Professor Ferrier was very passionate about the material, but lectures could be very boring some days. Weekly labs in discussion were easy, and TAs were helpful, but a poor grade on one lab could ruin an otherwise good grade. He was a joy to talk to outside of class, and clearly a very caring person.Rate My Professors ↗
Current instructor
Ken Ferrier
What students say
Original student reviews · all captured dates
Professor was passionate about topics discussed in class. Quizzes utilize textbook terms and vocabulary that was mentioned but not just the slides. TA's are great resources for labs, but only for that. Can be hard to balance for a new student.Rate My Professors ↗
Took this class as an engineering elective (cross-listed as GLE350). One homework assignment a week and one group project at the end of the year with plenty of time to work on it. The lectures can be a little heavy, but Ken occasionally integrates some fun experiments to make it more engaging. He is very nice and accessible outside of class.Rate My Professors ↗
Took this for my physical science credit. I liked Professor Ferrier a lot and really enjoyed his lecture, and my TA was amazing/gave helpful hints for lab. The quizzes are a sizable portion of your grade, though, and never seemed to be super related to what was emphasized in lecture/were very strangely worded. The video project was a blast, though!Rate My Professors ↗
Good lecturer and I personally really enjoyed lectures, but weekly quizzes seemed to be only tangentially related and unnecessarily complicated. However, weekly "labs" - discussion sections- were mostly decent. Content was extremely interesting and a good intro to geoscience, and despite the frustrating quizzes, it's not a hard course overall.Rate My Professors ↗
Good class to take to fulfill physical sci credit. Ken is super lovely and really cares about his work. Weekly quizzes are tough and don't always align with lecture material, labs aren't too bad and aren't graded super harshly. Optional exam at end of sem which is nice. Lectures can feel long but content is super interesting, his voice is golden.Rate My Professors ↗
Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.
Classes with Ken Ferrier
Geoscience Data Analysis
3 creditsIntroductory course on applied geoscience data analysis covering uncertainty propagation, hypothesis testing, linear regression, time series, and experimental design for rock, soil, and water sampling.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
Senior Honors Thesis
3 creditsSenior Honors Thesis is individual mentored study for seniors completing theses for Honors in the Major, arranged with a faculty member.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
Directed Study
1–6 creditsIndependent study as arranged with a faculty member.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
Advanced Topics in Geology
1–3 creditsAdvanced Topics in Geology covers special topics in Geoscience, focusing on evaluating research, assessing scientific information, and communicating results to peers.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Recent recorded grades — Spring 2019: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=8 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Research
1–12 creditsResearch course in GEOSCI supervised by individual faculty members, requiring graduate or professional standing.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
Introduction to geophysics covering methods for earth structure and plate tectonics, including seismology, gravity, geodesy, magnetism, and heat flow.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Ken Ferrier
Ken Ferrier's course included one weekly homework assignment and a year-end group project with ample completion time. While the lectures could be heavy, he occasionally used experiments to boost engagement and remained accessible outside of class.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026 · limited sampleRecorded teaching history
Distinct courses recorded per term
Explore courses taught by this instructor →Browse recorded courses
| Term | Course | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Spring 2027 | GEOSCI 340 | Geoscience Data Analysis |
| Spring 2027 | GEOSCI 682 | Senior Honors Thesis |
| Spring 2027 | GEOSCI 699 | Directed Study |
| Spring 2027 | GEOSCI 875 | Advanced Topics in Geology |
| Spring 2027 | GEOSCI 990 | Research |
| Spring 2027 | GEOSCI/GLE 350 | Introduction to Geophysics: the Dynamic Earth |
| Fall 2026 | ENVIRST/GEOSCI 106 | Environmental Geology |
| Fall 2026 | GEOSCI 681 | Senior Honors Thesis |
| Fall 2026 | GEOSCI 691 | Senior Thesis |
| Fall 2026 | GEOSCI 699 | Directed Study |
| Fall 2026 | GEOSCI 701 | Quantitative Geomorphology |
| Fall 2026 | GEOSCI 990 | Research |
Teaching history may be incomplete. Course pages contain course-specific feedback and citations.
Instructor identity & provenance
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