Spring 2027

Circuit Analysis

Circuit Analysis covers DC and AC circuit theory, including resistive networks, op amps, transient responses, phasors, power, and transformers.

offering recorded4 credits
Recorded instructors · Spring 2027 Bulent Sarlioglu3.8/5Steven Fredette3.3/5

Summary

1 / 6

Past student reviews · Bulent Sarlioglu

The flipped format required studying before class, and the material demanded a mix of memorization and application that could stack up quickly if you fell behind.

What you’ll be able to do

  • Solve DC electric circuits composed of resistors, voltage and current sources using Kirchhoff's laws, employing node-voltage and mesh-current analysis along with Thevenin and Norton equivalent circuits

  • Analyze circuits employing op amps

  • Formulate transient response of first-order and second-order electric circuits incorporating resistors, inductors, capacitors and sources that are switched

  • Determine AC steady-state response of electric circuits utilizing phasors and calculation with complex numbers

  • Characterize the complex power transferred to and from electric circuits

  • Conduct AC analysis of circuits with transformers

Source: UW Guide

Grade history

↗
average GPA
letter grades
A
AB
B
BC
C
D
F

All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors

Prerequisites

Course map

MATH 222 and (PHYSICS 202, 208, or 248), or member of Engineering Guest Students

ECE 230 used by

“Used by” includes alternatives; linked courses may have other requirements. This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.

Prerequisite text tree

Professors

Spring 2027
Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 4.40/5 from 5 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.

Past student reviews · Bulent Sarlioglu

Bulent Sarlioglu taught ECE 230 as a flipped classroom, requiring students to study material before lectures. Reviewers described the course as demanding a mix of memorization and application, noting that the content could stack up quickly without consistent attendance and preparation. Sarlioglu was characterized as understanding and passionate, often providing extra time on midterms and describing how to set up circuit problems.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.33 GPA, 60.0% A/AB (n=70 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.46 GPA, 68.5% A/AB (n=108 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.53 GPA, 73.8% A/AB (n=130 letter grades).

Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 2.90/5 from 20 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.

For this course: 5.0/5 raw quality · 4.0/5 difficulty · 2 reviews

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

Past student reviews · Steven Fredette

Steven Fredette taught difficult circuits material with high enthusiasm, making the course enjoyable while being incredibly helpful and willing to adapt to students. He demonstrated a genuine desire for students to learn and succeed in engineering rather than just fulfilling a teaching requirement.

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2020: 3.38 GPA, 66.2% A/AB (n=136 letter grades); Spring 2024: 3.15 GPA, 57.0% A/AB (n=107 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.11 GPA, 52.3% A/AB (n=65 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

Historical instructors & teaching patterns

Past student reviews · Nathan Strachen

Nathan Strachen, a past instructor for ECE 230, was praised for taking time to thoroughly explain material and hosting pizza parties before exams. A senior student emphasized that Strachen genuinely cared about students, recommending the course strongly to those needing to take circuits.

BULENT SARLIOGLU is recorded teaching in Spring 2025, Fall 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

CHRISTOPHER DEMARCO is recorded teaching in Spring 2009. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

DANIEL VAN DER WEIDE is recorded teaching in Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

HONGRUI JIANG is recorded teaching in Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

JOHN BOOSKE is recorded teaching in Spring 2020, Fall 2020. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

MICHAEL MORROW is recorded teaching in Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Fall 2018. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

NATHAN STRACHEN is recorded teaching in Spring 2023. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

PAUL MILENKOVIC is recorded teaching in Spring 2010. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

STEVEN FREDETTE is recorded teaching in Fall 2020, Spring 2024, Spring 2026. 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

Spring 2027

Schedule loads here as you scroll.

SectionModeEnrolled / capacityWaitlist
LEC 001Classroom Instruction0 / 1300
LEC 002Classroom Instruction0 / 700
DIS 301Classroom Instruction0 / 1150
LEC 003Classroom Instruction0 / 00

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

Past student reviews · Steven Fredette, Bulent Sarlioglu

Students described the course as a flipped classroom where instructors like Fredette and Sarlioglu were helpful and passionate about helping students understand circuits.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.35 GPA, 63.0% A/AB (n=184 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.46 GPA, 68.5% A/AB (n=108 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.39 GPA, 66.7% A/AB (n=195 letter grades).

difficulty & workload

Past student reviews · Bulent Sarlioglu

The flipped format required studying before class, and the material demanded a mix of memorization and application that could stack up quickly if you fell behind.

Past student reviews · Bulent Sarlioglu

Students found the instructors approachable and willing to help, with one noting Sarlioglu walked around class to assist and another mentioning he gave extra time on midterms.

Topics

  • DC circuit analysis: Ohm's law, Kirchhoff's laws, nodal/mesh methods, superposition, Thevenin/Norton equivalents.
  • Operational amplifiers and op amp circuits.
  • Transient analysis of first- and second-order circuits.
  • AC steady-state analysis: phasors, RMS values, complex power, and power factor.
  • Mutual inductance, transformers, ideal filters, and transfer functions.

Skills

  • Solving DC circuits using Kirchhoff's laws, node-voltage, mesh-current, and Thevenin/Norton equivalents.
  • Analyzing circuits that employ operational amplifiers.
  • Formulating transient responses for first- and second-order circuits with RLC elements and switches.
  • Determining AC steady-state responses using phasors and complex number calculations.
  • Conducting AC analysis of circuits containing transformers and mutual inductance.

Grades

Historical instructor

Spring 2027 · 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 · 0.25 GPA average error.

Grades over time

Through Spring 2027

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

1280 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
ECE 230 · Spring 2027

Circuit Analysis

Recorded 2026-10-14
Raw records 
[
  {
    "run_id": "20261014T203208-0851c9a1",
    "semester": "1274",
    "observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00",
    "offering_id": "1274:320:006287",
    "course_id": "ECE 230",
    "course_uid": "course_e4907bcab45d27b295e30076",
    "term_id": "1274",
    "source_course_id": "006287",
    "source_subject_id": "320",
    "title": "Circuit Analysis",
    "credits_min": 4,
    "credits_max": 4,
    "typically_offered": "Fall, Spring"
  }
]
Rate My Professors

Student reviews

Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.

Read original reviews
Download part 1
Madgrades

Grade history

Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.

Explore recorded grades
Dataset & model

Recorded 2026-10-14

View the dataset on Hugging Face
Model outputs & technical records
Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B
LLM outputs across runs
Download part 1
Full model traces

Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.

Download part 1Download part 2
Model & dataset provenance 
{
  "model": "Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B",
  "model_revision": "1d4bf0f2ff6012fd82039f2fa52739d0dd7c60c0",
  "task_version": "17",
  "output_id": "70814f1141601e6db293935611b6782a0cbe3c9e385f827b5a02d0a37763562e",
  "requirements_status": "needs_review",
  "dataset_revision": "fc1811fa52e581ea57a35c0cf3343f8740a8ffbf",
  "observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00"
}