# Bjorn Eraker — Courses & Reviews | UW–Madison [View on UW Courses](https://uwcourses.com/instructors/BJORN_ERAKER) ## Dataset ### revision e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349 ### repository twangodev/uwcourses ### schema version 6 ### importer version 7 ### projection id 94468b7d4154126ca413937bb4738a6d21e0c2277f6fa397a6078ad80a32384f ### observed at 2026-09-07T15:55:43.033547+00:00 ### built at 2026-09-10T23:19:01.870283+00:00 ### courses 8951 ### current instructors 5754 ### limited false ### terms * 1272 * 1264 * 1262 * 1254 * 1252 * 1244 * 1242 * 1234 * 1232 * 1224 * 1222 * 1212 * 1204 * 1202 * 1194 * 1192 * 1184 * 1182 * 1174 * 1172 * 1164 * 1162 * 1154 * 1152 * 1144 * 1142 * 1134 * 1132 * 1124 * 1122 * 1114 * 1112 * 1104 * 1102 * 1094 * 1092 * 1084 * 1082 * 1074 * 1072 ### term 1272 ### departments | subject | count | | --------- | ----- | | AAE | 90 | | ABT | 20 | | ACCTIS | 36 | | ACTSCI | 14 | | AFAERO | 10 | | AFRICAN | 87 | | AFROAMER | 71 | | AGROECOL | 21 | | AMERIND | 53 | | ANAT\&PHY | 7 | | ANATOMY | 2 | | ANESTHES | 8 | | ANSCI | 57 | | ANTHRO | 95 | | ART | 125 | | ARTED | 10 | | ARTHIST | 121 | | ASIALANG | 129 | | ASIAN | 109 | | ASIANAM | 28 | | ASTRON | 38 | | ATMOCN | 69 | | BIOCHEM | 51 | | BIOCORE | 10 | | BIOLOGY | 14 | | BIOMDSCI | 18 | | BME | 66 | | BMI | 41 | | BMOLCHEM | 10 | | BOTANY | 69 | | BSE | 44 | | C\&ESOC | 73 | | CBE | 48 | | CHEM | 101 | | CHICLA | 52 | | CIVENGR | 133 | | CLASSICS | 47 | | CNP | 10 | | CNSRSCI | 50 | | COMARTS | 137 | | COMPBIO | 15 | | COMPLIT | 11 | | COMPSCI | 138 | | COUNPSY | 78 | | CRB | 19 | | CS\&D | 71 | | CSCS | 40 | | CURRIC | 193 | | DANCE | 93 | | DERM | 8 | | DS | 88 | | DYSCI | 35 | | ECE | 155 | | ECON | 145 | | EDPOL | 114 | | EDPSYCH | 97 | | ELPA | 70 | | EMA | 53 | | EMERMED | 17 | | ENGL | 206 | | ENTOM | 40 | | ENVIRST | 148 | | EP | 15 | | EPD | 67 | | ESL | 16 | | F\&WECOL | 60 | | FAMMED | 22 | | FINANCE | 50 | | FOLKLORE | 40 | | FOODSCI | 43 | | FRENCH | 63 | | GEN\&WS | 145 | | GENBUS | 72 | | GENECSLR | 17 | | GENETICS | 60 | | GEOG | 113 | | GEOSCI | 83 | | GERMAN | 82 | | GLE | 48 | | GNS | 38 | | GREEK | 27 | | HDFS | 41 | | HEBR-BIB | 13 | | HEBR-MOD | 10 | | HISTORY | 233 | | HISTSCI | 56 | | HONCOL | 13 | | ILS | 43 | | INFOSYS | 9 | | INTEGART | 7 | | INTEGSCI | 22 | | INTER-AG | 18 | | INTER-HE | 11 | | INTER-LS | 22 | | INTEREGR | 16 | | INTLBUS | 21 | | INTLST | 50 | | ISYE | 83 | | ITALIAN | 53 | | JEWISH | 56 | | JOURN | 88 | | KINES | 128 | | LACIS | 26 | | LANDARC | 61 | | LATIN | 24 | | LAW | 120 | | LEGALST | 48 | | LINGUIS | 35 | | LIS | 89 | | LITTRANS | 78 | | LSC | 52 | | M\&ENVTOX | 7 | | MARKETNG | 62 | | MATH | 153 | | MDGENET | 8 | | ME | 130 | | MEDHIST | 43 | | MEDICINE | 60 | | MEDIEVAL | 32 | | MEDPHYS | 39 | | MEDSC-M | 29 | | MEDSC-V | 41 | | MHR | 68 | | MICROBIO | 45 | | MILSCI | 16 | | MM\&I | 22 | | MOLBIOL | 6 | | MS\&E | 59 | | MUSIC | 165 | | MUSPERF | 126 | | NAVSCI | 20 | | NE | 44 | | NEURODPT | 11 | | NEUROL | 7 | | NEURSURG | 4 | | NTP | 11 | | NURSING | 111 | | NUTRSCI | 65 | | OBS\&GYN | 18 | | OCCTHER | 39 | | ONCOLOGY | 14 | | OPHTHALM | 5 | | OTM | 43 | | PATH | 34 | | PATH-BIO | 29 | | PEDIAT | 26 | | PHARMACY | 31 | | PHILOS | 77 | | PHMCOL-M | 11 | | PHMPRAC | 45 | | PHMSCI | 60 | | PHYASST | 37 | | PHYSICS | 88 | | PHYSIOL | 3 | | PHYTHER | 37 | | PLANTSCI | 52 | | PLPATH | 35 | | POLISCI | 192 | | POPHLTH | 58 | | PORTUG | 33 | | PSYCH | 101 | | PSYCHIAT | 22 | | PUBAFFR | 54 | | PUBLHLTH | 23 | | RADIOL | 11 | | REALEST | 41 | | RELIGST | 90 | | RHABMED | 9 | | RMI | 24 | | RP\&SE | 102 | | S\&APHM | 17 | | SCANDST | 73 | | SLAVIC | 89 | | SOC | 149 | | SOCWORK | 87 | | SOILSCI | 46 | | SPANISH | 83 | | SRMED | 21 | | STAT | 94 | | STDYABRD | 52 | | STS | 8 | | SURGERY | 25 | | SURGSCI | 33 | | THEATRE | 91 | | URBRPL | 60 | | UROLOGY | 5 | | ZOOLOGY | 89 | ## instructor ### instructor uid instructor\_3db783f7e07f98c0b7d2e0ea ### source enrollment ### source instructor id eraker ### identity basis netid ### identity status source\_identified ### name Bjorn Eraker ### email BJORN.ERAKER\@WISC.EDU ### first observed at 2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00 ### last observed at 2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00 ### ratings #### review count 19 #### quality 3.63 #### difficulty 3.21 #### quality count 19 #### difficulty count 19 #### profile id rmp:1731146 #### source url #### match basis exact\_name #### observed at 2026-09-07 16:51:43.616892+00:00 #### courses #### bayesian quality 3.6452234787418436 #### prior mean 3.6596857835465957 #### prior weight 20 ### current true ### courses | course\_uid | course\_id | title | credits\_min | credits\_max | gpa | | -------------------------------- | ----------- | --------------------------------------- | ------------ | ------------ | ---- | | course\_2739fabb3e9d8cad062b5052 | FINANCE 999 | READING AND RESEARCH-FINANCE PHD | 1 | 6 | 4 | | course\_3cef669cc3409d43b58226bd | FINANCE 990 | FINANCE INDEPENDENT RESEARCH PHD THESIS | 1 | 12 | | | course\_d521fad56be74c680dda616a | FINANCE 330 | DERIVATIVE SECURITIES | 3 | 3 | 3.28 | ### revision e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349 ### instructor url /instructors/BJORN\_ERAKER ## history | term | course\_uid | course\_id | title | | ---- | -------------------------------- | ----------- | --------------------------------------- | | 1272 | course\_d521fad56be74c680dda616a | FINANCE 330 | DERIVATIVE SECURITIES | | 1272 | course\_3cef669cc3409d43b58226bd | FINANCE 990 | FINANCE INDEPENDENT RESEARCH PHD THESIS | | 1272 | course\_2739fabb3e9d8cad062b5052 | FINANCE 999 | READING AND RESEARCH-FINANCE PHD | ## timeline | term | courses | | ---- | ------- | | 1272 | 3 | ## term 1272 ## courses ```json [ { "course_uid": "course_d521fad56be74c680dda616a", "course_id": "FINANCE 330", "title": "DERIVATIVE SECURITIES", "credits_min": 3, "credits_max": 3, "gpa": 3.28, "badges": [ { "id": "rated-teacher", "label": "Highly rated instructor", "tone": "positive", "evidence": "Fall 2026: Kenneth Kavajecz (4.03/5 adjusted; 21 ratings). At least one assigned instructor qualifies. This describes instructor reviews across courses, not a course rating.", "sources": [ { "label": "Kenneth Kavajecz", "href": "/instructors/KENNETH_KAVAJECZ" } ] }, { "id": "grade-outcomes", "label": "Lower grades", "tone": "negative", "evidence": "Spring 2026 · latest released grades before Fall 2026: 3.37 GPA across 240 letter grades, versus 3.62 for UW–Madison (1283 courses). Requires a difference of at least 0.20 and 30 letter grades. Historical outcomes, not predicted difficulty.", "sources": [ { "label": "Grade history and sources", "href": "/courses/FINANCE_330#grades" } ] } ], "description": "Covers the pricing and uses of common derivatives including options, forwards, futures, and swaps.", "discovery": { "term": "1272", "offered": true, "history": { "counts": [ 621, 580, 488, 203, 115, 19, 14 ], "count": 2040, "gpa": 3.3012254901960785, "topShare": 58.872549019607845, "firstTerm": "1224", "lastTerm": "1264" }, "instructors": [ { "course_uid": "course_d521fad56be74c680dda616a", "uid": "instructor_7e9b3987b1ae337decc0aad5", "name": "Kenneth Kavajecz", "quality": 4.028627211486144, "quality_count": 21, "instructor_url": "/instructors/KENNETH_KAVAJECZ" }, { "course_uid": "course_d521fad56be74c680dda616a", "uid": "instructor_3db783f7e07f98c0b7d2e0ea", "name": "Bjorn Eraker", "quality": 3.6452234787418436, "quality_count": 19, "instructor_url": "/instructors/BJORN_ERAKER" }, { "course_uid": "course_d521fad56be74c680dda616a", "uid": "instructor_40e1b0606f28f0aa0b24067a", "name": "Cutberto Frias Sarraf", "quality": null, "quality_count": null, "instructor_url": "/instructors/CUTBERTO_FRIAS_SARRAF" } ], "instructorHistory": { "counts": [ 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 ], "count": 0, "gpa": null, "topShare": null }, "courseComparison": { "counts": [ 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 ], "count": 0, "gpa": null, "topShare": null }, "claim": { "citations": [ { "course_id": "FINANCE 330", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "section_number": 1, "source_course_id": "e796d9d4-162f-33e2-a3b0-28eb5c15fb16", "source_record": { "entity_id": "e796d9d4-162f-33e2-a3b0-28eb5c15fb16", "file": "tables/observations.parquet", "kind": "grades", "source": "madgrades" }, "table": "section_grades_latest", "term_id": "1232", "type": "grade" }, { "course_id": "FINANCE 330", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "section_number": 3, "source_course_id": "e796d9d4-162f-33e2-a3b0-28eb5c15fb16", "source_record": { "entity_id": "e796d9d4-162f-33e2-a3b0-28eb5c15fb16", "file": "tables/observations.parquet", "kind": "grades", "source": "madgrades" }, "table": "section_grades_latest", "term_id": "1232", "type": "grade" }, { "course_id": "FINANCE 330", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "section_number": 2, "source_course_id": "e796d9d4-162f-33e2-a3b0-28eb5c15fb16", "source_record": { "entity_id": "e796d9d4-162f-33e2-a3b0-28eb5c15fb16", "file": "tables/observations.parquet", "kind": "grades", "source": "madgrades" }, "table": "section_grades_latest", "term_id": "1252", "type": "grade" }, { "course_id": "FINANCE 330", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "section_number": 3, "source_course_id": "e796d9d4-162f-33e2-a3b0-28eb5c15fb16", "source_record": { "entity_id": "e796d9d4-162f-33e2-a3b0-28eb5c15fb16", "file": "tables/observations.parquet", "kind": "grades", "source": "madgrades" }, "table": "section_grades_latest", "term_id": "1252", "type": "grade" }, { "course_id": "FINANCE 330", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "section_number": 4, "source_course_id": "e796d9d4-162f-33e2-a3b0-28eb5c15fb16", "source_record": { "entity_id": "e796d9d4-162f-33e2-a3b0-28eb5c15fb16", "file": "tables/observations.parquet", "kind": "grades", "source": "madgrades" }, "table": "section_grades_latest", "term_id": "1252", "type": "grade" }, { "course_id": "FINANCE 330", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "section_number": 1, "source_course_id": "e796d9d4-162f-33e2-a3b0-28eb5c15fb16", "source_record": { "entity_id": "e796d9d4-162f-33e2-a3b0-28eb5c15fb16", "file": "tables/observations.parquet", "kind": "grades", "source": "madgrades" }, "table": "section_grades_latest", "term_id": "1262", "type": "grade" }, { "course_id": "FINANCE 330", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "section_number": 2, "source_course_id": "e796d9d4-162f-33e2-a3b0-28eb5c15fb16", "source_record": { "entity_id": "e796d9d4-162f-33e2-a3b0-28eb5c15fb16", "file": "tables/observations.parquet", "kind": "grades", "source": "madgrades" }, "table": "section_grades_latest", "term_id": "1262", "type": "grade" }, { "course_id": "FINANCE 330", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "section_number": 3, "source_course_id": "e796d9d4-162f-33e2-a3b0-28eb5c15fb16", "source_record": { "entity_id": "e796d9d4-162f-33e2-a3b0-28eb5c15fb16", "file": "tables/observations.parquet", "kind": "grades", "source": "madgrades" }, "table": "section_grades_latest", "term_id": "1262", "type": "grade" } ], "text": "Recent recorded grades — Fall 2022: 3.37 GPA, 60.6% A/AB (n=71 letter grades); Fall 2024: 3.33 GPA, 55.2% A/AB (n=174 letter grades); Fall 2025: 2.99 GPA, 50.0% A/AB (n=172 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections." }, "reviewFiles": [ "/data/e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349/reviews/course_d521fad56be74c680dda616a-0.json" ] } }, { "course_uid": "course_3cef669cc3409d43b58226bd", "course_id": "FINANCE 990", "title": "FINANCE INDEPENDENT RESEARCH PHD THESIS", "credits_min": 1, "credits_max": 12, "gpa": null, "badges": [], "description": "FINANCE 990 is an independent research course for Ph.D. students to complete their dissertation requirement.", "discovery": { "term": "1272", "offered": true, "history": { "counts": [ 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 ], "count": 0, "gpa": null, "topShare": null }, "instructors": [ { "course_uid": "course_3cef669cc3409d43b58226bd", "uid": "instructor_f05c5d8408c67060b6737c50", "name": "Oliver Levine", "quality": 3.8762488926107066, "quality_count": 11, "instructor_url": "/instructors/OLIVER_LEVINE" }, { "course_uid": "course_3cef669cc3409d43b58226bd", "uid": "instructor_e99bef48f703d4dc03441e43", "name": "Dean Corbae", "quality": 3.7235102700443767, "quality_count": 1, "instructor_url": "/instructors/DEAN_CORBAE" }, { "course_uid": "course_3cef669cc3409d43b58226bd", "uid": "instructor_3db783f7e07f98c0b7d2e0ea", "name": "Bjorn Eraker", "quality": 3.6452234787418436, "quality_count": 19, "instructor_url": "/instructors/BJORN_ERAKER" }, { "course_uid": "course_3cef669cc3409d43b58226bd", "uid": "instructor_8e97d93b74b6070e020ea554", "name": "Mark Fedenia", "quality": 3.0909365464147753, "quality_count": 16, "instructor_url": "/instructors/MARK_FEDENIA" }, { "course_uid": "course_3cef669cc3409d43b58226bd", "uid": "instructor_4487a01d6195b1024647fdc2", "name": "Antonio Mello", "quality": null, "quality_count": null, "instructor_url": "/instructors/ANTONIO_MELLO" }, { "course_uid": "course_3cef669cc3409d43b58226bd", "uid": "instructor_91977857ee13ef41f18946fe", "name": "Hengjie Ai", "quality": null, "quality_count": null, "instructor_url": "/instructors/HENGJIE_AI" }, { "course_uid": "course_3cef669cc3409d43b58226bd", "uid": "instructor_2adb6d8b3bda3afc29fe6817", "name": "Ivan Shaliastovich", "quality": null, "quality_count": null, "instructor_url": "/instructors/IVAN_SHALIASTOVICH" } ], "instructorHistory": { "counts": [ 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 ], "count": 0, "gpa": null, "topShare": null }, "courseComparison": { "counts": [ 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 ], "count": 0, "gpa": null, "topShare": null }, "claim": null, "reviewFiles": [] } }, { "course_uid": "course_2739fabb3e9d8cad062b5052", "course_id": "FINANCE 999", "title": "READING AND RESEARCH-FINANCE PHD", "credits_min": 1, "credits_max": 6, "gpa": 4, "badges": [], "description": "FINANCE 999 is an independent study course for PhD students to conduct individualized research work.", "discovery": { "term": "1272", "offered": true, "history": { "counts": [ 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 ], "count": 1, "gpa": 4, "topShare": 100, "firstTerm": "1224", "lastTerm": "1224" }, "instructors": [ { "course_uid": "course_2739fabb3e9d8cad062b5052", "uid": "instructor_f05c5d8408c67060b6737c50", "name": "Oliver Levine", "quality": 3.8762488926107066, "quality_count": 11, "instructor_url": "/instructors/OLIVER_LEVINE" }, { "course_uid": "course_2739fabb3e9d8cad062b5052", "uid": "instructor_e99bef48f703d4dc03441e43", "name": "Dean Corbae", "quality": 3.7235102700443767, "quality_count": 1, "instructor_url": "/instructors/DEAN_CORBAE" }, { "course_uid": "course_2739fabb3e9d8cad062b5052", "uid": "instructor_3db783f7e07f98c0b7d2e0ea", "name": "Bjorn Eraker", "quality": 3.6452234787418436, "quality_count": 19, "instructor_url": "/instructors/BJORN_ERAKER" }, { "course_uid": "course_2739fabb3e9d8cad062b5052", "uid": "instructor_4487a01d6195b1024647fdc2", "name": "Antonio Mello", "quality": null, "quality_count": null, "instructor_url": "/instructors/ANTONIO_MELLO" }, { "course_uid": "course_2739fabb3e9d8cad062b5052", "uid": "instructor_91977857ee13ef41f18946fe", "name": "Hengjie Ai", "quality": null, "quality_count": null, "instructor_url": "/instructors/HENGJIE_AI" } ], "instructorHistory": { "counts": [ 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 ], "count": 0, "gpa": null, "topShare": null }, "courseComparison": { "counts": [ 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 ], "count": 0, "gpa": null, "topShare": null }, "claim": null, "reviewFiles": [] } } ] ``` ## reviews ### items ```json [ { "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:51:43.616892+00:00", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTQyNDU1OTU2", "source_instructor_id": "rmp:1731146", "instructor_name": "Bjorn Eraker", "course_label": "FIN330", "course_id": null, "course_uid": null, "review_date": "2026-01-07 19:00:55 +0000 UTC", "comment": "This was one of the most disorganized classes I've taken. Expectations and grading were unclear, and communication felt minimal throughout the semester. I often felt unsupported in understanding the material. I would recommend other instructors if you prefer clearer structure and guidance.", "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1731146", "quality_rating": 1, "difficulty_rating": 4 }, { "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:51:43.616892+00:00", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTQyMjYxNzQz", "source_instructor_id": "rmp:1731146", "instructor_name": "Bjorn Eraker", "course_label": "FIN330", "course_id": null, "course_uid": null, "review_date": "2025-12-15 18:15:54 +0000 UTC", "comment": "Very hard to follow lectures that don't exactly correlate with exam materials. Lots of talk about topics he finds interesting rather than course relevant. Easy grader but having him actually grade anything is rare, as on the day of the final the midterm grade wasn't even visible in Canvas. Course is decently interesting but hard to take from Eraker", "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1731146", "quality_rating": 2, "difficulty_rating": 3 }, { "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:51:43.616892+00:00", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTQwNTQ2NTU5", "source_instructor_id": "rmp:1731146", "instructor_name": "Bjorn Eraker", "course_label": "FIN330", "course_id": null, "course_uid": null, "review_date": "2025-01-14 17:53:46 +0000 UTC", "comment": "Professor Eraker taught an interesting class; however, the lectures were difficult to follow and take notes on due to tangents and frequent back and forth between slides in class. It's incredibly important to pay attention to detail in the slides, and reference them frequently for studying and assignments. ", "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1731146", "quality_rating": 2, "difficulty_rating": 3 }, { "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:51:43.616892+00:00", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTQwMzEwNzc1", "source_instructor_id": "rmp:1731146", "instructor_name": "Bjorn Eraker", "course_label": "FIN330", "course_id": null, "course_uid": null, "review_date": "2024-12-15 20:30:55 +0000 UTC", "comment": "He is very smart but lectures can be all over the place. I have no interest in the subject so they were boring to me, and I taught myself everything right before tests, but that's not really his fault. Midterm was difficult but he provided lots of practice materials and graded generously. This class could've been torture but he made it manageable.", "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1731146", "quality_rating": 3, "difficulty_rating": 4 }, { "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:51:43.616892+00:00", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTM3MzcxNzQ5", "source_instructor_id": "rmp:1731146", "instructor_name": "Bjorn Eraker", "course_label": "FIN330", "course_id": null, "course_uid": null, "review_date": "2023-01-24 06:48:58 +0000 UTC", "comment": "Bjorn is polarizing. Yes he may be disorganized, unprepared at times. He doesn't update grades on Canvas. However, he is the most passionate prof in finance. He LOVES his subject and that is infectious. Take his course if you actually care to learn about derivatives, not to ace exams. However, his exams are always very easy if you pay attention. ", "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1731146", "quality_rating": 5, "difficulty_rating": 1 }, { "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:51:43.616892+00:00", "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4", "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTM3MTE3MzE4", "source_instructor_id": "rmp:1731146", "instructor_name": "Bjorn Eraker", "course_label": "FIN330", "course_id": null, "course_uid": null, "review_date": "2022-12-14 17:29:19 +0000 UTC", "comment": "Bjorn is the best professor I have had at UW-Madison. You can tell that he truly cares about all of his students and that he is deeply passionate about the course material. He is very approachable and makes students feel understood as well.", "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1731146", "quality_rating": 5, "difficulty_rating": 3 } ] ``` ### total 19 ### page 1 ### courses None recorded. ### matched true ## social Image true