This professor is of the lowest quality. He does not actually teach the material and yet he tests you on it. I have no idea how he became tenure, but his teaching skills are certainly lacking. Don't take the risk! Avoid his classes at all costs.

McCallum represented every bad UCLA stereotype I’ve hear about...and subsequently encountered later at that campus. McCallum came across as someone who absolutely cared less about “people of color.” Too many incidents to mention, but here are highlights:

- I asked him a question about a beautiful piece of art and he replied “your kind doesn’t seem the type to be moved by art.” I should’ve reported his ignorance right then.
- He gave me a scathing analysis of a term paper which came across as a personal attack. I didn’t mind getting a unsatisfactory grade if warranted, but this came across as a bigoted rant.

0/5 stars!

I loved his class! He's actually way better than the reviews said on here. I will definitively take him again if I have a chance. His exams are very straight-forward and only test based on the power point slides. The class consists of two exams and one field work paper (going to museum and look at the arts).

Just some quick suggestions:
- take notes on everything he said in the lectures (because that's what you can write on the compare&contrast analysis part of the exams)!
- Memorize EVERYTHING on the slides well for the exams (I made flash cards). The more you memorize, the more points you get on the exams.

Whatever he still sucks... And you know it. There are better art history teachers at this school. You HAVE to admit that at least.

I actually really liked Professor Mccallum. At first, for quizes, his expectations were a bit unclear (especially for the comparisons, and with regards to what specific information he was looking for).. but after that, everything was straight forward. It's all memorization and, gasp! going to the library to look at images that he already reviews! There are quizzes once a week in this course; I found it easiest to simply type my notes and find the images online. He has written about many interesting topics in Japanese art history, so I recommend seeing him in his office hours to discuss it. He is also, I would say, a very traditional art historian - a traditional formalist.

Japanese Art 114C-

Professor McCallum was not as bad as the reviews are saying. This was my first quarter at UCLA and my first non-western art history course and I thought he was alright. Sure, Im not going to lie, there were times when he really made me mad. He is not very computer savvy, so his lectures are not perfectly presented. He gives a bibliography for the books on the reserve containing the photos that he lectures on. It would be easier if he posted Power Points online, but like I said, the man isn't the greatest with computers. However, he does show interest in learning so that is good! The book is pretty expensive and he doesnt really lecture from it. All material you need to know comes straight from lecture. There is a quiz every week, but I don't understand how you cannot do well in the class because every Tuesday he reviews what he will quiz you on the next Thursday. The best method I found was to make flash cards after lecture. It is the best way to keep on top of the lectures and once a quiz or midterm comes about, you have already familiarized yourself with the material. I never had to meet with him during office hours, but I know someone who did and it was great help. My friend wasnt doing very well, but after D. McCallum insisted he met with him, my friend did increasingly better. Non-Western art is not my favorite, Western art is, but if you are an Art History Major and it is required to take a Non-Western art class, take this class. The first half is all buddhist sculpture, but in my opinion gets very interesting during the second half because it involves zen and decorative painting. Good luck =]