Stephen Rau - Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA

Professor: Stephen Rau

Department: Business

College: Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ACCT311
• Grade Received: F
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Rau is a terrible professor. His lectures are interesting but the exams are completely different. Dont expect to pass unless you spend 15+ hours a week on this class

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ACCT310
• Grade Received: F
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Rau is the toughest professor at Duquesne. He tells you half the class will fail the first day. He enjoys giving students F's and won't bump you up to the next grade, even if you go to see him and are always in class. Rau acts like a nice guy then eventually crushes your hopes and dreams.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ACCT311
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

If you don't take good notes, study hard for the exams, and do the homework you probably will not pass. Your final grade is based off of 4 difficult exams. This is definitely not a class you can breeze through/skip often. However, he is a smart professor and is always willing to help. The material is not super hard, you just have to work for it.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ACCT311
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

You can study for hours or days for the tests but you don't know exactly what will be on them anyway. The 4 tests are the only grades in the entire course and the semester I had him we only had one week in-between the last 2 which made it impossible to know where you stood in the class. Very smart but is bad at relating his knowledge to students.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ACCT311
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Professor Rau is one of the best professors that I have ever had at Duquesne. He gives you the information that you need to know, but you just have to write it down and learn it. Also you have to do the homework to pass. Intermediate Accounting is one of the hardest classes I have taken, but if you go to class, and do the homework it is achievable.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ACCT215
• Grade Received: C+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Probably the best professor I ever had at Duquesne. Not because I liked him the most but because I learned the most in his class. His class is very challenging and you have to earn a good grade. He is very objective when he speaks , is a no non sense kind of professor, and makes you learn the material. Take him if you ever have the chance.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ACCT215
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Rau's tests have very difficult multiple choice questions, but he is very forgiving on the mathematics. Theory is where he is strict. While homework isn't mandatory, it's foolish not to do it, since it's solid practice. He tends to spend a good chunk of the class reviewing it anyway.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ACCT215
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Rau is a very smart man who knows the ins and outs of accounting. He has a pretty clear grading criteria. Only 4 exams determines your grade so if you screw up it is tough to recover. He is challenging but fair, if you work hard you will get the grade you want. If you are just trying to get through accounting and be done, do not take him.

Rating # 9

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Rau is a very smart man from Pittsburgh teaching a required business-core class. He is a very respectable man who works through the material in a concise logistical manner. HW is offered but not required. I'd recommend doing it as to not fall behind. His tests are challenging but fair to the in-class material. He is definitely the guy to take.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ACCT311
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Rau is definitely hard. But if you put in the effort and do the homeworks he sends to you, it should not be too difficult. Don't expect to get a great grade by just doing "ok." You definitely have to earn your A

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: INTERMEDIATE
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Rau is easily one of the hardest teachers I've ever had. Having him for Intermediate was a blessing and a nightmare at the same time. Do the homework, read the chapter again and again. Rau demands a lot, but doing well (B- or better) in Intermediate is doable. He's not going to hand you a good grade, you have to go out and earn it.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: FINACCT1234
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Honestly the smartest man I have ever met in my life. His class is beyond difficult, but he makes you want to be a business person. Went to his office at least once a week for help, and he was always more than welcoming and acknowledged the fact that I was working hard. He takes into account at the end if you've improved and will raise your grade.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ACCT310
• 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:

Rau is the hardest teacher probably at Duquesne. Having said that TAKE HIS CLASS. You'll work hard but literally be able to teach the class by the end. His exams get you ready for the CPA exam because they are so challenging. Simple memorization doesn't work with Rau, he really teaches you to think. Awesome teacher, take his class.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ACCT311
• 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 one of the most intelligent professors I've had at Duquesne -- he really knows accounting inside and out. With that said, he is also one of the hardest professors I've had, but he is definitely worth taking for Intermediate Accounting! If you study the PowerPoints, the textbook chapters, and the assigned homework problems, an A is possible!

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: FIACT1234
• 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:

had him for Financial Accounting. The other guy that teaches it is terrible so im glad i took Rau. Rau is demanding yet fair. 3 tests and 1 final were our grade. Go to class and DO THE HOMEWORK. Also read the book because the MC questions come right out of it. Great guy and really glad I took him.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ACCT100
• 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:

Tests are hard and he doesn?t return them so it puts students at a disadvantage in really learning from mistakes and improving throughout the course. Would be a great prof if he provided practice exams to prepare students better.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ACCTG214
• 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:

Rau is by far the BEST yet one of the HARDEST teachers in business. You will literally learn everything you ever need to know about accounting, he is absolutely outstanding. The weekly quizzes were challenging, the multiple choice kills you! Just do the homework and listen to what he says and you will be fine! Accounting majors must take him!!!!!

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ACCT214
• 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:

Very helpful and is very quick to respond to e-mail and messages. Go to class he explains everything well and does examples. His tests are example / real world example driven. So, if you go to class and do some practice out of the book you'll be fine.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ACCT214
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Do NOT take Rau unless you plan on majoring in Accounting. Tests are very difficult - tricky weekly quizzes amount for too much weight. Highlight of the semester was the talk he gave on Duq GPAs being too high and basically his course was there to lower them. He knows his stuff, but shouldn't be teaching Into level courses due to high expectations.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ACCT214
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Most likely the best teacher I've ever had. Probably the most difficult as well. He seems like he doesn't care about his students-- but it's the students who don't care about their grade who he doesn't like. Anyone who is willing to take the time to go to his office hours or e-mail him will do well. Great guy and teacher.