Engineering Problem Solving I
Engineering Problem Solving I uses spreadsheets, symbolic manipulators, and equation solvers to address nuclear engineering topics like radioactive decay, cross sections, scattering, and criticality.
Summary
Past student reviews · Charlie Hirst, Charles Hirst
Homeworks were described as very difficult and tough, with some noted as pre-written and others as group assignments. Exams were characterized as easy because they reworked homework problems and allowed an open-note format.
What you’ll be able to do
Apply mathematical models to describe engineering problems across an array of disciplines
Implement computational solutions of mathematical models that represent engineering problems
Combine multiple computational problem solving steps for complex problems
Demonstrate a fundamental understanding of data, conditional execution, and loops for basic programming
Source: UW Guide
Grade history
↗All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors
Prerequisites
Course mapMATH 222 and (E M A 201,PHYSICS 201, 207, 247, or concurrent enrollment) or member of Engineering Guest Students
- MATH 222
- EMA 201 · prior_or_concurrent
- PHYSICS 201 · prior_or_concurrent
- PHYSICS 207 · prior_or_concurrent
- PHYSICS 247 · prior_or_concurrent
- concurrent enrollment
- member of Engineering Guest Students
“Used by” includes alternatives; linked courses may have other requirements. This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.
Prerequisite text tree
- All of
- MATH 222
- Any of
- Any of
- member of Engineering Guest Students
Professors
Spring 2027No instructors recorded for this selection.
Historical instructors & teaching patterns
CARL SOVINEC is recorded teaching in Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
CHARLIE HIRST is recorded teaching in Fall 2024. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
GREGORY MOSES is recorded teaching in Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015. 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 2027Schedule loads here as you scroll.
| Section | Mode | Enrolled / capacity | Waitlist |
|---|
Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections.
Meeting source records
Student experience
the class
Past student reviews · Gregory Moses, Charlie Hirst
The course emphasized in-class problem solving with programming tools, with minimal lecturing. One student found the approach useful for learning applicable skills, while another noted the professor was a good teacher who walked around to help students.
Recent recorded grades — Fall 2023: 2.84 GPA, 29.5% A/AB (n=44 letter grades); Fall 2024: 3.40 GPA, 70.2% A/AB (n=47 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.32 GPA, 64.7% A/AB (n=17 letter grades).
difficulty & workload
Past student reviews · Charlie Hirst, Charles Hirst
Homeworks were described as very difficult and tough, with some noted as pre-written and others as group assignments. Exams were characterized as easy because they reworked homework problems and allowed an open-note format.
Past student reviews · Charlie Hirst
Opinions on the instructor varied significantly; one student found office hours inconvenient and class music distracting, while another praised the professor for being caring, accessible, and invested in student learning.
Topics
- Nuclear engineering applications: radioactive decay, cross sections, scattering, and criticality
- Computational tools: spreadsheets, symbolic manipulators, and equation solvers
- Application of mathematical models to engineering problems
Skills
- Implement computational solutions of mathematical models representing engineering problems
- Combine multiple computational problem-solving steps for complex problems
- Demonstrate fundamental understanding of data structures, conditionals, and loops for basic programming
- Use spreadsheets, symbolic manipulators, and equation solvers to solve engineering problems
Grades
Latest available · Fall 2025— not enough history to project Spring 2027.
Grade distribution · % of letter grades
Grades over time
Through Fall 2025
More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data
Not enough comparable courses for Spring 2027 in UW–Madison.
Sources & history
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.
Selected offering source records
No offering records for the selected term.
Raw records
[]
Student reviews
Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.
Read original reviews
Grade history
Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.
Explore recorded gradesRecorded 2026-10-14
Model outputs & technical records
LLM outputs across runs
Full model traces
Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.
Model & dataset provenance
{
"model": "Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B",
"model_revision": "1d4bf0f2ff6012fd82039f2fa52739d0dd7c60c0",
"task_version": "17",
"output_id": "5c0d84aac05ff83564f38ed62a6b1eb9ff2333d404a2dca0cd82d781bd243b53",
"requirements_status": "needs_review",
"dataset_revision": "fc1811fa52e581ea57a35c0cf3343f8740a8ffbf",
"observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00"
}