Valentine Moghadam is an International Affairs professor at Northeastern University rated 2.33/5 by 88 students, with 3.65/5 difficulty and 19.0% who would take them again (TRACE + RateMyProfessors + Reddit, updated July 2026).
Valentine Moghadam professor reviews and ratings: 2.33/5 from 88 student reviews at Northeastern (19.0% would take again). TRACE + RateMyProfessor + Reddit.
I do not recommend this course. If you can take any other professor for this capstone do so. The structure is just writing weekly 2 page papers and readings, 1-2 presentations, then build up to final paper. She constantly belittles her students and makes a hostile environment. I dreaded this class, and she constantly made us feel like bad people.INTL4700 2025-12-11 22:02:03 +0000 UTC
This was a 1000-level class taught like a master's thesis course, 7 of us around a conference room table. There is zero indication of grading, a syllabus posted, and everything else is done by email. She literally shows up to class, grills you on her own book, and then you leave with a boatload of work and zero indication on how to do it.INTL2480 2025-11-17 21:12:03 +0000 UTC
Moghadam makes class an uncomfortable experience through targeted, insensitive comments. She will call you out for taking a wellness day, and talk about you when you aren't there. There is no grading structure. She gives a letter grade for your final performance based on undefined factors. I would not recommend taking any course with Moghadam.INTL4700 2025-04-14 16:22:37 +0000 UTC
Meanest professor I've ever had and talked down to her students at every chance. Would tell students they're wrong, stupid, etc. She also is very self-interested and assigns her own readings frequently. She does not tolerate missing class, extensions, or anything that she doesn't agree with but weirdly not a bad grader.INTL2480 2025-04-02 16:58:44 +0000 UTC
She's amazing and knows her stuff. She will inspire you and push you in the best way. Of course there are always easier classes to take, but if you actually want to learn and make the money you're paying for your education worth it, this would be the class for you.INTL4700 2024-03-21 01:41:44 +0000 UTC
Unpredictable grader, minimal work put into lectures/activities, often contradicts herself & refuses to admit to it, places any and all blame on students for mishappenings of any kind. Overall very disrespectful as an academic and clearly has an untamable ego. Though she is accomplished and I got an A in her class, it was not worth my time.INTL2480 2024-12-19 02:58:19 +0000 UTC
Not a good professor, mentor, or academic. She has extreme expectations of all her students and doesnt extend any understanding to her students. Very tough grader, likes to humiliate her students and induces deep anxiety when in her presence.INTL4700 2023-09-20 18:59:08 +0000 UTC
do not take her class. complete waste of time and money. she knows her rating and dgaf. shes not a "tough grader" she is simply a terrible professor. assingments+lectures are a JOKE, incredibly disorganized. genuinely think she teaches just to sell her own book. she's also incredibly passive aggressive+aggressive, Like shark-tank esque pedagogy.INTL2480 2024-12-08 20:48:14 +0000 UTC
Moghadam is disrespectful and very unfair. When giving feedback, she is unkind, often contradicts herself, and leaves students feeling stupid. She is demanding but does not put in much work herself - she took 1 day to read and grade twenty 30-page papers, so she clearly only glanced at them. She does not care about teaching or about her students.INTL4700 2019-12-16 20:07:16 +0000 UTC
Too much to say about this professor: 1. no clear grading rubic 2. humiliates her students 3. has no clear assignments and assigns things on a whim 4. no email etiquette 5. sarcastically insults students 6. has students present during class time on topics instead of lectures 7. demeaning 8. makes students uncomfortable, afraid, and anxiousINTL2480 2024-12-08 04:21:48 +0000 UTC
Assignment instructions are unclear, then she scolds us for doing things wrong. Students expected to be 100% knowledgeable on all topics - If not, she embarrasses us in front of the whole class. When we ask her questions, she won't give a straight answer. Doesn't support her students, and forces her ideas onto our work at the risk of our gradesINTL4700 2019-10-31 16:57:34 +0000 UTC
While the course content was interesting, Prof Moghadam didn't show respect to her students the way one would hope she would. She blamed a student for her medical condition, didn't use my proper pronouns, harshly criticized all students, and more. I hope to never take a class of hers again.INTL2480 2024-11-26 13:10:19 +0000 UTC
Classwork and presentations are assigned whenever she feels like it, and when students are confused, she blames them for not being attentive. She also has very little respect for her students, it's like she enjoys humiliating her students and putting people on the hot seat in class. If you want to take an elective, do not choose this one.INTL2480 2024-10-23 19:02:17 +0000 UTC
Prof. Moghadam was AMAZING!!! Yes, she is a tough grader and yes, you do have to write papers pretty much every week but she really knows her content and explains it really well. I took WMNS 2480 with her and it was a great course. You also get to choose what topic and country (ies) you write about for your final paper. I will def take her again.INTL2480 2024-03-01 16:10:33 +0000 UTC
Prof. Moghadam set high expectations on every assignment. She harshly grades research papers even ones that were not on the syllabus. She grades you based on her expectations from you and does not set an even playing field. Her classroom environment is boring, tense, and sometimes anxiety-inducing. Even if her resume is shiny, stay away.INTL2480 2022-05-09 06:52:29 +0000 UTC
Valentine Moghadam has an average rating of 2.33/5 from 88 student reviews. 19.0% of students said they would take them again.
Valentine Moghadam's classes have a difficulty rating of 3.65/5 based on student reviews.
Valentine Moghadam has taught SOCL7222, INTL4700, SOCL7221, INTL1160, INTL2480, WMNS2480, INTL3520, SOCL3468, INTL5200, SOCL7225 at Northeastern.
Data updated July 2026.