Fall 2026

Computer Graphics

COMPSCI 559 is a survey of computer graphics covering image representation, geometric modeling, and rendering.

offering recorded3 credits
Recorded instructors · Fall 2026 Young Wu2.9/5

Summary

1 / 6

Historical reviews of Michael Gleicher, Perry Kivolowitz: Projects require substantial time, often 30 to 50 hours, and the material is challenging, particularly for those lacking prior C++ or OpenGL experience.

Grade history

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average GPA
letter grades
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AB
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C
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All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors

Prerequisites

Course map

MATH 222 and (COMP SCI 367 or 400) or graduate/professional standing or declared in the Capstone Certificate in Computer Sciences for Professionals

    • take all
    • graduate/professional standing
    • declared in the Capstone Certificate in Computer Sciences for Professionals
    take one
COMPSCI 559

This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.

Prerequisite text tree
  • Any of
    • All of
    • graduate/professional standing
    • declared in the Capstone Certificate in Computer Sciences for Professionals

Professors

Fall 2026

Young Wu

Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 2.60/5 from 48 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2024: 3.44 GPA, 71.0% A/AB (n=162 letter grades); Spring 2025: 3.53 GPA, 76.7% A/AB (n=103 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.67 GPA, 83.6% A/AB (n=110 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

Historical instructors & teaching patterns

Historical reviews of Michael Gleicher: Michael Gleicher provides organized lectures, comprehensive knowledge, and supportive project foundations, though his classes remain difficult and time-intensive. Reviewers praise his passion and adaptability, while noting the significant workload required for the projects.

EFTYCHIOS SIFAKIS is recorded teaching in Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Fall 2024. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

MICHAEL GLEICHER is recorded teaching in Fall 2006, Fall 2007, Fall 2008, Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

PERRY KIVOLOWITZ is recorded teaching in Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

YOUNG WU is recorded teaching in Spring 2020, Spring 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Calendar & sections

Fall 2026

Schedule loads here as you scroll.

SectionModeEnrolled / capacityWaitlist
LEC 001Classroom Instruction88 / 1100

Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.

Meeting source records
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Student experience

the class

Historical reviews of Michael Gleicher, Perry Kivolowitz: The course offers engaging projects and strong instruction from passionate professors like Michael Gleicher, though it demands significant time and effort from students.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.59 GPA, 79.7% A/AB (n=123 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.67 GPA, 83.6% A/AB (n=110 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.23 GPA, 69.9% A/AB (n=83 letter grades).

difficulty & workload

Historical reviews of Michael Gleicher, Perry Kivolowitz: Projects require substantial time, often 30 to 50 hours, and the material is challenging, particularly for those lacking prior C++ or OpenGL experience.

Historical reviews of Eftychios Sifakis: Students appreciate clear explanations of computer graphics principles and engaging lectures, finding the projects inspiring and well-structured when attending class.

Topics

  • Image representation and composition
  • Geometric objects in 2D and 3D
  • Curves and surfaces
  • Rendering and animation

Skills

  • Image representation and manipulation
  • Geometric modeling and transformation
  • Curve and surface representation
  • Rendering and animation

Grades

Historical instructor

Fall 2026 · Projected

Before grades are released

– average GPA

Approximate 80% prediction interval

About this estimate

The course’s semester-average GPA, not an individual student’s grade. The center uses 5 same-season terms, weighted toward recent results.

The range uses the finite-sample 80th-percentile rank of absolute errors from earlier same-season forecasts. Each forecast uses only records from earlier terms. At least four forecasts are required; bounds are rounded outward and limited to 0–4. This is an empirical estimate: changing instructors or grading policies can reduce its coverage.

8 earlier forecasts · 0.17 GPA average error.

Grades over time

Through Fall 2026

More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data

Where this course fits relative to

Latest available grades · Spring 2026 · all course levels

GPA

Higher than % of other courses in this group.

Course GPAs · red marks this course’s range

letter grades

More recorded grades than % of other courses in this group.

Typical course in this group: letter grades.

About this comparison

1283 courses over the same term, each with at least 30 recorded letter grades. Cross-listed courses count once. GPA is not a measure of difficulty or teaching quality. The typical course is the median by recorded grade count; tied values are not counted as lower. Grade counts describe course scale, not unique students or typical section size.

Descriptions compare GPA with this group’s average: at least 0.20 higher or lower; otherwise close to average. Section size uses median recorded enrollment: small up to 30, mid-sized 31–99, large 100+. Lectures and discussion/lab sections are described separately.

Sources & history

UW–Madison

Catalog & offerings

Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.

Catalog observation history

Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.

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Selected offering source records
COMPSCI 559 · Fall 2026

Computer Graphics

Recorded 2026-09-07
Raw records 
[
  {
    "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4",
    "semester": "1272",
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00",
    "offering_id": "1272:266:021402",
    "course_id": "COMPSCI 559",
    "course_uid": "course_93d2f66aee95b30379263c4f",
    "term_id": "1272",
    "source_course_id": "021402",
    "source_subject_id": "266",
    "title": "Computer Graphics",
    "credits_min": 3,
    "credits_max": 3,
    "typically_offered": "Fall, Spring"
  }
]
Rate My Professors

Student reviews

Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.

Read original reviews
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Madgrades

Grade history

Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.

Explore recorded grades
Dataset & model

Recorded 2026-09-07

View the dataset on Hugging Face
Model outputs & technical records
nvidia/Qwen3.6-35B-A3B-NVFP4
LLM outputs across runs
Download part 1
Full model traces

Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.

Download part 1
Model & dataset provenance 
{
  "model": "nvidia/Qwen3.6-35B-A3B-NVFP4",
  "model_revision": "1355db6a052410cfd62085d94b58866fd0f2c3c5",
  "task_version": "14",
  "output_id": "7306af9aa5d3a0a19512beb7286ae0e3b88bb278082486a1ba1e19a589b4770a",
  "requirements_status": "needs_review",
  "dataset_revision": "e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349",
  "observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00"
}