Kurt McMahon - Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL

Professor: Kurt McMahon

Department: Computer Science

College: Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: CSCI470
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

His lectures are pointless aside from not looking ridiculous during office hours. He either reads off of the documentation or attempts to explain a labyrinth of code. Resources are up on blackboard, but you will have to teach yourself everything. Watch all of thenewboston on youtube for java before taking this class. Best NIU CSCI professor though.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: CSCI241
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Kurt is a great teacher. Kurt and Amy Brynes are the CSCI best teachers thus far at NIU. He teaches the material well, draws great diagrams on board to understand sorting/nodes/array ect.. Helps a lot. Wish he taught csci340. Gives 100 pt EC assignment at end.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: CSCI241
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Very technical, and good. but assumes students are experts in coding. If asking for help, he will say things like, maybe Computer science isn't for you. (i received an A in the pre req 240 class)

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: CSCI321
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

One of the worst professors I have ever had in this department. Before class he'll usually upload the skeleton program that you guys will "work" on during the class, that is due at the end of the class, this is his form of attendance. As for the program you guys work on, he will spend 50 minutes finishing it up and you are expected to follow along.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: CSCI241
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Probably the best CS instructor I've had here. Supremely knowledgeable on the subject matter, lectures are focused, informative, and on topic, and he covers everything you need for the course (which seems rarer than I would have supposed before coming here). I'd take him for every CS course if I could.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: 241
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Probably one of the best computer science teachers at the college. Just make sure you have a lot of time on your hands because it will be taken up by programming assignments every week. It was a death march and i'm glad the class was over. Make sure you study for the tests because they are extremely hard. Overall, good teacher, hard class.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: CSCI241
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Kurt's 241 is a breeze if you know what you're doing. I came to this school as transfer so I don't know the change of difficulty from 240 to 241 but based on the content of 241 I'm going to say it's probably not that much of a change. You only barely touch polymorphism and inheritance. Overall a good teacher.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: CSCI241
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Great teacher, the most helpful one I've had here. Challenging class though. He even helped some of us with other comp classes! He knows seemingly everything about C++, not condescending at all, very easygoing, honest. Wish I could have him for every class. You must spend a lot of time getting help on most assignments, so start them early.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: CSCI241
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Brilliant teacher, I think the only one I've ever nominated during evaluations. Enthusiastic and clear about the content. Breaks down code line by line to explain absolutely everything. Very helpful when you're stuck on assignments. Has good personality and stories to share.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: CSCI241
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

he is one of the best teacher in CS department, he's very helpful outside of class as well.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: CSCI340
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Definitely one of the best CS teachers at NIU. Helpful, knowledgable, genuinely interested in the material. Also great to work with if you are his TA.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: CSCI241
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Great professor. Always available for help and always willing to help. Funny, odd sense of humor, but a wonderful teacher nonetheless. He really knows what he's talking about, and he may not be everyone's style, but he's a good teacher and we need more of those!

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: CSCI340
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Really fun class. Gives really clear examples/demonstration on the board. Posts a lot of information online to help you get the assignments done. 10% is taken off for every day late. Some extra credit is given on tests. I didn't need much help, but I often saw him going over code with another student before and after class.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: CSCI240
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Kurt is very fun to talk to and learn from. His class was decent in difficulty for someone with no programming background. Friday quizzes were the only mandatory reqs. He was always willing to help out on assignments. Psudo code was given in class.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: CSCI340
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He is one of the best professor in CSCI Department. The course is not easy, but A is attainable. Recommend him for everyone who wants to learn.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: CSCI240
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Kurt is a great teacher. He has a great sense of humor and is an expert at C++. He presents the material in such a way that it is very easy to learn, even though I went in with no experience in computer programming. I had to take the class as a math major, so if you have to too, take Kurt McMahon.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: CSCI240
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He is funny, relaxed, and makes great effort to understand students' questions and answer them well. I asked for help with a Mac compiler after class once, and he immediately started playing with my computer, and spent a good hour figuring it out for me. Really helpful, good person.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: CSCI241
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He is awesome! I had him in csci 241. Just go to class and do the work..u got and A. But programing is not easy..u gotta understand that!

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: CICS240
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

The information he lectures on is in handouts. Very little use of the book. Lecture is clear and he answers questions well in class, but the TA's are bad. Can't understand most of them because they talk too soft and fast. When we complained, McMahon said to practice listening to the guy on the Simpsons. Hard class if you're not a computer geek!

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: CSCI240
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Kurt is a great teacher. He is very clear, and has a nice sense of humor. He understood that not everyone in class was interested in C++. Whenever I came to his office for help he fixed my problems for me while explaining why they were wrong. He never made me feel like I was stupid.