Branstetter is my favorite professor at UCLA! I am unsure why he doesnt have a ton of reviews since he is literally the best. He is super engaging and the most helpful professor at UCLA. He truly cares about a students learning. Out of all my classes at UCLA his is the most challenging because he makes you think and question everything. He asks questions that you didn't think about and it makes you reevaluate everything. However, the challenge is what makes his class great because he is there for his students at all times. He holds sculpture gardens, talks to you before/after class, holds extra office hours. He goes above and beyond and honestly, UCLA is lucky to have him. Many professors here only care for their research and it is great knowing that Branstetter cares about teaching and his research. He talks a lot about Japan and his travels. You will not fall asleep in his class. His grading is good as well! A is obtainable but just know what you stance is on essays and you will be good!

Professor Branstetter is amazing. He is super funny and extremely intelligent. I had him for his comparative political theory class. His class consists of three papers (no exams). He does not require you to purchase textbooks as he posts the readings online. He has office hours in the sculpture garden which he records live on Facebook so students can watch and ask questions from home. He loves answering questions and is very approachable. If you are a poli sci major with an emphasis in political theory take his class!

i'm writing this review because i love branstetter so much and i hate that he doesn't have any reviews. he is such a great professor, incredibly knowledgable and you can tell he's passionate about what he teaches, he is so so helpful, offers so much office hours and time to talk with him and go over your papers. also the class is just 3 papers. his lectures are engaging so i didn't even mind going to class, which isn't really mandatory but really helpful when it comes to writing your papers. he is really approachable, pretty funny, and overall one of my favorite professors i've had. i'm taking 2 classes with him and i love them both.