This was one of the last classes I took before graduating from UCLA. I took it because I had Professor Koh for another Ottoman Empire history class. I would highly recommend taking Professor Koh even if you want to dip your toes into Ottoman Empire history or just need to fulfill a seminar credit. Professor Koh provides all the readings. There aren't any tests, just weekly response papers. Make sure to do the readings and response papers and participate in class, and you're golden. This is a seminar course, so there is no traditional lecture; instead, for each reading, we're given a few questions, and we are split into groups to discuss and find the answers. After Week 1, each of us has to sign up for what reading we want to present and create discussion questions for. Unfortunately, during the week that I had to present, I got Covid but Professor Koh was kind enough to host the class over Zoom so that I could still present. If you have any trouble understanding the readings (like I did), Professor Koh is always happy to explain.

Prof. Koh is one of the kindest and invested professors I've had at UCLA. Koh's class was not an easy class; she demanded significant and through reading each week (50-200 pages) and classroom engagement. But the workload was manageable and the only assignments were weekly 2 page responses on the material that week, a presentation, and class participation. She was also very kind and willing to accommodate students; she always fostered respectful and familiar relationships in the classroom. Everyone in the small class knew each other at the end of it and Koh always parsed out difficult material. I greatly value the historiographical lens I got from this seminar and would recommend it to who likes thinking about history.

Professor Koh is one of, if the not the best instructor in the history department. She's excellent at making it so class discussions are not horrible and awkward, she stimulates discussion by focusing on good points and carefully selecting material which is engaging and easy to talk about. Taking a class with her is a guaranteed way to improve your writing as well because she makes a point of leaving detailed, helpful feedback and discussing what worked and what didn't with each writing assignment. She is also extremely kind and always available to talk with if you need help or are confused, and getting a high grade in her class is no sweat if you actually put in the work.