Mark Jepson
Department of Sociology
AD
4.3
Overall Rating
Based on 80 Users
Easiness 3.4 / 5 How easy the class is, 1 being extremely difficult and 5 being easy peasy.
Clarity 4.3 / 5 How clear the class is, 1 being extremely unclear and 5 being very clear.
Workload 3.3 / 5 How much workload the class is, 1 being extremely heavy and 5 being extremely light.
Helpfulness 4.3 / 5 How helpful the class is, 1 being not helpful at all and 5 being extremely helpful.

TOP TAGS

  • Tolerates Tardiness
  • Appropriately Priced Materials
  • Engaging Lectures
  • Often Funny
  • Would Take Again
  • Tough Tests
GRADE DISTRIBUTIONS
36.4%
30.3%
24.2%
18.2%
12.1%
6.1%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

32.7%
27.3%
21.8%
16.4%
10.9%
5.5%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

38.9%
32.4%
25.9%
19.4%
13.0%
6.5%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

35.7%
29.7%
23.8%
17.8%
11.9%
5.9%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

35.2%
29.3%
23.4%
17.6%
11.7%
5.9%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

31.1%
25.9%
20.7%
15.5%
10.4%
5.2%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

30.7%
25.6%
20.4%
15.3%
10.2%
5.1%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

29.7%
24.7%
19.8%
14.8%
9.9%
4.9%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

29.1%
24.2%
19.4%
14.5%
9.7%
4.8%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

28.7%
23.9%
19.1%
14.3%
9.6%
4.8%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

30.1%
25.1%
20.1%
15.1%
10.0%
5.0%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

ENROLLMENT DISTRIBUTIONS
Clear marks

Sorry, no enrollment data is available.

AD

Reviews (73)

4 of 8
4 of 8
Add your review...
Quarter: Fall 2015
Grade: B
Feb. 4, 2016

This class was very interesting and introduced me to a new perspective on issues and trends. Jepson is quite knowledgable about sociology and often cracks jokes. The class has 5 one page papers and they're not difficult to write at all but the grading is harsh sometimes. Since the class is two hours long and at 8AM, it's sometimes boring and easy to fall asleep in. Jepson also doesn't use slides or notes. He just speaks for two hours straight which is rough but sometimes shows videos. The midterm and final were difficult and were hard to study for. Just make sure to do all the readings and go to discussion sections.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 21, 2015

One of the best classes I have taken at UCLA. Professor Jepson is an engaging and insightful lecturer. Yes his lectures are at 8 am, but I felt Jepson made class worth going to. The readings are not overly difficult, but I found attending lecture enhanced my understanding of the material. The class is curved at the end of the quarter to try to make up for the discrepancies in TA grading, but it's still important to get advice on how to improve your writing. Overall this is a great class and I highly recommend it.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 21, 2015

While I believe it is a bit of a stretch to call Dr. Jepson "brilliant" (as some previous reviewers have), I do think he deserves credit where credit is due; He does introduce the subject of sociology in a very organized, accessible manner that should leave you wishing the class never ends.
The lecture environment in this class is very enlightening despite the fact that you are constantly feeling the urge to nod off since it starts at 8 am. I can assure you that as long as you get some breakfast and coffee beforehand, you will be ready to be fascinated by the race, economic, and religious topics (among other things) that the professor brings up. To make matters better, the professor encourages the class to ask questions about anything he brings up, which in my experience makes lecture even more interesting since students would relate their own experiences to ideas covered in lecture and the readings.
Now while so far everything in this class sounds well and dandy, there is a bit of a catch (as there always is); I did sense that there was a very strong liberal bias, which became fairly apparent when some students offered a more centrist or conservative viewpoint that I personally thought was respectable. While I believe the Professor was respectful in defending his opinion in these cases, I do think he wrote off some valid ideas that he should have considered more carefully. Despite this, since I am a liberal/centrist myself, I did agree with most of what he said.
I strongly disagree with the notion that the professor is insensitive. Yes, he is not always politically correct, but I personally think he understands that society needs to learn to stop being overly sensitive on every issue. On top of that, even when he was politically incorrect, it was not like he was THAT extreme in his viewpoint to the point of being unreasonable.
The last point I'd like to make is that the class and professor are terrific, but I must say that your experience in the class can widely vary with what TA you have. My TA was apparently vary harsh compared to the others, especially when it came to grading (On many of the writing assignments she would give people scores like 5/7 or 4/6). Fortunately for me, I talked with her a lot on exactly what she wanted on the papers and I was able to get full credit or nearly full credit on the remaining 4 papers after a 5/7 on my first paper.
I got an A in this class, which I did not think was super hard to do (even though I took 4 classes this quarter and I am a South Campus Major). I do think if you are genuinely interested in this subject as I was, and you talk to your TA about how to improve your papers, I think you can thrive in this class, just as I did and even if you don't get an A, I hope you will strongly appreciate what you've learned from this class.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 21, 2015

Probably my favorite class that I took my first quarter at UCLA. What sucks is that the lectures are 2 hours and are at 8am, but Professor Jepson makes it worth it (most of the time).

Professor Jepson genuinely cares about the class and his students and you can tell that he clearly has a good grasp on the subject. For the most part his lectures were funny, engaging, and well-prepared; there would be an occasional lecture that would just drag on though. He encourages students to speak out in class and share their experiences/views.

The material was interesting and wasn't hard to understand and as long as you did the readings and went to lecture you should be fine. I had a great TA but she would always give out grades like 4.75/5 points for the papers.

In the end, I ended up getting a B+, which sucks because I was expecting an A. I still recommend the class, however.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 20, 2015

This class was not at all what I thought it would be. I heard that Jepson was interesting and funny, and that the class was fairly easy. None of these things are true. Professor Jepson is unbelievably boring, and his off-topic tangents were completely unnecessary. Plus, all of the assignments were unfairly graded, which many of my classmates agreed with me on. For instance, one of the assignments is to write a one-page paper for 5 points. If it is a five point paper and you do the assignment as directed, you should get all five points. However, this was not the case with my TA, and it ended up bringing down my overall grade.

I'm a straight-A student, and I ended up with the B in the class. Many other students that I talked to had similar experiences. Don't take this class if you don't absolutely have to.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 11, 2015

Selling Course reader, no marks or highlights, in great condition for $45
Text me if interested: **********

I enjoyed the class even though it was at 8 in the morning. I genuinely feel like I learned a lot after taking the class and it was a great experience. Jepson makes the class fun with his humor and how passionate he is about the subject.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Nov. 25, 2015

I just a read a comment saying Jepson was rude. I'm taking the course right now. He isn't rude. He presents social facts that I never found to be rude or disrespectful. He never belittled people's religions or wa sexist.

I think he offers an excellent opportunity for students to think critically. The course asks you to explore why things are the way they are from a sociological or societal point of view.

His lectures are old school. No powerpoint. Just a summary slide of the day's lecture and he then he stands behind the podium and delivers. I found the material to be extremely interesting and he often encourages students to think about what he's saying. He challenges the typical point of view, but in a respectful way.

This is a great course for students to expand their understanding of why things are the way they are. Rather than take for granted the state of the world, ask yourself why is it this way?

Jepson combines historical, philosophical and political and modern discours into his lectures. This is a GREAT course. You'll enjoy it. And you'll enjoy his teaching style.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Sept. 29, 2015

Selling course reader completely new and unused (with the exception of 5 highlighted pages.) $40. **********

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
June 11, 2015

sociology 1 course reader for sale.
TEXT ME for price :**********

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
March 30, 2015

Selling thirty readings for $20. Some highlighting and notes but they are all useful for exams

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Fall 2015
Grade: B
Feb. 4, 2016

This class was very interesting and introduced me to a new perspective on issues and trends. Jepson is quite knowledgable about sociology and often cracks jokes. The class has 5 one page papers and they're not difficult to write at all but the grading is harsh sometimes. Since the class is two hours long and at 8AM, it's sometimes boring and easy to fall asleep in. Jepson also doesn't use slides or notes. He just speaks for two hours straight which is rough but sometimes shows videos. The midterm and final were difficult and were hard to study for. Just make sure to do all the readings and go to discussion sections.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 21, 2015

One of the best classes I have taken at UCLA. Professor Jepson is an engaging and insightful lecturer. Yes his lectures are at 8 am, but I felt Jepson made class worth going to. The readings are not overly difficult, but I found attending lecture enhanced my understanding of the material. The class is curved at the end of the quarter to try to make up for the discrepancies in TA grading, but it's still important to get advice on how to improve your writing. Overall this is a great class and I highly recommend it.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 21, 2015

While I believe it is a bit of a stretch to call Dr. Jepson "brilliant" (as some previous reviewers have), I do think he deserves credit where credit is due; He does introduce the subject of sociology in a very organized, accessible manner that should leave you wishing the class never ends.
The lecture environment in this class is very enlightening despite the fact that you are constantly feeling the urge to nod off since it starts at 8 am. I can assure you that as long as you get some breakfast and coffee beforehand, you will be ready to be fascinated by the race, economic, and religious topics (among other things) that the professor brings up. To make matters better, the professor encourages the class to ask questions about anything he brings up, which in my experience makes lecture even more interesting since students would relate their own experiences to ideas covered in lecture and the readings.
Now while so far everything in this class sounds well and dandy, there is a bit of a catch (as there always is); I did sense that there was a very strong liberal bias, which became fairly apparent when some students offered a more centrist or conservative viewpoint that I personally thought was respectable. While I believe the Professor was respectful in defending his opinion in these cases, I do think he wrote off some valid ideas that he should have considered more carefully. Despite this, since I am a liberal/centrist myself, I did agree with most of what he said.
I strongly disagree with the notion that the professor is insensitive. Yes, he is not always politically correct, but I personally think he understands that society needs to learn to stop being overly sensitive on every issue. On top of that, even when he was politically incorrect, it was not like he was THAT extreme in his viewpoint to the point of being unreasonable.
The last point I'd like to make is that the class and professor are terrific, but I must say that your experience in the class can widely vary with what TA you have. My TA was apparently vary harsh compared to the others, especially when it came to grading (On many of the writing assignments she would give people scores like 5/7 or 4/6). Fortunately for me, I talked with her a lot on exactly what she wanted on the papers and I was able to get full credit or nearly full credit on the remaining 4 papers after a 5/7 on my first paper.
I got an A in this class, which I did not think was super hard to do (even though I took 4 classes this quarter and I am a South Campus Major). I do think if you are genuinely interested in this subject as I was, and you talk to your TA about how to improve your papers, I think you can thrive in this class, just as I did and even if you don't get an A, I hope you will strongly appreciate what you've learned from this class.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 21, 2015

Probably my favorite class that I took my first quarter at UCLA. What sucks is that the lectures are 2 hours and are at 8am, but Professor Jepson makes it worth it (most of the time).

Professor Jepson genuinely cares about the class and his students and you can tell that he clearly has a good grasp on the subject. For the most part his lectures were funny, engaging, and well-prepared; there would be an occasional lecture that would just drag on though. He encourages students to speak out in class and share their experiences/views.

The material was interesting and wasn't hard to understand and as long as you did the readings and went to lecture you should be fine. I had a great TA but she would always give out grades like 4.75/5 points for the papers.

In the end, I ended up getting a B+, which sucks because I was expecting an A. I still recommend the class, however.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 20, 2015

This class was not at all what I thought it would be. I heard that Jepson was interesting and funny, and that the class was fairly easy. None of these things are true. Professor Jepson is unbelievably boring, and his off-topic tangents were completely unnecessary. Plus, all of the assignments were unfairly graded, which many of my classmates agreed with me on. For instance, one of the assignments is to write a one-page paper for 5 points. If it is a five point paper and you do the assignment as directed, you should get all five points. However, this was not the case with my TA, and it ended up bringing down my overall grade.

I'm a straight-A student, and I ended up with the B in the class. Many other students that I talked to had similar experiences. Don't take this class if you don't absolutely have to.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 11, 2015

Selling Course reader, no marks or highlights, in great condition for $45
Text me if interested: **********

I enjoyed the class even though it was at 8 in the morning. I genuinely feel like I learned a lot after taking the class and it was a great experience. Jepson makes the class fun with his humor and how passionate he is about the subject.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Nov. 25, 2015

I just a read a comment saying Jepson was rude. I'm taking the course right now. He isn't rude. He presents social facts that I never found to be rude or disrespectful. He never belittled people's religions or wa sexist.

I think he offers an excellent opportunity for students to think critically. The course asks you to explore why things are the way they are from a sociological or societal point of view.

His lectures are old school. No powerpoint. Just a summary slide of the day's lecture and he then he stands behind the podium and delivers. I found the material to be extremely interesting and he often encourages students to think about what he's saying. He challenges the typical point of view, but in a respectful way.

This is a great course for students to expand their understanding of why things are the way they are. Rather than take for granted the state of the world, ask yourself why is it this way?

Jepson combines historical, philosophical and political and modern discours into his lectures. This is a GREAT course. You'll enjoy it. And you'll enjoy his teaching style.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Sept. 29, 2015

Selling course reader completely new and unused (with the exception of 5 highlighted pages.) $40. **********

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
June 11, 2015

sociology 1 course reader for sale.
TEXT ME for price :**********

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
March 30, 2015

Selling thirty readings for $20. Some highlighting and notes but they are all useful for exams

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
4 of 8
4.3
Overall Rating
Based on 80 Users
Easiness 3.4 / 5 How easy the class is, 1 being extremely difficult and 5 being easy peasy.
Clarity 4.3 / 5 How clear the class is, 1 being extremely unclear and 5 being very clear.
Workload 3.3 / 5 How much workload the class is, 1 being extremely heavy and 5 being extremely light.
Helpfulness 4.3 / 5 How helpful the class is, 1 being not helpful at all and 5 being extremely helpful.

TOP TAGS

  • Tolerates Tardiness
    (22)
  • Appropriately Priced Materials
    (17)
  • Engaging Lectures
    (18)
  • Often Funny
    (20)
  • Would Take Again
    (19)
  • Tough Tests
    (16)
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