This class changed my worldview, and I cannot recommend it enough. Professor Sheppard is extremely knowledgeable about the material, and he really makes you question what you think you know about the world. There is a course reader for this class, but the readings aren't bad if you read a couple pages a day. There is a weekly quiz, but you only need 3/5 on each quiz to get full credit, plus he drops two of them. The main assignment for this class is a research paper on trans-national corporations, which I really enjoyed writing. You can pick any corporation you're interested in, and the research skills I gained from writing this paper have already helped me in writing research papers for other classes. The midterm and final aren't too bad, there is no multiple choice, and the test is divided into definitions and slightly longer essays. Overall, take this class!!! You won't regret it.

This is the best class I have taken at UCLA. I have had some amazing professors from the UCLA geography department and Sheppard was by far the best. The class was so informative and really straightforward. Honestly the class was inspiring too! There is a discussion which sucks but I had Clare Beer as my TA and she was great too. She often let us out early if we had finished our work in the section. She was so approachable and sweet! The tests are straightforward just go over the slides and main themes. There was a final paper but if you put the work in you could get a good grade on it. Overall I would highly recommend this class.

This was a very difficult class because the exam format was essay-based and was long. It took me the whole 3 hours, and I did not even finish the exam! The exam and class were based on complex concepts with a lot of case studies to back it up. I feel like the class could become better if we could bring in a one-sided cheat sheet because the exam became a memory test. Also, there was hella reading and I definitely stopped reading after the midterm (Week 5). Moreover, I did not agree with the content in Week 8/9 - he contradicted himself? On the other hand, I got Clare Beer as my TA who helped me streamline the complex concepts and readings. She was amazing! Make sure to get her if you can.

I will start by saying this class is extremely interesting and changed the way I view the world. The content is applicable to any major and provides insight into daily functions (logistics, capitalism, production, etc.) that run our lives. Professor Sheppard is clearly passionate about the material and his accent/ amusing speech makes the somewhat drab, screen- free lectures more entertaining. The format of the class is fairly straightforward with a midterm, final, and term paper. The class is extremely writing heavy (midterm and final were both essay style), so I did have to work for my A. I would attribute my grade to three things. Firstly, I attended lecture and took thorough notes. Not only was this information key for the midterm/ final, the professor posts stripped versions of the power points on CCLE after class. Essentially, what he says in lecture is much more valuable than simply looking at the slides instead of attending lecture. I would highly suggest making friends with people in your discussion for notes in case you do have to miss lecture. Secondly, I did the readings. The professor provides a course reader that is essential to success in the class. The reading vary in length and difficulty; however, recalling authors on the midterm/ final will get you high marks. They are dense and (sometimes) boring, so the readings were definitely the thing that made this course my most time intensive of the quarter. Lastly, I got lucky with a good TA. Unfortunately, he is no longer TAing the course, but he was extremely helpful in summarizing readings, streamlining information, and translating professor Sheppard's somewhat confusing lectures into manageable chunks. If possible, do your research on which TA teaches which section before hand. It will make a big difference. Overall, I would recommend taking this very enlightening course for the content; however, be warned that it isn't an easy A. Do not take it if you know you're a weak writer or aren't willing to do most of the readings. You will end up hating the course and yourself. I will say this was my first quarter at UCLA, so my experience with this course is only relative to the two other classes I have taken. Good luck!

I took Geography 4 Fall Quarter of my Freshman year, it was absolutely amazing. Dr. Sheppard gives the best lectures ever. However, it doesn't mean it is easy, it is imperative to do all the readings, take notes in class and be able to connect all the readings. The readings are long and complex, if you don't enjoy reading or history, this class isn't for you.

The class gives a great explanation of why society is so unequal nowadays. The timeline Dr. Sheppard takes you through is complex unlike any other history or economics class. Great class to see if you want to study Geography

This class way too much work for a GE. there was so many readings it was really difficult to stay on top of it all and there's a 2 hour discussion. The midterm was alright and not too difficult but the final was extremely long with either 3 or 4 bluebooks I don't remember but it sucked. There is also that big paper which was a lot of work. Overall not the greatest class for a GE. Would not recommend

I took Geography 4 Fall Quarter of my Freshman year, it was absolutely amazing. Dr. Sheppard gives the best lectures ever. However, it doesn't mean it is easy, it is imperative to do all the readings, take notes in class and be able to connect all the readings. The readings are long and complex, if you don't enjoy reading or history, this class isn't for you.

The class gives a great explanation of why society is so unequal nowadays. The timeline Dr. Sheppard takes you through is complex unlike any other history or economics class. Great class to see if you want to study Geography

Very interesting class. You learn relevant stuff. However there is a lot of material you must memorize to be successful

Professor Sheppard is extremely well informed and in my opinion a great professor. He is always prepared for class with a fast paced lecture. It is handwritten notes only. Lectures are extremely well-organized and always begin with an overview of what we will be talking about with main concepts then sections. His midterm and final are very fair and well organized. He gives the concepts ahead of time so we know what to study despite there being a lot of course content which he moves through quickly. There is a fair amount of reading which was rather dense, but if you can get the main points you can score many points on tests by using their names/ideas. This was not the easiest class but definitely interesting to learn about. I had some interest before but was unsure of, but he made the class very interesting.
Overall: Worthwhile class, medium workload, interesting material, and Professor Sheppard lectures well.

This is a super interesting class but the tests are all essay based and they mark you off for little ticky tack mistakes. I recommend it for a good learning experience but not if you want an easy A.