Structure of Class:
- Three speeches throughout the quarter, you get to pick your own topics
- One final paper (>5 pages double spaced)
- Participation matters, ie. responding to/critiquing your classmates' speeches

I was hesitant taking Comm 1 with a new professor because I normally suck at public speaking, and I thought I was gonna struggle. But Hurwitz proved me wrong. Not only is he charismatic and personable, he also writes really nice and helpful comments after every speech. If you're shy, this class will build your confidence in public speaking. You will not regret taking it with Professor Hurwitz.

Professor Hurwitz is nothing short of incredible. He is the best teacher that I have ever had. His passion is unwavering and he has left a PROFOUND impact on me as a student. His class is extremely manageable (4 speeches make up your entire grade) and he is very understanding. He is a thoughtful grader and I have never felt less than in his class, even when surrounded by remarkable talent. Even if you do not "need" this class, his teachings will benefit you in SO many ways. I cannot recommend Hurwitz or this class enough.

seriously my favorite professor i've had at ucla!! he is SO ENGAGING and wants to help his students! if you want to be in COMM, or you need to take this class, take it with HURWITZ! He grades on improvement of the individual student, not based on everyone else in the class which is super nice. he is super responsive to email and will look over your outlines for speeches. could not recommend more!

If you are not comfortable with public speaking, this is the teacher to support you. Very engaging, very helpful. Will answer your questions honestly, doesn't beat around the bush with anything. His grading system doesn't correlate to traditional grading systems, but this shouldn't scare you off. It is so he can grade each student individually by their growth rather than the overall level of the class. You have 4 speeches, and the final speech is 25% of your grade. All the topics are very flexible, very simple.

this is one of the best classes I've ever taken, and so far the best professor I have met. It is so easy to engage in this class, as well as easy to succeed. If you are interested in improving your public speech, take this class with this professor. This professor is extremely helpful and clear. I genuinely look forward to this class. Especially the speech days. It is definitley intimidating, but so worth it. Take this class with hurwitz. ALSO havent even recieved my grade yet and I dont care what I get because either way this class was 100% worth all my time and energy.

Literally the best class and best professor. Hurwitz is so so nice and funny and this class is super manageable. He grades based on improvement, so even if you're not a big public speaker compared to other people taking the class, it doesn't matter because it's all based on how you improve on your speeches over the quarter. There's very little work, and his constructive criticism at the end of your speech is super helpful and is delivered very kindly. TAKE THIS CLASS WITH HURWITZ! You won't regret it!

Professor Hurwitz is beyond amazing. Every time when I came to class, Professor Hurwitz displayed incredible enthusiasm and excitement in teaching new concepts of a new module. Instead of focusing heavily on theory, Professor Hurwitz made the class incredibly practical. This not only helped me to do well in the class, but has also transcended my public speaking skills to the next level. The lessons I have acquired for this course will stay with me for the rest of my life. In my humble opinion, this is a class that should be taken by all UCLA students regardless of major, as it will provide you with the opportunity to work on skills necessary to do well in life such as body language, mindset and attitude. I am incredibly grateful for every moment that I have spent in Professor Hurwitz's class, and I truly hope he will get to teach more courses in the future, as I would love to take another course with Professor Hurwitz.

I literally never give reviews on here, but this class was so insanely amazing that I had to make an account. If you're interested in developing your speech skills, or if you just want a fun course to be in (or if this is your prereq for comm haha) TAKE THIS CLASS!!!
The way the class is formatted is pretty quickly paced, so I wouldn't say it's the easiest class ever, but assignments are simple and intuitive. You'll have four speeches total, with one being the final--that's IT. The instructor is so entertaining, and he creates a really warm, non-judgemental environment in throughout the quarter, which is perfect for those who need to warm up to public speaking.
He provides really honest and constructive feedback while still managing to pick out and encourage the features that improve your personal speaking style. The grading is based off of improvement, so he isn't comparing you to any other students. All he really cares about is honest effort and application, which is really refreshing to see in an instructor.
Overall, this is literally my favorite class I've ever taken at UCLA, and it legitimately makes me really sad that the quarter is ending.

Prof Hurwitz is great! If you aren't comfortable with public speaking, be ready to put in effort. Prof grades on improvement so as long as you do your best, you should be fine.

As someone that struggles with public speaking, I was really intimidated by taking this class, but this class changed that. Professor Hurwitz is really funny and makes lectures straight to the point. Total of three speeches, one response speech, and a final speech. There are three days of lectures and then three days of speeches and so forth until the final speech. What makes Professor Hurwitz different from all other professors is that he does not have slides during lectures and just gives lectures verbally and graded your speeches based on your improvement and not comparing your performance to other students. I did not write notes in this class which was different for me because everything was explained well and notes were not necessary. I recommend reaching out to him before each speech delivery to see if your speech is going on the right track. There are activities in class where you can earn extra credit toward your speech grades. Class participation is important and can easily get credit by giving feedback to students after their speech delivery. Overall, a very manageable class with a great professor.