Joel Kaye

Professor Kaye is the best! This is a seminar class so it's heavy on the reading (a lot of assigned and suggested reading each week) and I would say you should stay on top of it (but it IS possible to skim and kind of get away with that). You essentially go through the development of science from Aristotle to Da Vinci which is all super interesting. I am not a history major and I really loved the readings (it feels kind of cool to know the history of my major). Prior to going online due to corona, the assignment list was simply paper at 6 weeks, second paper near the end of the semester, and then either a final research paper OR an in-class final exam (basically an in-class paper). After going online, we had already submitted the first paper and then we had a final paper but that was it. The papers are pretty intense but he grades kindly. Actually, he just reads the papers and comments on your insights, corrects your failings, and praises your good points. We never actually got any letter grades assigned to the papers. I would assume as long as your paper isn't a total shit show, you would probably get a decent grade. Also, attendance is mandatory (but seeing as this is a history seminar, this should be obvious). Since the class only meets once a week, you really have a lot of time to do the work for the class SO DO IT AND YOU WILL BENEFIT FROM IT!!!!! TLDR; Joel Kaye is aweso…

If you want to take a class where someone stands in front of you reading extremely dry material in a monotone voice, then this one's for you. Probably the least dynamic class I've ever taken. I had never taken a course on the Middle Ages before and wasn't really inclined to do so, but I saw other raving reviews about this, so I decided to try it. I REGRET THIS. I'm confused about the other good reviews...The lectures dragged on forever and I don't feel like I got anything out of it. For a survey course, the expectations were extremely unclear and the grading seemed arbitrary and unfair. I didn't feel encouraged to come up with my own historical conclusions, rather just follow their unclear standards and expectations. Readings from his compilation of primary sources had potential, but were pretty boring. Didn't realize that the secondary sources were crucial for the class, but they were also hellish to read. And there were so many of them. Maybe if you're obsessed with the Middle Ages, you'll like this, but if you don't, DO NOT TAKE IT!!! All I got out of it was a humanities requirement, which I guess is the bright side?

This course is primarily focused on improving critical writing skills through historical analysis and comparison, and there could be no better teacher for it than Professor Kaye! Because he's primarily a medieval historian, a lot of his anecdotes trail off into the 1200-1400s but I always found them kind of instructive in showing you a new way to look at the world and how we create history. Professor Kaye is incredibly approachable and makes class discussion insightful and engaging. Be prepared to work though because he expects a lot from you and is always invested in your growth as a student. I've had some papers that he refused to grade(let alone read) because I just slapped something on the paper and he didn't think it was reflective of the quality of writing I had submitted in the past. So, yeah, he can be intense but it's also awesome to find a teacher who's so ready to support you, work with you and push you to write your best!

This is by far the most interesting and enriching class I have taken in the history department at Columbia University. And Joel Kaye is an extraordinary professor. This is by no means an exaggeration. This is one of the classes that will leave a mark on you. Regardless of what you may think about the Middle Ages, you will come out of this class fascinated by what you have learned. This class will open a world of knowledge and it will shed new light on the origins of the modern world. Professor Kaye often takes a moment to reflect about the way history unfolds and invites students to think with him. He always creates a comfortable and engaging environment. This class will train you to think historically. You will mostly work with primary sources, which includes philosophical, religious, and literary materials. Instead of always giving bland lectures, Professor Kaye spends some time analyzing the sources during most classes, so he really brings the material to life, which makes it much easier and pleasant for students. The course is writing intensive. There are 3 essay assignments, which comprise most of the work. There is also a final, but it is light and nothing to worry about. The essays are not easy, but they are exciting. Professor Kaye is also a fair grader who really gives his students the means to do great in the class. He gives thorough comments on each paper and makes…

This class started off OK but then got a little sticky when religion began cauing huge controversey among the different students. Becasue it was a seminar he sort of let the students run the class which was not always good becasue we often ended up on tangents which led to controversey. Also, some students found him offensive at times, and while he says he was just trying to state his opinion, there was probably a nicer way to do it. His grading system was otherwise fair and he was available to discuss grades and assignments

Pre corona workload: reading every week, weekly discussion posts, 2 papers, final research paper OR final exam (you pick) After corona workload: more reading every week, longer weekly discussion posts, 1 paper (completed before we went online), and 1 final paper (6-8 pages) Grade breakdown before corona: Careful Reading of the weekly assignments; active participation in class discussion, and written comments to the class discussion list on Canvas/Courseworks—20% Two shorter papers (4-6 pages) on questions raised by the in-class readings #1, 20%, #2, 30%. Final essay exam, covering the last 6 week’s readings, with the option to substitute a third and final paper, 30% Optional final research paper (8-10 pages) on a topic of your choice (within certain parameters to be discussed w prof Kaye), 30%

Kaye's a great professor all-around who's both passionate about the material he teaches and educating undergrads about it. His lectures are highly organized, and one might think that listening to an old professor read out of his notes about the Middle Ages would be boring, but his style and voice (which is very pleasant to listen to) make all of the material he covers seem extremely captivating. Some might find the thematic approach a bit confusing, but I appreciated it, and felt like all the material tied together in cohesive fashion by the end of the class, and really allowed you to appreciate the period and the vitality of medieval culture (and yes, Kaye does a great job of dispelling traditional stereotypes of the Middle Ages). Even if you're not interested in medieval history I'd advise taking the class- I'm sure you'll get a lot out of it if you don't go in expecting to learn about what people typically regard as medieval. Kaye's also an incredibly enthusiastic and open professor who takes time to speak to undergrads and develop their interests in history outside class- particularly if you visit him during office hours, when he's more than happy to just spend an hour talking with you about medieval history in general even if you don't have any questions. He gave me a bunch of his old journals to read through once when I asked him and was more than happy to talk with me a…

This was one of the most challenging yet immensely rewarding classes I had taken at Barnard/Columbia. The name, "Introduction to Historical Theory and Methods," is somewhat of a misnomer. It is certainly not an "easy" introduction history course nor is it about mechanical research techniques. For those who thought history was about dates, IDs and maybe some essays, this class helps you understand what it really means to be a historian and, more abstractly yet so crucially, appreciate the value of a historian's endeavors and the field of history. The seminar is structured as a discussion, as any seminar, and involves analyzing and critiquing/or commending the various ways of writing history (how to use footnotes, quotations, writing style, argument structure, primary source selection). From such discussions, you get a better sense of how to conduct your own historical research and write. The readings (scholarly history articles, Said, Chakrabarty, Foucault, Ginzburg, Darnton, Marx--all from scholars who shaped the field of history in unique ways) seemed intimidating, yes, and difficult, but the depth of understanding gained from our class discussions was always worth the time spent reading (and being confused by) the articles/books. If you take the readings seriously enough, you gain so much knowledge and depth. Professor Kaye is a warm, extremely intelligent and honest profess…

A fantastic lecturer, Kaye makes himself available to students above and beyond the call of duty. His essay topics aren't standard, but are actually interesting and force you to engage with the material; that said, he's not trying to stump the student, and he does reward time spent on the class. BC1062 had a great TA the semester I was in it, which probably helped with keeping up with the syllabus (there was a required weekly discussion section); Intellectual Life had...issues with that, and was rushed by the end of the semester. The coursepacket he assigns is half evil, half great -- the pagination is a pain and a half and you never know when to bring it to class for discussions, but the actual reading is interesting and mean that you're able to think about the topics at hand for yourself.

I love Professor Kaye. Since the class was a seminar, and not a lecture, it was great to be able to sit down with a truly intelligent and caring professor every week. He made class interesting with a relaxed feel to it. Prof Kaye is kind of like that cool uncle that everyone wants. He was truly interested in what everyone had to say and brought up great discussion points. I'm actually taking another class of his next semester simpy because I love him so much.