I would say one of my favorite professors at ucla. She is a great TEACHER. not like other art history class where the prof just states the obvious. her classes are very interesting and you can tell she puts a lot of time into them. She tells fun stories and it's really difficult to zone out in my opinion. Class was very fair and not that difficult, which allowed me to enjoy the class and just learn.

The class overall wasnt stressful. She does like to give quizzes which are basically slide ID's, typical for any art history course. She gives the dates for the quizzes. She does assign a lot of readings, most of its not necessarily important to read thoroughly, but you should use it as a resource for understanding the images she puts on her powerpoints. This quarter she didnt have a final, just a midterm. There was a final presentation, group or individual, in which she introduced the program voicethread -- which is basically a powerpoint with recorded commmentary (you dont have to go up in front of the class and present!). Overall, I appreciated how McDonnell focused on the larger picture of Late Roman art and its impact on culture, rather than the most minute details of some sculpture.

McDonnell is the best professor I have had at UCLA, period. This upcoming spring will be my third class with her-- whenever she is teaching an upper-div, I go out of my way to take it. Now, she does require a lot of her students, especially if they already have a background in Roman art and archaeology.... but her teaching style and approach to instruction are phenomenal. She always answers questions to the fullest extent in class, has a great sense of humor, and is absolutely brilliant in her field. Her grading is never tricky or unfair. Fantastic professor-- if you're an Art History or Classics major/minor, DO NOT miss out on her!