Peter Coughlin - University of Maryland, College Park, MD

Professor: Peter Coughlin

Department: Economics

College: University of Maryland, College Park, MD

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ECON451
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I would suggest taking ANY 400 level Econ besides this one. Exams worth 30% all MC. 10% goes to H.W. The Professor seems like a nice man, but the material is so dry & he glides through the PowerPoint in class yet doesnt post slides online so people will show up to class. Material isnt hard, but I dont think he teaches it effectively.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ECON451
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I took this class as an elective. He was very open to talking after class and during office hours about concepts that were difficult. I ended the course with an A thanks to all if the extra support!

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ECON451
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Lectures are very boring. Attendance isn't mandatory, but he does not provide lecture slides on ELMS. If you need to see lecture slides you have to see him during office hours. Homework assigned each week, but graded on completeness and really correctness. Class is easier if you attend to understand material. No textbook but online resources.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ECON200
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Tells awful jokes, which is hilarious in it's own right. I hardly ever went to lectures (granted, I had taken AP Micro), and I still got an A-. Discussion section is not necessary. Read the textbook and you're golden.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ECON200
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Did better on my second exam, where I didn't go to lectures and just read the book. Everything he says in lecture is in the book. He didn't give enough examples for us to do in class. He seems nice, but boring and does not interact with students.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ECON200
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He pretty funny in class and tried to make some really cold jokes. Exams are all multiple choice and they include calculations. I didn't like the exam very much but it's an okay class. Relatively easy if u read the txt book. Homework on Aplia only takes 25%, I wish that could be weighted more.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ECON200
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Easy if you actually read the text book. If you read the textbook and do the homework there is no reason for you to go to lecture. The tests are average. I barely study, i read the textbooks and i still have a B or higher on all the tests. He is a nice guy and tries really hard but it is a big group to teach just using slides so lecture is boring

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ECON200
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Uses good powerpoints to teach. Online hw is easy and counts for 25% of your grade, the 75% left is 3 tests, which are all multiple choice. Class can get boring though, and he uses corny jokes all the time. I had an easy time because i took Macro-econ in high school so I knew the concepts already. Discussion was useless, I only went once.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ECON451
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I really, really like Prof. Coughlin! His teaching style made public choice seem easy and interesting. I like that he focuses on theory with a little bit of math. He is very helpful, and just a nice person overall. TAs were actually really responsible and friendly. You have to go to class and take notes though!

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ECON306
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

His slides and presentations are just too boring. The class material is dry. He should interact with students more.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ECON451
• 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:

Wow, I can't believe Couhglin only has ratings for the lower level and intermediate econ courses. He does teach Public Choice (451). Same style as 200 with the projector slides. I almost wanted to offer to help him create PPT. But I wanted to enjoy my winter break. LOL! Pretty dry stuff but he's a great professor and has great passion for teaching!

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ECON306
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

They should make this course worth 9 credits: 3 from the homework, 3 from the lecture, and 3 from the exam. They are totally unrelated to each other.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ECON306
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

terrible lecturer, terrible powerpoint slides, terrible voice that sounds like gilbert goddfried, terrible t.a.'s who can barely speak english, don't respond to their e-mail and forget to go to their own review sessons.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ECON306
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Honestly his lecture is the drag of my day. He has these half ass overhead slides(who uses that still ?). The Aplia gets really hard and the book doesn't help. The TAs, and the books are USELESS. I am likely to come out with a B. Hes an OK guy but he never responded to my emails which kind of pisses me off. I don't reccomend this guy.Exams are OK.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ECON306
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He wasn't too bad of a lecturer. he did as well as he could for such a boring class. The discussion leaders were absolutely USELESS though! but he had an assistant who gave extra help & did a great job explaining the Aplia assignments(which most of the time had nothing to do w/ lecture or the book) Last 2 of the 3 exams were hard & curved by a lot.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ECON306
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He tries to rush through the topics and doesn't use numbers to explain math problems. He doesn't post the lectures online so you have to go to class. It's hard, but if you go to the Econ tutors, they can explain everything that doesn't make sense. The second exam is really hard but he does curve. Aplia gets really hard as the semester goes on.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: EOCN306
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Graded on 3 tests (two midterms and a final) and also Aplia (one assignment a week). The Aplia is hard and sometimes has little to do with what was learned in class. Questions on test are not always from lecture. Hard tests!

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ECON306
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

His lectures are pretty boring, but he's not bad. I would recommend him for 306. Tests are mostly fair, although the 2nd one was ridiculously hard and had to be curved almost 20 points. The TAs were useless though, I went to discussion once.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ECON306
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

In his class, out of 70 students, i worked the hardest,and he knew this. I met him at his office hours and his japanesse TA, Otto, who has has no soul, everyday. My final grade in his class was a 89.6. So i go to him, and ask him"please i worked so hard", guess what he sayed no. 5 kids got A's from 80 students. I wake up everday and curse his name

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ECON306
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Prof Coughlin is a nice guy who always with great prepare for the lecture. Although attendance is not require, he wouldn't put the powerpoint slide on the webpage since he wants people show up and take notes. There is a lot to study, but with the testbook you always can handle well. Exams are straight forward and not tricky, just becareful the T/F.