Carney Curve

Boston College course evaluations · every published number, ranked class by class

Top of the board1.ECON 9902962.LAWS 8856973.PRTO 3300984.BSLW 2299975.PHIL 4932986.LAWS 8308987.SCWK 9960998.EESC 99011009.MUSP 16609610.UGMG 10109811.UNCP 55119712.SCWK 883197

Positions account for how many records stand behind each number, so one perfect review does not outrank a semester of them. Every score shown is the real average — only the ordering is adjusted.

Instructor record · Political Science · Spring 2022 – Fall 2025

Jonathan Kirshner

Vincent Q. and Mary Ann Giffuni Professor · Political Science · 20 evaluation records across 8 classes

On each class's board
POLI 1204only instructor on recordINTL 25017th of 7 instructorsINTL 494110th of 10 instructorsPOLI 2515only instructor on record ProvisionalPOLI 4597only instructor on record ProvisionalPOLI 7802only instructor on record ProvisionalINTL 3506only instructor on record ProvisionalPOLI 49332nd of 3 instructors Provisional
What the overall is made of
80BC evaluations20 records · weight ×1.0 · Spring 2022 – Fall 2025
—Student reviewsno reviews — does not contribute
—RateMyProfessorsno ratings — does not contribute

Sources are averaged by how much we trust each one and by how many records sit behind it, so a handful of reviews nudges the number rather than replacing it.

What the challenge rank is made of
79thMore challenging than 79% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
92BC — “Intellectually Challenging”20 records · raw score out of 100

Boston College's own “intellectually challenging” question — students answer it positively about courses that stretched them, so it measures intellectual challenge and NOT grading, workload or quality. Almost every BC class scores high on it, which is why it is shown as a rank rather than a score.

What the workload rank is made of
83rdMore work than 83% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
64BC — “Workload”20 records · raw score out of 100

Boston College reports workload as one of five bands, not as a number of hours, and it does not publish what the bands mean — so this site will not translate it into hours. Higher means more work, which is not the same as worse.

The line

All 13 items · means across 20 records
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
8518th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
8719th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
8519th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
8931st pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8629th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8316th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8938th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
7910th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8525th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8013th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
6483rd pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9279th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9378th pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

Class by class

8 classes · 20 sections

How each position is worked outPositions account for how many records stand behind each number, so one perfect review does not outrank a semester of them. Every score shown is the real average — only the ordering is adjusted.

POLI 1204 The Politics of the Seventies FilmOvr79Chal30thWork45th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record

6 sections on record · course itself rated 79 out of 100. See the full board for POLI 1204.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 202501697060
Fall 202502697540
Fall 2023018685—
Fall 2023028584—
Spring 202201817860
Spring 202202848560
All 13 items for POLI 1204
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
827th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
8714th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
827th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
859th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8316th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8211th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8410th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
808th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8317th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8010th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
5545th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8730th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8937th pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

INTL 2501 Introduction to International RelationsOvr77Chal56thWork85th
On this class's board7th of 7 instructors

3 sections on record · course itself rated 73 out of 100. See the full board for INTL 2501.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202308807860
Spring 2023097767—
Spring 202310747680
All 13 items for INTL 2501
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
8718th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
825th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
839th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9127th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8623rd pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8211th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9356th pctl
Assignments & Feedback2 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
774th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
702nd pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
7085th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9156th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9885th pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one. 1 of 13 questions were not reported and are left out rather than shown as zero.

INTL 4941 International Studies Senior SeminarOvr74Chal50thWork43rd
On this class's board10th of 10 instructors

3 sections on record · course itself rated 63 out of 100. See the full board for INTL 4941.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202503726440
Fall 202203907360
Spring 202201605260
All 13 items for INTL 4941
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
783rd pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
8817th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
817th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
847th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8214th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
809th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
816th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
763rd pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8521st pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8315th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
5343rd pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9050th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9252nd pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

POLI 2515 The Politics of International Money and FinanceOvr83Chal85thWork85th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record Provisional

2 sections on record · course itself rated 80 out of 100. See the full board for POLI 2515.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 202401858360
Fall 202201817680
All 13 items for POLI 2515
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
8923rd pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
8510th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9135th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9448th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8728th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8832nd pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9136th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
819th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
746th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
775th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
7085th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9685th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9463rd pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

POLI 4597 Realist Theories of International RelationsOvr85Chal92ndWork78th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record Provisional

2 sections on record · course itself rated 82 out of 100. See the full board for POLI 4597.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 202401808060
Spring 202201908360
All 13 items for POLI 4597
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
8513th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
8716th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
8514th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9555th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8522nd pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
774th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9569th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
732nd pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8835th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8212th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
6078th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9892nd pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9361st pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

POLI 7802 International Political EconomyOvr86Chal92ndWork100th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record Provisional

2 sections on record · course itself rated 85 out of 100. See the full board for POLI 7802.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 2025019296100
Spring 2023018073100
All 13 items for POLI 7802
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9026th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
8923rd pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9137th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9340th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9359th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9037th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9569th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8832nd pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9677th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9358th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
100100th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9892nd pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9781st pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

INTL 3506 Listening to Thucydides: Contingency and Catastrophe in World PoliticsOvr83Chal48thWork25th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record Provisional

1 section on record · course itself rated 80 out of 100. See the full board for INTL 3506.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 202501838040
All 13 items for INTL 3506
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9030th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9349th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
8717th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
8713th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9782nd pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8724th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9033rd pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8725th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9362nd pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8725th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
4025th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9048th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9361st pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

POLI 4933 Honors SeminarOvr80Chal—Work—
On this class's board2nd of 3 instructors Provisional

1 section on record · course itself rated 71 out of 100. See the full board for POLI 4933.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 2023018071—
All 13 items for POLI 4933

Nothing reported

None of the evaluation questions were reported for these records.

How to read this pageScores are out of 100 — Boston College's 1–5 agreement scale, ×20, the way these numbers were printed for years. Almost every class scores high on that scale (the median is about 90), so challenge and workload are shown as a rank against every instructor we hold rather than as a score; the raw figure is in the breakdown above. Neither describes quality, and neither is ever marked better or worse anywhere on this site. A dash means the question was not reported, and is never a zero. The position printed against each class is this instructor's place on that class's own board, computed from the same records the board itself is built from.