Daniel Dougherty - Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA

Professor: Daniel Dougherty

Department: Computer Science

College: Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: CS3133
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

It's clear he is very knowledgeable about the material and usually manages to communicate well to class. You basically need to go to lecture every day to understand the material, it's dense stuff. Very approachable and happy to explain material outside of class. Homework optional and not for credit, but you basically need to do it to pass tests.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: CS3133
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He knows the material. But it seemed like he had never taught this class before. He was creating his own textbook, which he referred to as "Notes" on the fly. In class he would always say "refer to the notes." Since he created it on the fly, it had many errors. You don't do well if don't read the "Notes." You need to understand "Notes" to do well.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: CS3133
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

For someone who's interested in the material, he teaches the class well. While his lectures may appear to be disorganized, you'll be at a loss if you miss even one. Also, tests made up 100% of the final grade for the class -- they are difficult, but very doable if you attempt every homework problem. Any less, and you'll flounder.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: CS3133
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

His lectures are not an indicative of his expectations in exams, he fails to convey objectives in a clear fashion and instead going to his lectures is a waste as the exam depends of book lectures and homework assigned in his page.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: 4120
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He is really helpful if you go to him for help. You can prepare the test very well if you could do every homework problem. If you keep focus on his lecture actually don't need to read textbook so much, but it's still useful. Take with him!

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: 4120
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Nice guy, but has a fondness for overly wordy books. The book for this class is different from the 2223 book and is nigh impossible to read. It was written in the sort of careless manner that leaves the inexperienced reader (heshe who is not well versed in advanced math or theoretical CS) lost in the details.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: CS2223
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I am shocked at how consistently unprepared this professor is for class. His explanations show no knowledge of the material, and his exam questions and projects show even less. I get multiple emails a day from the professor correcting yet another typo or error in grading a student pointed out. Everything I've learned has been from the textbook.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: CS503
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Prof. Dougherty was one of my favorite professors. Quizzes were fair and "easy" if you did the requisite studying. That's not to say anything was actually easy, you have to work hard for a good grade but you won't encounter any trick questions or unknown material. Class lectures were as fun as could be expected from the dry source material.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: CS503
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Dougherty is the best professor at WPI and probably one of the best theoretical CS professors. He is the man!

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: CS521
• 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 an EXCELLENT professor! The work is hard, and there is a lot of it, but if you put enough time into it you will do well. He's helpful and fair. I do advise that if you take this class and work full time, DON'T take on a second one. It will be rough.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: CS521
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He's a really nice guy, but has a weird way of grading. He's a great professor though, so he makes up for any other shortfalls.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: CS502
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Awesome professor. he was the first professor in my first semester. He made me interested in boring subject like cs502. Really awesome.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: CS503
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He is a great professor. Will make things easy for you. Each class is very interesting A++

Rating # 14

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

He is really nice to me and he is the best!!!

Rating # 15

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Great prof, cares about students. Keeps algorithms interesting. Another awesome WPI prof.

Rating # 16

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

he is a hunk gorrila and he is very nice.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: CS3133
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I've had Prof. Dougherty twice since I arrived at WPI. If the rest of the CS department had half his teaching ability I'd be a CS major.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: CS3133
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Easily the best professor I've had at WPI. Puts in a lot of effort to make an otherwise boring subject somewhat interesting and really cares about the students.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: CS2223
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Great teacher. Made class interesting. Exams are based on sample questions available prior to the exam. Algorithms is the most challenging 2000 level CS class I've taken.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: CS2223
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Sexy algorithms