Current instructor

Michael Thomas

Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 4.89/5 from 18 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

What students say

Original student reviews · all captured dates

MICRO526 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 4/5
This was an amazing class! Material is absolutely difficult (it builds on biochem and ochem a lot) and it's fast-paced, but prof Thomas makes it interesting and he is always willing to help you if you're stuck on a concept. So long as you study often and ask for help when needed you will be fine.
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MICRO526 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 4/5
Was very worried about the difficulty of the class, but after finishing the class I can say it was one of the most rewarding ones I have taken. He is incredibly knowledgeable about the field as a whole and is pleasant to talk to. His office hours are a godsend for any confusion. A little intimidating, but genuinely caring and wants you to do well.
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MICRO526 · course not matched
Quality 4/5Difficulty 5/5
Attendance is not recquired but strongly encouraged to keep up with heavy class content and gauge important topics. While content was in-depth, professor was very understanding and took many liberties to facilitate a comfortable learning environment and prime students for exam content. Lectures can be dry but rewarding. Don't use AI.
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MICRO526 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 4/5
Essentially a graduate-level biochem course. Yet he made central metabolism very easy to memorize. Enjoy the beauty of chemical logic! Also, prepare to learn A LOT, as this course moves very fast. It's also best if you have taken Chem345, as this course has significant emphasis on ochem. Exams are usually easier than what's expected in lecture.
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MICRO526 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
Great prof, very informative lectures. This class is tough so be prepared to study tons. Most of the grade is made up of exams and problem sets. ...Only this semester half the class decided to use AI on the first problem set so now it's all exams! Um yeah if you're gonna rely on AI for this class pls don't take it so ppl who care won't be punished!
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MICRO526 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 5/5
Professor Thomas is a fantastic professor. He explains very difficult concepts well and his exams are very fair. They are challenging, but fair based on class material. I have struggled in this class, but he is very easy to talk to and explains concepts well when you need clarification.
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Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with Michael Thomas

MICROBIO 299

Independent Study

1–3 credits

Independent Study in Microbiology involves research work under direct faculty guidance, where students arrange specific projects and credits with their supervisor.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2022: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=1 letter grades).

Michael ThomasDaniel Amador-Noguez+23 more

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2023–Fall 2025 · limited sample
MICROBIO 699

Special Problems

1–4 credits

Individual advanced work in Microbiology under faculty guidance, involving identifying research problems, conducting experiments, analyzing data, and communicating results.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Michael ThomasPaul Friesen+25 more

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026 · limited sample
MICROBIO 990

Research

1–9 credits

Graduate research course involving full lab and literature review of a microbiology problem, leading to thesis and publication preparation.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Michael ThomasPaul Friesen+34 more

No recorded grade history

Recorded teaching history

Distinct courses recorded per term

Explore courses taught by this instructor →
Browse recorded courses
TermCourseTitle
Spring 2027MICROBIO 299Independent Study
Spring 2027MICROBIO 681Senior Honors Thesis
Spring 2027MICROBIO 682Senior Honors Thesis
Spring 2027MICROBIO 691Senior Thesis
Spring 2027MICROBIO 692Senior Thesis
Spring 2027MICROBIO 699Special Problems
Spring 2027MICROBIO 899Independent Study
Spring 2027MICROBIO 990Research
Fall 2026CHEM 980Seminar: Review of Current Research
Fall 2026CHEM 990Research
Fall 2026MICROBIO 299Independent Study
Fall 2026MICROBIO 526Physiology of Microorganisms
Fall 2026MICROBIO 681Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2026MICROBIO 682Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2026MICROBIO 691Senior Thesis
Fall 2026MICROBIO 692Senior Thesis
Fall 2026MICROBIO 699Special Problems
Fall 2026MICROBIO 899Independent Study
Fall 2026MICROBIO 990Research

Teaching history may be incomplete. Course pages contain course-specific feedback and citations.

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