Brian Brutlag

SOC120 · SOC101H · SOC102 · SOC101 · SOC116 · SOCI101 · 121 lifetime ratings

AI rating: 54/100
RMP rating: 3.9/5
Take again: 69.35%
Difficulty: 3.7

The decision

if you want rigorous sociology training and , and mandatory engagement.

Best fit · Hardcore LearnerTough GraderLecture HeavyGet Ready to ReadPassionate but IntimidatingUniversity Prep

Passionate lecturer who prepares students for university-level sociology work
Consistently described as a , and ASA-format writing
many call him life-changing; others warn he is harsh and stressful

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

HardWork

36/100

An A is possible if you follow the rubric and ASA style, but tough grading on essays and .

Both online and ; online adds strict discussion scoring.

Is the course easy?

Challenging

32/100

, and university-style writing make the content intellectually demanding for many students.

Difficulty is high in both formats; online students especially cite volume of articles and papers.

Is attendance flexible?

Mandatory

22/100

Most reviews say attendance is mandatory or that skipping means missing unposted notes and failing pop checks.

In-person is clearly attendance-critical; some .

Is this professor recommended?

WorthIt

68/100

Recommended for serious learners who want depth, but .

In-person fans emphasize life-changing lectures; .

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Strict

28/100

; essays and unless perfectly aligned to his expectations.

Format shift

; in-person writing is equally strict.

Workload

Heavy

28/100

and , and participation posts create a heavy load.

Format shift

Both formats report lots of reading and papers; online adds frequent discussions.

Teaching experience

Good

74/100

, while a sizable minority find him intimidating or disconnected.

Format shift

In-person passion stands out; online quality is and engagement.

Assessment method

Balanced

48/100

Grade mix typically includes essays, discussion posts, quizzes or pop quizzes, midterms, finals, and occasional projects.

Format shift

; online leans discussions and multi-page papers.

Luni fit check

Weigh these signals against your actual schedule.

Get help balancing workload, grading, and timing when no option is an obvious fit.

Course format

Compare the in-person and online experience.

Classroom format

In person

36 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

, and essay/quiz driven; passion and pop quizzes define the room.

Main concern

Skip class and you will miss unposted notes; pop quizzes and harsh writing standards punish casual effort.

What students said

“If you want to learn and be prepared for the future, he's the .”
SOC101

“He's not an easy professor, but for the topic I wouldn't want him to be. Overall I'd say he's tough but fair.”
SOC102

“Save yourself a semester and .”
SOC101

Remote format

Online

14 reviews

Medium confidence · Best fit for Effort For Reward

Online , and essays; grading is strict and feedback is detailed when he provides it.

Main concern

and papers plus high reading load can feel overwhelming without live lecture energy.

What students said

“Brutlag is a , but earned.”
SOC101

“Please. Stay away from him. He's the most arrogant, demanding professor I have ever had.”
SOC116

“I had no choice this year and honestly it was one of my easiest classes.”
SOC102

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Exams and major assessments center on essays and lecture material, with pop quizzes and strict .

Essay Midterms and FinalsPop QuizzesASA Format WritingLecture-Based Quizzes

Assessment risk

Standard

42/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

and finals, pop quizzes, and ASA-formatted papers; blue books and scantrons appear in older comments.

Pop QuizzesEssay ExamsBlue Books and ScantronsPhone-Ring Pop Quiz Penalty

“My only issue is that his quizzes are 3 hours long and were difficult.”
SOC101

“the mid-term and ”
SOC102

“Buy scantrons and blue books for exams.”
SOC101

Online

Online reviews describe essay midterms and finals plus heavy discussion and ; .

Essay Midterm and FinalDiscussion PostsMulti-page Papers

“4 two-page assignment essays, an and , and a final project”
SOC116

“He grades you like if you are upper division in a university.”
SOC101

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice
“If you just want to pass a . But if you want to learn and be prepared for the future, he's the .”
Voice snapshots generated from 50 reviews spanning online and , and passion. Credibility rating: High.

🎯 Teaching Quality

74/100

“He is very knowledgeable and passionate about what he teaches.”

📝

28/100

“Yes he is a but as long as you follow the :)”

📚 Heavy Workload

28/100

“Expect a lot of writing.”

👍 Recommendation Split

68/100

“ learning.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

Passionate about his career! .
lectures are very long but the and interesting
Amazing speaker, I always looked forward to his class.

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty and Grades

He's not an easy professor, but for the topic I wouldn't want him to be.
toughest class I've taken at Rio but again he's preparing us for university classes
I can not stress enough how many hours I took to just write the !

Theme 3

⚠️ About Classroom Culture

Professor is definitely an acquired taste
At first, Professor B appears scary.
Lots of students are intimidated by him

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

Recent reviews read by the AI

121

Lifetime ratings

88/100

Evidence confidence

50 detailed reviews spanning years with consistent themes on toughness, workload, and passionate lecturing support high confidence.

Inside 50 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 561

4 out of 525

3 out of 518

2 out of 55

1 out of 512

Course coverage

SOC10129 reviews

SOC1029 reviews

SOC1166 reviews

SOC1204 reviews

SOC101H1 review

Show 1 more courses

SOCI1011 review

Reported outcomes

B range results lead the reported letter grades.

43 reported outcomes

A range

A+ 3 · A 12 · A- 1

B range

B+ 7 · B 13 · B- 1

C range

No reported values

D range

D+ 1 · D 1

F

F 1

No letter grade reported

Not sure yet 3

Brian Brutlag

x x x if you want rigorous sociology training and x x x x x x, and mandatory engagement.

Four answers before you build your schedule.

HardWork

Challenging

Mandatory

WorthIt

See how this professor fits your week.

Compare the in-person and online experience.

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

In person

Online

See what students actually said.

🎯 Teaching Quality

📝 x x

📚 Heavy Workload

👍 Recommendation Split

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

📈 About Difficulty and Grades

⚠️ About Classroom Culture

See exactly what the AI read.

Quality ratings

Course coverage

B range results lead the reported letter grades.

A range

B range

C range

D range

F

No letter grade reported

if you want rigorous sociology training and , and mandatory engagement.

📝