Quality 4/5Difficulty 1/5
Easy class and PJ was very engaging. He clearly knows the material he is teaching but doesn't overwhelm you with information. He is very caring and accommodating.Rate My Professors ↗
Current instructor
Paul Johnson
What students say
Original student reviews · all captured dates
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
PJ is great! The material for this class is difficult, but I felt that the exams were more predictable than 652. His slides are concise and is great at answering questions. Overall an incredible professor that truly cares about students.Rate My Professors ↗
Quality 5/5Difficulty 4/5
PJ did a great job making me feel welcome in his class and was always considerate and thoughtful in his explanations. He was always in a good mood and his class brightened my day (even when we had quizzes). I found this class very useful and intend to keep my notes for my job as a P&C actuary.Rate My Professors ↗
Quality 5/5Difficulty 5/5
The class material is very difficult but PJ does a good job explaining it to the best of his abilities. Outside of class he's a cool guy that cares about students. In my opinion, he's on the better end of Act Sci professors at UW.Rate My Professors ↗
Quality 5/5Difficulty 4/5
The class is naturally very difficult, but PJ makes it very clear and is always available and willing to answer questions about the material. The best way to study for exams and quizzes is by doing practice problems and making sure you understand the homework. He also will confirm homework answers during office hours.Rate My Professors ↗
Quality 2/5Difficulty 4/5
He does a lot of proving and reading slides in lectures. Not helpful when students ask questions after class, could be condescending, not sympathetic at all. I personally wont take any class with him anymoreRate My Professors ↗
Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.
Classes with Paul Johnson
Covers the definition and selection of probability distributions for heavily tailed and skewed insurance data.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Paul Johnson is praised for clear explanations, helpful examples, and availability for questions. Reviewers note he makes difficult material understandable and is considerate, though some find the course workload demanding.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026Advanced short-term actuarial modeling focusing on parameter estimation for heavy-tailed insurance data and credibility assessment for ratemaking.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Paul Johnson is criticized for rushing through lectures and failing to explain the broader context, which leaves students struggling with problem sets. Reviewers also describe his demeanor as condescending when questions are asked.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Fall 2025Recorded teaching history
Explore courses taught by this instructor →Browse recorded courses
| Term | Course | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2026 | ACTSCI 652 | Fundamentals of Short-term Actuarial Modeling |
| Fall 2026 | ACTSCI 653 | Advanced Short-term Actuarial Modeling |
Teaching history may be incomplete. Course pages contain course-specific feedback and citations.
Instructor identity & provenance
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