Dont take this professor if you can help it. His explanations almost seem like he expects you to know the material already and hes just reminding you about it. He also never responds to emails. I mean never. I had an issue with one of his online exams and emailed him three times. Never responded. Also the only grades are the four exams...Rate My Professors ↗
Current instructor
Christopher Tilmann
What students say
Original student reviews · all captured dates
Tilmann was a good professor. Everything tested in the course was very fair for the content taught in and out of class. Exams are online honor locked but only screen proctored. The only grades are exams and in class attendance points, with an additional 5 points of out of class review sessionsRate My Professors ↗
The exams he makes are freaking ridiculous. The questions are confusing as heck. I spend half the time just trying to understand what he's even asking. And he usually requires you to put the answer in an oddly specific format or else it will be marked as wrong. Would definitely NOT take a class with him ever again.Rate My Professors ↗
phhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhRate My Professors ↗
Be ready to have assignments randomly created three days before they are due. Lecture? No, he won't lecture, instead he will assign 1-2 hour long pre-lectures and use lecture as time for in-class assignments. Is the structure of the course laid out clearly in the syllabus? No, the syllabus is the most vague I've seen in my three years at UW.Rate My Professors ↗
Tilmann clearly knows his stuff, but fails to understand that students usually don't. He assigns copious amounts of prelecture material, and expects you to watch his past lectures before attending actual lecture which cover the exact same material. However, you can't skip lecture due to random attendance quizzes. Also, 90% of your grade is 4 exams.Rate My Professors ↗
Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.
Classes with Christopher Tilmann
Independent Study
1–3 creditsIndependent study involving research work in Genetics under the direct guidance of a faculty member, with students arranging work and credits with the instructor.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2023–Spring 2024 · limited sampleA coordinative internship or cooperative education course in Genetics where students arrange work and credits with faculty and site supervisors.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
Principles of Genetics
3 creditsPrinciples of Genetics covers genetics in eukaryotes and prokaryotes, including transmission, molecular, and evolutionary genetics, genetic engineering, and societal issues.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Christopher Tilmann
Christopher Tilmann's grading relied heavily on 4-5 exams, with some terms including easy discussion posts. Students found lectures straightforward but criticized exams for containing vague, trick questions that did not reflect lecture content. Feedback disagreed on Tilmann's teaching approach, with some noting he failed to explain material while others found the testing fair.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Genetics Laboratory
2 creditsGenetics Laboratory provides practical experience in classical and molecular genetic techniques using plants, animals, and fungi, covering topics from gene mapping to PCR and Southern blotting.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.90 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=10 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.41 GPA, 81.8% A/AB (n=11 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.60 GPA, 90.0% A/AB (n=10 letter grades).
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Advanced genetics course on genetic mechanisms of animal embryonic development, focusing on molecular circuitries, pattern formation, organogenesis, and animal models of human congenital disorders.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Christopher Tilmann
Christopher Tilmann was described as accessible and caring, with valuable lectures that sometimes felt overwhelming in depth.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026 · limited sampleSenior Honors Thesis
2–4 creditsIndividual study for majors completing theses for Honors degrees, arranged with a faculty member.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Recent recorded grades — Spring 2022: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=1 letter grades).
No recorded grade history
Special Problems
1–3 creditsSpecial Problems course for individual advanced work in Genetics under faculty guidance.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Recent recorded grades — Fall 2016: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=6 letter grades).
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Recorded teaching history
Distinct courses recorded per term
Explore courses taught by this instructor →Browse recorded courses
| Term | Course | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Spring 2027 | GENETICS 299 | Independent Study |
| Spring 2027 | GENETICS 399 | Coordinative Internship/cooperative Education |
| Spring 2027 | GENETICS 466 | Principles of Genetics |
| Spring 2027 | GENETICS 545 | Genetics Laboratory |
| Spring 2027 | GENETICS 627 | Animal Developmental Genetics |
| Spring 2027 | GENETICS 682 | Senior Honors Thesis |
| Spring 2027 | GENETICS 699 | Special Problems |
| Fall 2026 | GENETICS 335 | Genomes in a Modern World |
| Fall 2026 | GENETICS 399 | Coordinative Internship/cooperative Education |
| Fall 2026 | GENETICS 466 | Principles of Genetics |
| Fall 2026 | GENETICS 545 | Genetics Laboratory |
| Fall 2026 | GENETICS 567 | Companion Research Seminar |
| Fall 2026 | GENETICS 681 | Senior Honors Thesis |
| Fall 2026 | GENETICS 699 | Special Problems |
Teaching history may be incomplete. Course pages contain course-specific feedback and citations.
Instructor identity & provenance
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