Daniel Verdier - The Ohio State University

Professor: Daniel Verdier

Department: TBD

College: The Ohio State University

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: POLITSC4553
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Despite its lack of prerequisites, this class quickly delves into game theory's advanced mathematical concepts: Bayesian belief updating, infinite series, and strategy optimization. Dr. Verdier is a wise professor, but the grading is tough. To succeed: start the problem sets early, ask questions, and read the textbook. There was a generous curve.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: PS4553
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Having friends in this class is the only way you will survive. The problem sets will take you hours, even in a group, and sometimes, he teaches concepts wrong and then doesn't correct himself. I learned a lot about game theory, but I feel like there's a better way to teach it than what Dr. V does. If you take this class: good luck, take good notes.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: PS4381
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Verdier's International Comparative Political Economy is the best course I took over the course of my undergraduate years. The course was so well organized and material very dense that you will learn so much in the field of IPE. If you put in the work you will enjoy the intellectual challenge in this course.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: POLITSC4380
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I constantly found myself researching new terms and concepts, and often felt in over my head. Despite this, this class was one of my favorites. If you want an easy elective that will give you an easy A+ with no studying and no lectures, this is NOT for you. Attendance was not mandatory. Incredibly thought provoking class, really smart guy.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: PS4381
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

His class is extremely difficult. I managed to get an A-, however it required a ridiculous amount of studying. Like preparing upwards of 10 essays for an exam with only 3 of them as options to choose from. This class caused a lot of tears during finals. Also, 1% of your overall grade is lost for EVERY absence. Absolutely do not recommend.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: PS4381
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Professor Verdier is one of the best professors I have had. He is extremely knowledgeable and witty, and genuinely cares about his students and their comprehension of the difficult material. Although the class was one of the hardest I've experienced, you can do well if you work hard. Also, his dry sense of humor makes that class that much better.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: PS4381
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Took everything in me to do well in his class. While Professor Verdier is an affable person and makes the class environment enjoyable, the readings are outdated (and there's an obscene amount to read) and exam questions can be vague. Make sure you know what you are getting into before taking this class.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: POLI4380
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Great professor! Super funny and has a great French accent--honestly a silver fox. Also makes lectures interesting and the class is easy to do well in.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: PS4381
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Daniel Verdier is a great human being, but his classes are not to be reckoned with. By far the hardest class I have taken at OSU. Get ready to read a whole lot because he assigns reading quizzes. His exam study guide are too much. For example, he expects you to know 100 identification questions, 20 theory questions, 10 possible essay questions.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: POLS4381
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Mr. Verdier is a cool guy, and a unique individual. I was skeptical at first, as to whether his lectures made much sense because he was all over the place, however i would ask specific questions that i believe were very complex and he gave great responses. He's very respectful, intelligent, and funny which compensates for his super hard class!

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: PS4381
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He's singlehandedly the worst professor I've ever had. He rambles, assigns over 200 pages of reading, forgets the main points and confuses you, and makes you memorize all of the material but only tests you over 25% of it. Avoid him at all cost.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: PS4381
• 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:

Dr. Verdier's class was one of the toughest I've taken at OSU. The material is very dense and his lectures are full of information. However, you can learn a ton from this class if you pay attention and go to lecture. The tests are super difficult but manageable if you put the work in. He curves as well. Overall, a really rewarding class .

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: PS745
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Verdier has very limited analytic capacity, which makes him extremely ill suited for a graduate theory class. My fellow students made the class much more fruitful than the professor did. In fact, Verdier's interventions ruined many discussions that could have become profound and thought-provoking. His general attitude is intellectually repressive.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: PLSCI554
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

this is not a good class to take the qrt b4 u graduate. its one of those classes u need to teach urself as the proff is very vague. thought i was going to fail class for awhile, but grading ended up being lenient on TA's part. not a class warranting dropping,or delaying graduation for tho. just do the work and shut up

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: POLI554
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

The class is very intellectually stimulating but also very hard. His tests are the hardest that I have ever take and very vague. Do not let it scare you because you will learn a ton of stuff that most econ majors wouldnt even know.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: PSH596
• 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:

Not for the faint of heart, people allergic to word problems, the impatient, people who enjoy leisure time during the weekends...But when you finish, you're probably more equipped to solve Game Theory problems than an Econ major. Even if you are border-line failing the course.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: PSH596
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

The fact is that Game Theory is pretty tough but also pretty interesting. Verdier, while sometimes vague, did an overall good job introducing us to the concepts. Yes, the problem sets are very challenging. But this is a unique Political Science class and I do think I learned quite a lot from the class. On the whole I enjoyed it.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: PSH597
• 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:

Avoid this professor. Homework assignments are impossible, tests are vague and badly worded, he is hard to understand and thinks that everyone in the class is an idiot. Will not even entertain the thought that everyone failing and more than 2/3 the class dropping was his fault. One girl chose not to graduate rather than finish the class. AVOID HIM!

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: PSH597
• 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:

Avoid this professor. Homework assignments are impossible, tests are vague and badly worded, he is hard to understand and thinks that everyone in the class is an idiot. Will not even entertain the thought that everyone failing and more than 2/3 the class dropping was his fault. One girl chose not to graduate rather than finish the class. AVOID HIM!

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: PSH596
• 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:

Avoid at all costs. Hardest poli sci class I've taken at OSU