part the repertoire I’m playing follows a more flutist and accompanist dynamic rather than a more chamber one.
Review #115: Expressive Cultures: Music in Prague Field Study (aka CORE-UA 9731)
Professor: Tony Ackerman. Harvard University alumni Tony Ackerman has dedicated his whole life to academia, and more importantly, music. Having over forty years of experience in music, he is incredibly passionate and oozing with excitement even after such a long time. Whether you’re a music major or a CAS student trying to fill an expressive cultures requirement, Tony makes this class an amazing experience.
Class Style: The nearly three-hour long class is exhausting at times, but there are a few ten minute breaks throughout the class. He also, for the most part, does not spend the entire class lecturing. He likes to move around. We may start class sitting outside on the balcony and then transition to a group discussion, movie, or even a walk outside to look at architecture. No class of his is exactly the same and though there is a plan, he welcomes going a little off-course.
Exams: There are no exams.
Assignments: The class consists of three concert reflections, two term papers, an oral presentation (done with a group), and light reading responses. At first, it may sound like a lot. In reality, Professor Ackerman emphasizes the joy of music instead of the work. He wants his students to engage with the music and has said he’d prefer there to be no grades altogether. Since that is unrealistic for NYU’s standards, he works on a check, check plus, check minus system (check minus’ are incredibly hard to get). At the end of the semester, he explained, he will consider your work together and look at your markings to decide your grade.
Extra Info: The class can be very engaging and worthwhile if you put the work into it, and with a professor like him, you’ll find yourself wanting to.
BUSINESS CLASSES
Review #991: Introduction to Marketing (aka MKTG-UB 9001)
Professor: Muriel Anton. She is a very considerate, wise and professional woman, and makes every effort to make classes interesting and engaging.
Class Style: Class lasts for three hours, although we have one or even two (it happened only once) breaks for 10-15 minutes. Professor invites guest speakers to almost every lecture, all of them are either CEOs of famous companies (such as Coke, Lego, Zatisi Group and so), or successful marketologists.
Exams: There’s a midterm (20%) and a final exam (20%). Her exams are not the easiest at all. You should study really hard to pass it with flying colors.
Assignments: The biggest percentage of your score is the individual assignment (25%) and a group project (15%). What I’ve noticed is that she pays most of her attention to how much time you spend doing research for your paper and how thoughtful your analysis was. Although if you write too much information or structure your task in a “messy” way, it may influence your score, not too much though.
Extra Info: This class is really interesting and useful for any career you choose. In terms of disadvantages, I’d say that sometimes the information that is very important (and the one you’ll see later on exams) is not emphasized enough. In class you may just run through it in three minutes, but then you may be spending hours doing it as an assignment. But the professor is very open to questions. Also be ready for a tough midterm (30 tests and 4 open questions with strategies, CVPs and so on – you have to develop it all just during the exam). In general, I am enjoying it so far, though I consider it to be my hardest class here.
Review #008: Video Game Economies (aka MCC-UE 9008)
Professor: Tereza Fousek Krobová.
Class Style: Lecture-based with spur-of-the-moment class discussions.
Exams: One midterm exam and your final is a 2,000-word essay.
Assignments: One 500-word blog post summary of a historical game, another 1,000-1,500-word blog post analysis of an assigned game, and a 15-minute presentation about a topic related to the content of the course and a new media phenomenon.
Extra Info: This class is extremely informative for gamers and even non-gamers! If you have even the slightest interest in the industry, definitely take it. Professor Krobová is very knowledgeable and passionate about video games.
Review #081: Organizational Communication and its Social Context (aka SOIM-UB 9065)
Professor: Tomáš Klvaňa
Class Style: the classes are 3 hours long and always differ in style. Often we discuss concepts and watch videos to help with those concepts and then we use real life examples to implement the concepts. It is about communication, so some classes we individually go in with the professor and do speeches.
Exams: The exams are mainly presentations, including team ones that help build team skills and a few individual ones. Along with this, we had one written business paper.
Assignments: The assignments are the same as the exams. There are no real exams, it’s just all assignments.
Extra Info: it is a fun class. And it really helps with public speaking and presenting skills.
LITERATURE CLASSES
Review #101: Kafka and his Contexts (aka COLIT-UA 9136 and SASEM-UG 9401)
Professor: Richard Müller
Class Style: Socratic seminar, which entails a lot of student to student discussion with an occasional interjection from the professor. I have been loving this class because it showcases the brilliance found within the NYU student body. We engage in very abstract conversations in which students present their thought-provoking takes, and we bounce off one another to create really intellectual dialogue.
Exams: In class midterm, your final exam is an essay
Assessments: Three 750-1000 word response papers over the course of the semester, one oral response that you present to your class, and class participation.
Extra Info: It is very very important to do your readings as the entire class revolves around it. You will also take a field trip with your class to the Kafka Museum after your midterm!
SCIENCE CLASSES
Review #306: Life Science— Brain and Behavior (aka CORE-UA 9306)
Professor: Eduard Kelemen
Class Style: Classes, meeting twice a week and alternating an hour and fifteen minutes and two hours and forty-five minutes, are a mix of lectures and labs. Lectures are lengthy, but the professor uploads slides before class for you to follow along with. Labs are held at NUDZ (The National Institute of Mental Health) almost every other week. Labs are great for working hands-on with the materials and experiencing a completely different environment.
Exams: There are no in-person exams. There are two papers (5-10 pages) you will have to write on any topic relating to something within the course. The assignment is incredibly flexible. Professor Kelemen wants you to engage with the material in a way that interests you and, assuming you do so, he grades fairly.
Assignments: After every lecture there is an assignment. Each assignment asks you to explain one concept in simple terms so a person not taking this course could understand it, in about a page. He grades for accuracy and completion but will give you the opportunity to correct your work if you get a concept wrong. Following one of the assignments, you will be asked to present on any homework concept you feel most comfortable with. The presentation lasts about five minutes, and you have the opportunity to choose when to present throughout the semester.
Extra Info: This is not an interactive class. Rarely will students be asked to participate outside of asking clarifying questions or presenting for a project. This class is primarily lecture-based. It is not a challenging class if you follow along with the material. It’s very manageable for those who are looking to fulfill their Science requirement for CAS.
JOURNALISM AND MCC CLASSES
Review #204: International Reporting Elective Topics (aka JOUR-UA 9204)
Professor: Dinah Spritzer, an impressively accomplished foreign correspondent, who is currently working for CNN and the New York Times. She’s loud and aggressive, which she says you have to be to be a reporter, but she means well. She’s a passionate teacher and seems to love what she does, so she can be inspiring for students looking to become foreign correspondents in the future. Watch out if you are shy or sensitive to some light teasing, though. She will make fun. But it’s usually pretty funny. You will also have to read your piece aloud and get live feedback from her (to simulate a real newsroom environment).
Class Style: Some lectures, lots of time reading through published articles (usually by the New York Times) and picking apart their ingredients. Lectures are engaging and you learn lots about gender, politics, and culture in the Czech Republic and how to write about them. Sometimes you write in class, and sometimes you do in-class activities. She’s also very well connected in the Czech Republic’s media scene, so there’s a good chance you’ll get to meet someone important. We’re going to Parliament this week!
Exams: No exams.
Assignments: There are three assignments throughout the semester: one straight news piece, one profile, and one feature. The first one is a group project. That might sound light, but each of these requires extensive interviewing and research, so getting them done on time is harder than you think. She gives you lots of help if you’re stuck, though, and has a contact to give you on pretty much any article topic you can think of. For the ‘final exam,’ you’re allowed to rewrite one of these articles for a better grade.
Extra Info: This class is difficult, especially if you’re not a journalism major. But for me, it’s been so worth it. It’s not overwhelming, but it’s constantly challenging me, and I’m going to come out of it a much better and more seasoned journalist. Also, no phones or computers are allowed – it makes you pay much more attention in class, but definitely don’t plan on getting a reading done during class.
Review #093: Social Media Practicum (aka MCC-UE 9032)
Professor: Jeremy Drucker
Class Style: Your classes will be a great mix of indoor and outdoor experiences! When you are in the academic center, the professor mostly focuses on explaining important information with the help of slides and some other visual tools, which I find very helpful. Also, be ready for some discussions with your groupmates on different topics, such as article feedback, brainstorming ideas, and so on. But what I find the most engaging is the different events he’s encouraging us to attend. To be more precise, we visited the News Impact Summit 2022, which was really instructive, and also we have been to Czech Radio.
Exams: Here is the good news — there are no exams and much paperwork in this class. Academic progress is mostly measured by a team project you’ll have to work on the whole semester, some conference reflections (2, if I’m not mistaken), and one interview.
Assignments: You have a couple of short articles each class to read, but there will be no test on that, so don’t worry. Only one reading is compulsory — the book “App Generation.”
Extra Info: if you’re into journalism and media, you’ll find this class very engaging. I’d say that it is the easiest class I have here so far, but that is not because we do nothing there; rather, the professor managed to create a non-stressful atmosphere. I highly recommend you to go to conferences and summit meetings, it’s worth it. One more thing I should mention is that he forbids using electronic devices in class. Although it is a social media class, you are not allowed to use computers or phones, so just be ready for that.
Review #453: Global Media Seminar— East-Central Europe (aka JOUR-UA 9505 and MCC-UE 9453)
Professor: Tomas Klvana.
Class Style: The class is really interesting, but the pacing is really quick. We go through a lot of material in one day. The class is primarily lecture-based with complex readings meaning that you will be taking intense notes for most of the class. The professor does use slides that he has posted on Brightspace, and sometimes we will watch videos and have in-class discussions. If you are a bad notetaker or hate lecture-type classes, then I would not suggest this class. This course is very theory heavy. We analyze different journalistic approaches and technological changes more than we actually write journalistic essays. However, we do answer small prompts in class and discuss them, which is a part of our participation grade (10%).
Exams: The exams are hard. The midterm was based on all class reading, lectures, and class discussions that we have done for the past two months. It was also a closed-book exam with short answer questions lasting around one hour. You might run out of time as most people did in my class, and it will cost you points. It was 20% of our grade, so it’s important, but you can make it up. There was no review sheet or even a breakdown of what to expect. It was on everything. The final is supposed to be easier since it is not an in-class exam but a final paper.
Assignments: The assignments are not too hard if you pay attention and take great notes in class. There is a group presentation based on the topic that is provided (you can choose which topic), and you have to submit your slide deck to Brightspace as well as present in class on the topic (10%). There is also an individual presentation (25%) with 25 slides on the topic assigned to everyone, but you just submit the slide deck to Brightspace, and you do not present in class on it. Finally, the final paper is 35% and is a 5-page position paper where students choose one from three statements and support their position with evidence.
Extra Info: The class covers politics fairly often, so if you are not interested in how journalism and technology can shape or impact politics, then don’t take this class. Also, it’s three hours long.
History in the Headlines: HIST-UA 9070
Professor: History in the Headlines is unique in that there is no one standard professor for the semester. Different professors that teach at NYU Prague come in to give lectures based on their expertise. The professors work on a rotation cycle to teach students about various topics in the media. Professor Ivana Dolezalova is the primary professor as seen on Albert, but each lecture is different.
Class Style: This class is lecture based considering it only meets once a week for 80 minutes. Each class discusses different topics that are present in the media today. Class usually starts off with a history synopsis based on what is relevant to the topic. Then, gradually, the lecture progresses to its application today. Professors do try to engage students in some discussion each class to get their input on the topic.
Exams: There are no exams in this class!
Assessments: Each week, students are expected to hand in a one-page response paper by 6 PM on Fridays that are cumulatively worth 20%. This time proves to be inconvenient for many students especially for those who are traveling or have plans that start on Friday. There is also a midterm paper and final paper that are each with 30% of the grade. For both of these papers, students can choose any lecture and write an in-depth response paper about it.
Extra Info: This class is very informative. Many students have garnered a surprising amount of knowledge for a two-credit course. However, the class does not spend enough time going over current events. Sometimes, the coverage on the history can take up almost the entire class leaving little time for the “headlines.” Also, based on the professor, the class experience is different. Some classes are very engaging because the professor provides a conducive learning environment. Others tend to lecture with no end-in-sight which has students longing for a more fruitful experience.
Review #118: Advertising and Consumer Society (aka MCC-UE 9015)
Professor: Salim Murad. This professor is one of the nicest professors that I have encountered at NYU Prague. He’s super sweet and understanding. He genuinely likes to learn more about our individual experiences with advertisement as well as share his experiences.
Class Style: The class is very discussion based. Every week, Murad gives us readings that we then discuss how advertising and how the readings compare to our real life experiences. You will often take field trips or mini excursions during this class (15 points). Don’t worry, you won’t go too far; it’s all within the center of Prague, but it allows you to see real life advertisements at work, such as in places like Mcdonalds. You will also watch some interesting videos with fun exercises to promote class discussions.
Exams: The midterm exam (10 points) was fairly easy. We discussed the topics and questions that were going to be on the exam in class. We were also allowed to work in groups or pairs if we needed to. He just wanted our thoughts and to see our understanding of the material that we covered.
Assignments: We have a fair share of assignments, but none of them are too hard. Plus, we don’t really have homework. First, you have a group presentation and position paper (25 points). Every week, a group of students choose which topic that they want to lead the discussion on for the group presentation. It can be in any form as long as you mention the most important takeaways from all of the texts. In addition to this group presentation, your group has to write a 800-1200 word paper on the readings which can be done together. Then, you have a 700 word assignment (10 points), 2500 word assignment (30 points), and a final exam (10 points). Of course, you have to do the readings every week as well.
Extra Info: I think that MCC students will really enjoy this class because it lets you bring in some of your perspective and experience into the class which a lot of the classes that I have taken don’t.