I am writing this review as someone who is a non-stem major, but had an interest in bio and gene editing. Professor Goldberg's teaching style is a bit different than other courses with his exam format and his tendency to challenge students with his questioning. This had put me off in the beginning of the course, but I've realized that he does this because he really cares about students actually learning something in his class. On such a subject as genetic engineering, there is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding, but after this class, you will definitely understand as much as you can about it without getting a specialized stem degree. This class took me back to when I considered being a bio major in high school, and made me realize that I still love learning about science and biology even though I chose a different track. I highly recommend taking Goldberg's class whenever it's offered; it won't be easy, but it's worth all the work you put into it.

This class is a complete waste of time. Half of the lectures were simply spent watching movies and the other half was spent ranting about people who mistrust GMOs and genetic engineering and also about the professors achievements. TA sections were the only time you really learned anything but the environment in section was unfriendly and not good for learning. I would not recommend taking this class unless you really need it.

Professor Goldberg was amazing and was one of my favorite professors at UCLA. He has a great deal of passion of genetic engineering and shares this passion with his students in all of his lectures. Although there's a lot of readings that you do need to keep up with to understand lectures and discussions, it's definitely worth it as you learn a great deal from his class. There's one midterm, one final, and about 8 quizzes but you can work with others since they're all take home, and the midterm and final you work with a group and present your answers to the class. Almost everyone gets an A in this class, but you earn it from the amount of work you spend to learn the material well and you have a supportive environment that will help you to do that. This class introduced me to a variety of prominent guest speakers from various fields that I really found helpful when figuring out my career path. Highly recommend this class.

Professor Goldberg is truly amazing. This class is def not a light workload class, however, he made it super rewarding to learn. I literally had no interest in gene/DNA before, but right now I feel that I learned a lot. My TA Pierce is helpful too. I highly recommend this class

Goldberg is super passionate about his class and his students, and you will definitely learn a lot from this class (but be prepared for his style of teaching- he calls students out in class and pushes people for answers if you are uncomfortable with that)! It is a lot of time in class (sometimes lectures can feel so dragged out and boring) and a lot of work but pretty much everyone gets an A in the class!

Professor Goldberg is amazing! Really enjoyed this class and would definitely take it again, even though it was a lot of work. Be prepared to do a lot of reading. Also, you have to be comfortable with public speaking to do well on the midterm and final.

Professor Goldberg is an esteemed professional, inspiring mentor and incredibly down-to-earth person. Couldn't recommend this class more to anyone interested in genetics, looking for an honors class, or who just wants to expand their horizons.

Professor Goldberg's class is one of the most interesting at UCLA. If you are a non-science major, or in the beginning of your career in science at UCLA, take this class. You learn about genetics and genetic engineering at a really deep level, including how it relates to ethics and the law. Goldberg absolutely adores teaching this class, and as long as you don't mind participating and being asked questions, I would highly recommend the class because of its format. Not only it is a small, more intimate setting, but the exams are group oral exams, meaning you have to work with and get to know your classmates. Goldberg demands a lot and it is a huge time-commitment (two 2.5 hour lectures per week + 2 hour discussion + reading and quizzes outside of class). That said, it was one of the few classes I have taken here where I felt like I was using my time wisely and learning something truly valuable. He brings in impressive guest speakers every week to lecture, and has a dinner afterwards so you can meet and interact with them.

Highly recommend if you are at all interested in genetics, or if you want a memorable, more personal class experience.

I was initially intimidated coming into Dr. Goldberg's class based on the Bruinwalk review but honestly he challenges you in a really tough way and I felt I learned a lot from this class -- even as an MCDB major. I will say that his class is unbearably long -- 2.5 hours on Zoom twice a week and 2 hour discussion once a week -- and he REQUIRES you to have your camera on (though I'd just point it towards the ceiling or something since he has/does comment on people laughing on camera with their friends during class -- so be mindful of facial expression). However, you don't really have to pay attention in lecture -- the minimal assignments (one worksheet due a week that you can just ctrl-F slides for and search up) are more based on discussion than anything.

In discussion, you DEFINITELY have to be on your A-game because the TA will call on you directly (though it's okay if you don't know the answer -- the TA knows this and is more than willing to help you out -- it's a safe environment and I never felt dumb even if I didn't know something). Make sure to do all readings (especially the more scientific-based ones) beforehand. But, if you do engage well in discussion, it'll make the homework a lot easier.

The professor himself is nice (he actually sent us all a $20 DoorDash gift card at the end of the quarter and gave us all As) though can be a bit harsh sometimes. He does tend to ramble a lot though. Midterms/finals were all group orals but we knew the questions in advance so just prepare a script and divide and conquer and you should be okay. It does have a 5 min Q&A after which is hella intense but as long as you're trying your best you should be okay, he just wants to see you reason it through logically.

Long review but overall: it can be a really rough class if you have no science background at all but if you keep up on readings (~30 min worth) and engage in discussion/trust the TA and classmates to help you learn, it'll be an interesting class that really pushes you to learn... and you'll end up with a guaranteed A lol. the workload itself is not that bad and the content isn't horrific and the midterm/final orals are honestly not as scary as they seem since he just cares about your learning rather than every word you say.

i dropped because this class is a joke like other people are mentioning and he peddles this ridiculous line of we can't prove GMOs have adverse effects on health so they must be good. pure deterministic bullshit. yes the usda organic certification is probably riddled with contradictions, but to outright defend the GMO practice, defend Monsanto, which now has to pay $2.25 billion in a suit for a product of theirs that causes cancer, and the general corporatization of farming and food systems, and the rise of the agrochemical business has devastated farmers globally. if he has nuance i didn't hear it, he boasts his credentials to mislead students. oppose genetically modified food and its subsidization and its normalization because when have corporations ever taken the health of their consumers seriously, and they will use anything to defend themselves, whether it is propaganda or funding research in the scientific community, seriously don't trust them, and this class serves to legitimize a shameful practice in our world.