Hardest courses in Economics

The course features reasonable problem sets and challenging exams. While tests are considered tricky or hard, reviewers find them fair and note that they are curved.[1, 2, 3]

The course is described as hard, with difficult midterms and finals. Workload includes weekly homework via MindTap or Aplia, which some find time-consuming. One review notes that exams can be harder than practice problems.[1, 2, +3]

The course is consistently described as tough with hard exams and significant reading, particularly because Laplante wrote the textbook. Success requires substantial effort and ownership of one's education.[1, 2, 3]

Reviews indicate a moderate difficulty level, with no specific complaints about excessive workload or preparation requirements mentioned in the available feedback.[1, 2]

Problem sets are time-consuming and difficult, often requiring office hours. Exams are heavy, with tests challenging and requiring significant study time beyond lectures.[1, 2, +3]

Historical reviews describe tests as tough but fair, requiring attendance and study to achieve high grades, with homework and exams being very fair.[1, 2, 3]

The course requires at least five hours weekly for dense reading, which students find difficult to keep up with. Homework is considered easy, but the final exam focuses heavily on definitions rather than calculations.[1, 2, 3]

Historical reviews of Jesse Gregory, Rebecca Glawtschew: Workload varies by instructor; Jesse Gregory assigned six homeworks, two midterms, and a final, while Rebecca Glawtschew assigns weekly problem sets and chapter-specific practice problems to prepare for tests.[1, 2, +2]

Some students find Yata's lectures confusing and recommend skipping them to study independently using textbooks and past papers.[1, 2, 3]

Historical reviews of Daniel Quint, Fran Flanagan: Homework is typically easy and straightforward, but midterms can be challenging. Exams are generally fair, though some students find assignments tricky.[1, 2, +4]

Reviewers describe weekly cycles of textbook reading, video lectures, participation activities, problem sets, and quizzes. Assessments include multiple midterms and a final exam, with some professors dropping one midterm or offering open-note exams.[1, 2, +3]

The course features tough exams and extensive material. Johnson covers more content than others, while Chan provides manageable weekly quizzes and homework, though her tests require significant studying.[1, 2, +7]

Eudey’s homework is manageable and exams are similar to practice materials, though one student found exams harder. Alder’s homework and exams are described as super hard and chain-linked, requiring significant self-teaching from the textbook as lectures do not prepare students for the tests.[1, 2, +7]

Historical reviews of Brian Gould, Thomas Cox: Students report extensive homework involving Excel and econ 301 math, often requiring six or more hours weekly. The workload is intense, with a heavy emphasis on long tests and challenging assignments.[1, 2, 3]

The course begins with algebra and calculus, becoming progressively harder as economic concepts are integrated, requiring serious effort to succeed on exams.[1, 2, 3]

The course features difficult homework and confusing problem sets that are harder than the exams. Lectures are fast and complex, requiring significant effort to grasp the material.[1, 2]

The course involves significant mathematical content, including differential equations. Homework assignments are time-intensive, requiring 6 to 10 hours per assignment, and exams are described as hard.[1, 2, 3]

The course features bi-weekly quizzes and problem sets based on lectures to ensure students stay on top of the material.[1, 2, 3]

Historical reviews of Elizabeth Kelly, Rasmus Lentz, Stella Chan: Workload and difficulty fluctuate significantly across teaching terms. Some students found homework extremely difficult with few examples, while others noted heavy mid-semester workloads or required pre-class reading responses.[1, 2, 3]

Historical reviews of Amit Gandhi, Christopher Sullivan, Christopher Taber: Workload varies by instructor. Sullivan’s homework is completion-based and exams are fair, while Taber’s math problems were untaught and exams were random. Gandhi’s homework was easy, but Taber’s multiple-choice questions were difficult to study for.[1, 2, +3]

The workload is manageable, consisting of a few homework assignments, a final project, and a take-home exam.[1, 2]

Historical reviews of Yongheng Deng: Homework can be difficult, though in-class guidance on assignments helps clarify the material.[1]

Historical reviews of Kenneth West, Xiaoxia Shi: Reviewers describe the course as hard-core, yet note that exams are easy, suggesting a disconnect between perceived difficulty and assessment format.[1, 2]

The course requires significant time and deep thinking, with challenging problem sets and long exams. Reviewers describe the workload as intense, noting it is particularly demanding for undergraduates or master's students.[1, 2, +3]

Historical reviews of Jean-Francois Houde, Rasmus Lentz: Reviewers report that homework is impossible with no guiding examples, and exams or problem sets are incredibly difficult. Preparation requires navigating messy board notes and a lack of practice problems that relate to assessments.[1, 2]

The grading distribution is heavily weighted toward exams, with 45% for the midterm and 45% for the final, leaving only 10% for homework.[1]

Historical reviews of Laura Schechter: The course requires consistent effort to succeed, with attendance encouraged for extra credit via lecture questions. Workload is manageable for those who engage, though the class is not considered easy.[1]