Jeffrey Schwartz - University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

Professor: Jeffrey Schwartz

Department: Anthropology

College: University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ANTH0681
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Jeffrey is a super smart guy, but assumes everyone in lecture knows the basics of human anthro even though it's an introductory class. Boring to listen to, and not that responsive. TA was amazing and basically the reason I passed (to be fair, I'm not a science person whatsoever). Only take if you're okay with teaching yourself.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ANTH0681
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

If you want to take this class for an easy gen. ed., go for it, BUT his lectures are super boring and attendance is mandatory. Don't buy the textbooks. His TA is awesome! He makes the tests and goes through everything in recitation that was taught in lecture. Tests are pure memorization and super easy if you study.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ANTH0681
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

It's lecture heavy, but the TA helps you out and basically his slides summarize everything the professor said in the last several lectures and the TA makes the test and gives you a study guide that is literally the test. It's three exams, non-cumulative, no homework, don't need reading, very straightforward. I like the class and the material.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ANTHR0680
• Grade Received: C+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE. NEVER TAKE A CLASS WITH HIM. He makes tests impossible. He randomly writes words on the board and is so hard to follow in lecture. My TA literally showed us a comedy central video of him because he is that much of a joke. The topic sucks because he makes it suck. I had to rate him a 1 because it wouldn't let me go negative.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ANTH0681
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Dr. Schwartz may be the worst anthro prof I have ever had. He doesn't shut up about orangoutangs. He teaches two hours a week, and everything is learned in recitation yet attendance is graded for lecture. Tests are easy.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ANTH0680
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Jeffrey was very pretentious in his teaching. In terms of grading, his grading criteria is not followed, and is strictly based off of points you earn and nothing else. Overall, I would not take a class with him again, nothing he ever taught was in writing, it was all just random words written on the board that you had to choose important or not.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ANTH0681
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I can understand the negative comments he is scattered & slightly unorganized but my experience w/ him as professor for Intro to Human Evolution was very rewarding & left me w/ long-lasting information. It may be because I'm a nerd when it comes to learning about our evolution, so I payed close attention in class. It has been my fav at Pitt so far

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ANTH680
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

The lectures are confusing and disorganized. He's probably not the professor to take if you're not a major, but if you're used to science classes and good at memorization it will be fine. I learned how to think about paleoanthropology and found myself looking at other classes, and the discipline itself, differently. Exams are easier than expected.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ANTH0680
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

This guy is pretentious. If you can't handle that, he may bother you all semester. Write down every little thing he says, it's all important and will show up on exams. Make friends with your TA. Study notes often, since there are pop quizzes in recitations. The exams are true/false, matching, multiple choice, etc. Easy if you study!

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ANTH0680
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Had him for Intro to Human Evo and Intro to Physical Anthro. I never used any of the textbooks, attended lecture kinda frequently, recitation very frequently, and made good friends with my TAs, who write all the exams and quizzes. Prof lectures are a little all over the place, but TAs clarify. Interesting subjects. He has awesome white flowy hair.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ANTH0680
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Lectures are boring. He skips around and goes off topic a lot which makes note taking difficult. He doesnt use powerpoint or anything relatively up to date. The TAs, however, are great. They make the tests and pass out study guides (study these and you'll be fine). I never used any of my textbooks for this class

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ANTH0680
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Not the greatest lecturer, but if you do have him, it's not the end of the world. The TA's are in charge of making the tests, so attending recitations/office hours will only help you. I studied a good amount for the tests and received A's on all of them. If you're willing to put in some effort, you will get an A or A+.

Rating # 13

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Please don't take him. I did get an A in his class, but he is just the worst type of person.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ANTH0680
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Difficult but if you pay attention in lecture/recitation and really memorize EVERYTHING on the study guides, you'll do fine on the tests. He also does a weird curve on the final grades if you improve throughout the semester. the textbook was useful, but i barely used the photo atlas. go to recitation! the TA's will save your grade

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ANTH0680
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Pretty difficult class. Schwartz is very knowledgeable (and sometimes arrogant) about what he teaches, but he expects you to know everything he says when the exams roll around. Thank goodness for the TAs, they helped out immensely.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ANTH0680
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Extremely hard class but not impossible. Lectures were all over the map. He expects you to know every detail he says in class. Go to class because lectures are not available after class. Do not take this class as a gen ed!!!

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ANTH0680
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

This man is completely unorganized and the tests are impossible to study for.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ANTH0681
• 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:

For an intro class this was pretty hard, but it's definitely worth it if you're interested in the topic and are willing to put in the work. He's extremely knowledgeable and will explain everything with a lot of details (which you WILL have to know for the tests). All in all a completely brilliant man.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ANTH0680
• 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:

He ranks among the worst professors I've had, and I've taken OChem, so that's saying something. Don't take this class if you don't love the subject. He can't teach, but he's full of interesting, incredibly detailed, information that he will definitely share with you. And include in the exams. He's also caricature-level arrogant. It's great.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ANTH1602
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

A brilliant guy with some crazy ideas! His classes are ridiculously hard, but succeeding in them is completely rewarding. NEVER take him for intro, even if you are a major.