2.8
Quality3.9
Difficulty75%
Would Retake124
Reviews75%
Would Retake
124
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
33
4
24
3
8
2
15
1
44
What Students Say
“There's no need for me to repeat what others have already said but if you can't avoid him, good luck”
ECON1001 - 1.0 rating“When given opportunities to redeem himself every year, he only comes out as the worst teacher in the whole econ department time and again”
ECON1001 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
48%
Textbook Required
80%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.54 avg changeRatings by Course
ECONO3150
5.0
(1)ECON3100
5.0
(1)ECON3003
4.6
(5)ECON000
4.5
(2)BUSAD5000
4.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
ECON3105
5.0
ECON5000
5.0
BUS5000
5.0
ECONOMICR
5.0
MICROECON001
5.0
Reviews (124)
My classmates were confused much of the time.
take notes and study them well, he is willing to give extra credit. funny guy
Good teacher, explain things very well. Highly recommended.
No Comments
Very nice teacher,easy going, and willing to help if you just ask. As long as you do wat ur suppose to, u'll make it through with an A or B.
Friendly, open, funny. Makes econ interesting. In-class games were great.
One of the few good teachers at this school.
Awesome teacher! He is probably the only man ive met that can make econ interesting. He has a great personality and listens and helps everyone. If you have to take this class, take it w/ professor Speicher.
Brian is actually really funny and does a good job covering a topic that most people can't stand. I learned more from him than most teachers last semester even though I had to work a lot harder in his class. He'll try his hardest to make sure everyone understands what's going on. i recommend him for economics!
Brian was a pretty good teacher. You have to work fairly hard in the class. My class had weekly assignments that were kind of tricky. In addition to the weekly assignments there were only two test-the mid-term and a final. Go to class and work hard and you will pass. He was the most available professor I've ever had
Took this professor twice. He's great.
Very good professor. Knows his stuff and enjoys teaching it. Makes everything interesting and you will not fall asleep during his class. Tests can be rough but he goes over everything beforehand... Had him for Micro
Very confusing. Doesn't explain the material. Believe math is fun and everyone must enjoy it. If you want to pass should look for help from friends or other people with math major. Like everybody in my class did. I felt like idiot in this class.
Terrible teacher. His tests are all or nothing so even if you know 95% of the material you fail the test with a big fat 0! He does not make it interesting and anyone who has said he does must be econ majors. I highly recommend going with a different teacher for this class.
Okay teacher. I wasn't doing so great in the class towards the beginning. He is hard to follow and very un organized. Luckily though, if you get an A on the final you get an A in the class, and that's what I did. I reccomend study groups for his class.
He was not a good teacher and made me hate a class that I would have otherwise enjoyed.
Great teacher. Econ is largely math and it is interesting to see the lack of math education and interest by other students. He made class interesting.
Cool guy makes class interesting but his grading system is rediculous and makes the class very hard to pass if you don't understand economics.
Best teacher I have ever had! Made the material very clear and let you know exactly what you needed to know for his exams. Always available for help out of class-will come anytime of day that works for you. He is truly interested in his students succeeding. Was a tougher course but made it understandable and very enjoyable
he's not a good teacher. the subjects that he is teaching us are getting confusing. his examples are okay but tests are gonna be much harder.
He made me hate his class. I would never recomend him.
I just can't wait to come to class. Even though it's hard, it's fun!!! you have to work really hard for the class, but isn't it what studying is for? He makes me love econ so much. And he is an extremely cool man too!
The sole requirement for the class is intro. to microeconomics. Do not assume that is all you need. You have to have to be very familiar and comfortable with algebra and some basic calculus. I'd suggest taking this class after a math intensive upper level class. That said, the class is freakin' awesome. You will work your ass off, but learn a lot.
The sole requirement for the class is intro. to microeconomics. Do not assume that is all you need. You have to have to be very familiar and comfortable with algebra and some basic calculus. I'd suggest taking this class after a math intensive upper level class. That said, the class is freakin' awesome. You will work your butt off, but learn a lot.
A good challenge is always good for brain. But if this guy were to teach a class on how to breathe, the human race would be extinct! I do not recommend him.
I don't know if it hurts him to elaborate on the lecture a little bit. I'm studying like crazy and he never seems to encourage students at all.
Awesome professor. Great guy, easy to talk to. Take a voice recorder (he talks at the speed of light), know your math backward and forward, and expect completely different things on the test than what he tells you will appear. Despite probably getting a D, I loved this class. Just expect to have to work for your grade...really really work.
Useless. Def. a waste of time and money. Never had such a bad teacher, if you are planning to take him, don't. Disorganized, not able to spell, not clear. Probably the worse teacher I've ever had.
A very poor teacher. Inconsiderate of Students' needs. It seems that he doesn't understand his role as a teacher. He ought to help students learn, instead he punishes those who lack innate mathematical skills by setting unreasonably high expectations on tests. Instead of helping us learn he tries to cull the weak.
Learned more in his class than the other 3 semesters of my grad program combined. Speicher gets a bad rap because you have to bust your butt to get a decent grade. If you put your head down and concentrate on your work, you will be fine. You should revisit basic algebra and calc (derivatives) if its been a while though. Just my opinion.
Easily the worst teacher I've had at UMSL so far, he hates his job and you can tell, he loves to be a jerk in class. His tests, and especially his quizzes are ridiculously hard, and also, he gives out a quiz every single class..
I have learned a lot about economics from professor Speicher. He is good at communicating the knowledge to students. He prepared a lot of good exercises to help students understand the material covered in class. Some students don't like him because they don't really care about learning knowledge from the class, they just try to get passed easily.
Worst teacher I have ever had.
Greatest professor. Very smart... very passionate about the subject. Very knowledgable and prepares you for later classes.
Great teacher. I learned a lot. Make sure you pay attention in class as the tests are more over the lectures and discussions than the reading. Only 2 tests, so dont mess up.
He makes the quizzes very hard. It seems like he enjoys tricking students. There are maybe six people total out of a class of 50 that can really say they understand the material. Horrible professor.
You really have to work for your grade in this class. He is available for help but you have to actively seek it out. Nothing will be handed to you in this class except a bad grade.
His tests are much more difficult than the class work. Every test I took I filled in from front to back and could barely muster a D. Unrealistic and inefficient. Do not take this class with this professor unless you're ready to be disappointed. He tricks and teases and makes you feel unintelligent if you do not understand. Very unpleasant.
This teacher is extremely challenging. Even people that understood each concept did not do so well on the tests. He likes to through curve balls on the tesets or in his words "trick questions". He also gives out pop quizes beginning and ending of class ...so if you have something that may come up your going to miss the quiz. Then he is not helpful.
This teacher is extremely challenging. Even people that understood each concept did not do so well on the tests. He likes to through curve balls on the tesets or in his words "trick questions". He also gives out pop quizes beginning and ending of class.so if you have something that may come up your going to miss the quiz. Then he is not helpful.
If someone recommends you take this guy please don't.You'll have to look for tutors to actually get help which he is not good at doing. Don't expect the book to save you either, he doesn't use it.
Speicher is nice guy but I would never advise anybody to take his class. He is never goes over the answers on assignments. His exams are hard. Assignments are easy once you find real help which he is not. Tough on grading. He makes everything look hard which in reality is nothing. He thinks he knows a lot although he doesn't.
Do not take this class with him. The midterm average was 50% and he spent the whole next class lecturing us about how we don't know how to do the simplest things. His lectures are confusing, only 2 or 3 people understood him, doesn't help answer questions, the list goes on.I went to every class, did the homework, read before but still didn't pass.
Worst professor I have ever had. Brian shouldn't be a teacher. You ask him a question and he'll tell you he "can't tell you that" or "you'll have to work it out". It's because his grading is unpredictable. His assignments have good layout but his turbulent preferences make you want to bang your head against a wall.
Class is largely pop quizzes which the class takes every day before or after; some exams in between. Speicher is a horrible teacher of the material. He doodles all over the chalk board which is hard to understand since his writing is sloppy and gives very little guidance on assignments. Attend class; gives extra credit through quizzes now and then.
Not a good teacher. He makes the material more difficult than it should be. Hands out pop quizzes every day over material he hasn't taught yet. Enjoys poking fun at students who are confused. The bottom line is he's very difficult to put up with. Recommend Sanders.
This class is hard, but this is no reason to give a negative rating. Prof. is available outside of class, provides tutoring opportunities, and gives in person review sessions before each exam. If you are sensitive and can't take a joke, avoid this class. Exams are just like the in class assignments, the solutions and walkthroughs are provided.
If you're going to laugh at people who are struggling in class, that's not showing signs of a good teacher. College is serious business and it is no laughing matter to be confused, have a teacher who enjoys tricking you for his own pleasure, and have you stress throughout the semester. Would not recommend.
I basically didn't learn anything from Speicher, it's because he doesn't teach at all. Just gives out pop quizzes every day before and after class using trick questions to tease students for his own fun. You have to talk to tutors to understand the things you'll need to know. But if you take your college career seriously, Speicher isn't your guy.
Worst teacher ever. Never take his class. Had no clues what he was talking about although I attended all his classes and when we ask a question, he torments and taunts us for not understanding the topic at hand and did not help clear out the question.
Do not take this class or you will be talked down to, teased, and endlessly lectured on math by someone who cannot spell, set unachievable expectations, and come to class unorganized. He's arrogant, rude, pompous, and I would never take another class with him again.
I HATED this teacher. The subject material was boring enough, and he was just rude. His lectures are awful, and he talks down to you and treats you like crap. The tests were hard too, there really wasn't an upside to this class, except that it was finally over
Bad, just bad. Do not take his class. I did what I could to understand the material but he threw so many curve balls, it was hard to know what to expect. I actually prepared for the midterm after studying everything he told us to expect for it but was confounded with all these "trick questions" he put on it to be funny. Worst professor I ever had.
Many people end up taking this class twice. The math prerequisites do not prepare you for this class at all and this teacher does not help at all. His grading is inconsistent with his teaching because he does not strive to help students learn, he instead sets up expectations too difficult even for him. If you ask for help, he won't know what to do.
Hated this teacher. He makes the simplest material seem difficult. Gives a quiz or exam EVERY class, doesn't strive to help students learn by tricking and teasing anyone who is confused, even the econ tutors didn't understand anything he assigned or tested over. The point is that he is not a good teacher. Recommend Edwards or Sanders.
After taking Micro with 3 other professors at UMSL I was relieved coming to Speicher's class. Homework is online and buying the book is useful. There are quizzes almost daily but the top 15 are graded. His tests are easy if you know the material and do the practice exams. You can pass as long as you attend class.
Worst teacher ever! Never take his econ classes! Had no idea what he was teaching during lectures although I attended all classes. He just doodled random graphs on the chalk board and when we ask a question, he tricked and teased us for not understanding and never helped clarify out the question.
Though he challenges us to think critically, he never really taught us the material well at all. Most people just work outside of class to learn the subject. If you want a hard class where you learn everything on your own with a teacher who is unhelpful, then this is the class for you. Me? I thought it was a waste of my time and money.
Bad teaching methods with no demonstrations for homework or exams. He seems to only give out quizzes daily to get by with teaching the class. I think he needs to get a new job and not teach anymore. He talks down to you and treats you like you're unintelligent if you don't understand during lectures. Do not take his class.
Horrible, just terrible, do not take his class. Sets extremely high expectations, doesn't follow syllabus, and gives no warnings for quizzes or exams. I actually walked into the first exam thinking it was a week later and hadn't studied at all. Worst teacher I have ever had.
I have never had a worse professor. Gives a quiz every day and is extremely slow in returning grades for them. Grading is completely unfair and unpredictable. Quizzes have nothing to do w/ anything you learn in class and the 5th one was due before we ever got the grade back on the previous ones to know if you were on track of what he wanted or not.
I have never had a worse professor. Gives a quiz every day, extremely slow in returning grades, grading is completely unfair and unpredictable. Quizzes have nothing to do w/ anything you learn in class and we took the 6th one before we ever got the grade back on the previous ones to know if you were on track of what he wanted or not.
I dreaded going to his class. I could never understand what he was talking about because he went off on random tangents all the time and just didn't know how to explain anything.
He's extremely nitpicky at grading quizzes and exams. He has office hours to go get help, even though most of the time he is rude and unhelpful. He doesn't provide examples of any problems with what we learn. I would never suggest him as a teacher especially because he isn't giving a review sheet for the final, which is 16 chapters from the book.
Boring lectures, unclear answers to questions, gave pop quizzes every day which I did not like. Not very good at explaining economic concepts and information. Most students in the class for the majority of the semester understood some concepts but still struggled due to his trick questions on tests and quizzes. Avoid him, his head is in the clouds.
A good teacher is someone who helps you learn and encourages your understanding for the subject. Brian, however, takes a lot of ego trips during lectures and brags about how smart he is which was ridiculous. He also tricks and teases anyone who lacks math skills in front of the class which is unpleasant. So I would never recommend him to anybody.
He gives old exams from his past classes years ago and says to use them to study for the test. He gives a pop quiz every class that are hard because he enjoys tricking his students. His online assignments can be done but his instructions are not clear. Do not take his class.
If someone tells you to take this guy, please don't. Not only does he put trick questions on exams and quizzes, he gives a pop quiz every day and enjoys tricking students. Most people in my class don't understand half the material since he's always joking around and teasing people who are confused. Would not recommend.
There's no need for me to repeat what others have already said but if you can't avoid him, good luck.
Brian has a lot of knowledge in economics but refuses to pass it on to students even though he should know they paid for it. He tricks and teases people who are confused in class which was unpleasant and does not really communicate the material effectively in that manner.
If you have a question get ready to be embarrassed. He's insane about releasing his intellectual property and seems to forget that students have paid for it. Be warned that the environment is intimidating. Some like this type of setting but if you are not one of those people, do not take this class with Speicher.
Speicher is the rudest teacher I've ever had. Even if I had questions I would never ask him because he is so degrading to students when he answers or even talks in general. As students we are paying to learn, and he makes an environment hard to learn. No one made him become a teacher so he needs to learn to teach us and stop being so pretentious.
A professor should not be the most difficult aspect of a class. He is. Questions asked in class are opportunities for him to berate students and show off. When asked if a test was reasonable since only 10 people finished it and the class had a median score of 56, his answer was, "It didn't take me an hour and fifteen minutes." Don't take him.
Pay attention and do the homework and you'll ace his classes. I've had him online and in person. He can be a wiseass, but never in an antagonizing way. Great professor, made me consider switching into Econ.
This class was challenging. 35Q quiz assignments were due every two weeks. He gave you 5 chances on each question to get full credit. He also posted a few practice tests before the final that were helpful. For the final, he chose either 25 or 50 questions from the quizzes completed. Print the answers all out and religiously memorize them.
I found his online course really hard at times. His quizzes are very difficult because he would not really give partial credit even if the thought process was right. I did not like how the material did not built up to the final and there was only a quick review at the end of the course.
Teachers like Speicher are the reason many people end up taking economics twice. He makes things hard for the sake of making them hard, and while that might be funny, it wasn't most of the time. When given opportunities to redeem himself every year, he only comes out as the worst teacher in the whole econ department time and again. Ouch.
I used to think that Speicher was misunderstood but after taking his class, he was exactly what people said he was. He really is a challenging teacher who tricks and teases students but not in a helpful way. He tricks and teases students for the sake of tricking and teasing them and while that might have been funny, it wasn't most of the time.
The WORST member of UMSL faculty EVER! UMSL and the Economics Department at UMSL allows Lecturer Speicher to continue to harass, tease, haze, and bully students. He enjoys berating students and making fun of them. My suggestion, RECORD EVERYTHING so you have EVIDENCE of his actions!
He has a dry sense of humor, but if you pay attention you'll be fine. I did fail him the first time but it was my first semester and I have poor planning skills but I retook him and he pretty much teaches you everything you need to know for his exams. He breaks lectures up pretty well so you aren't overwhelmed.
This is an online class that requires time and self motivation. Some of the topics(math) don't come easily to me. Mr. Speicher was helpful and encouraging. He took extra time to work with me on the spot when needed as well as offering office hours. He was calm, extremely patient, personable and seemed genuinely concerned with my success.
Lectures are the worst I've had in college. He goes off on random tangents a lot while talking nonstop and his voice annoys the hell out of me. He scribbles on the chalkboard with bad handwriting, drawings, and explanations and thinks he is funny when he is not. I can't stand his voice.
Great Professor; thoroughly enjoyed learning about economics.
This semester there were a lot of extra credit, and he always try to get the students engaged in interesting topics. He lets us know that our opinion matters.
I took the class online & if I did not understand something, I would email him and he would always email me right away and explain the criteria. Have the students many opportunities to make up work and even get extra credit. I liked taking this class, just wish I had more interest in it and understood what I was learning more.
Great professor
This Professor gave great feedback and always offered extra credit. One thing I especially loved was there were no surprises on the exams--If you did the homework/ tests, you had everything you needed to get a 100%. I also loved the ability to do homework and quiz's at our own speed and time-- there is a due date but you can work on it all semester
I need not repeat the same thing as every student below. If you can, AVOID this professor AT ALL COST!
very patient and kind
Gives everyone time to turn in work for full credit; you can work at your own pace.
I like the way Mr Speicher's teaches. I don't have the option to always take online classes by choice, rather convenience, and his mini lecture really helped. They made me feel like he cared if I comprehended just as much as the in class students. I had a death in the family and he was very understanding. Finally, very humble and personable.
Mr. Speicher was very fair and enthusiastic!
I was grateful that Professor Speicher let you work at your own pace. With so many other things going on in life, this was very helpful. If you communicate that you are having issues with something , he is very patient and provides any help that is available.
Took this class online, pretty simple. Just read the book, ask questions about how to do the math. I kind of let you work at your pace, just make sure you get it done by the last deadline.
His voice is miserable to listen to. He is not very helpful and when you ask a question he kinda makes you feel dumb. You don't actually learn much in this class, you just need to be able to memorize questions because its all repeated questions and answers.
The tests are just like the quizzes Study the quizzes and you will do well on the midterm and test.
not so strict
I took online basic ECON with Professor Speicher and he got me interested in the subject. Extremely helpful and willing to work with you if you are confused or need the extra help. He allows you to work at your own pace and offers plenty of extra credit opportunities. Also, he seems to be flexible if you don't hit a deadline.
he gives you every opportunity to receive a good grade. clear expectations and instructions. enjoyed the class
The lectures and extra credit was really helpful
I took Econ as a hybrid class, so I only went occasionally. The class itself was okay, but I could have put more work in to get a better grade. Brian was a nice enough guy, but could be a little energetic and annoying. Overall, he was clear in his expectations and grading.
I took this course online over the summer. Teacher is super nice and understanding. He is flexible with the deadlines of the assignments. Basically you work at your own pace. Also gives plenty of extra credit opportunities. Exams are just questions from quizzes so study the quizzes. His course is an easy A if you do the work and study for the exams
As an online learner who works a full time 50 hour a week job. He made this class flexible and manageable. He provides multiple ways to learn a topic. He tried his best to help to accommodate me for test taking since I am from a little far away for St. Louis.
Funny guy, he makes lectures interesting. He will try and make sure you actually know the material on the tests, so don't sleep through his classes. That being said, he isn't an overly tough grader if you stay interested in the class.
Homework takes time, but make sure you pay attention to all of the questions they will be on your quiz. If you make note or copy all of the homework and quiz questions you will know almost every answer for your midterm and final. If you study and turn in all of your assignments you will do fine.
Going to class and doing the homework will definitely get you a good grade, as it is straightforward. However, there was work required. He was very attentive to students and willing to help. Taking a class like Econ over the summer is a challenge, but he made it enjoyable and put in the same amount of effort he expected of his students.
Many people end up taking this class twice. The math prereqs don't prepare you for this class at all and this teacher doesn't help you at all. There are tutors for this class but they don't know the material as much as the students. The textbook won't help when you struggle and neither will Speicher. If you ask for help, he laughs and taunts you.
I feel like he's misunderstood. He is brash at times and sometimes condescending, but he honestly cares about his students. I had him for Mathematical Economics, arguably the hardest undergrad econ class, and did just fine. If you don't take his comments personally you'll succeed. You know exactly what to expect on tests too which is nice.
Speicher is tough. I would recommend taking another professor if possible. I spent the most time outside of class trying to learn his material, only for him to give me a C in the class (I am typically a straight A student). He doesn't do a fair job helping you understand the material, yet directs you to the tutors, who don't understand it either.
He has a bad rep on here but is actually a good professor if you dont mind being called on randomly in class. Go to class and look over your notes and you'll do fine on the exams, he lets you retake them for credit!
As someone else stated, he gets a real bad rep here. In my Money, Banking and Monetary theory class he was great. Made everything pretty easy to understand, and I feel I could have gotten an easy A if I had shown up to class more. He will call on you randomly and tease a little bit, but nothing malicious. Tests went off of handouts he gave.
This was a reading heavy online class and taken during the summer, so everything was condensed. Always available and in the discussions giving feedback and showing how economics can be applied in a practical sense.
Best teacher ive ever had, if you fail its your own fault. He wont spoon feed you but he definitely prepares you well for every test. What makes his classes difficult is that it isn't mindless memorization and regurgitation, his classes require critical thinking, and very little memorization is involved if at all. If you study, you'll be 100% fine.
Many of the reviews on here already cover the issues that need addressed and I need not repeat them. I would recommend taking a different professor if at all possible.
I thought Brian was a great teacher. He was very accessible and extremely responsive. I took the class online and it was fairly easy. There is a lot of homework but if you have a nightly routine, you should be fine.
Its an easy online class but when you try to ask questions he is very condescending and rude. It made me to a point uncomfortable to ask him questions...... I'm sure there is a better option than this professor but at least it was an easy class.
I liked Prof Brian. I think he did a good job at not being biased in his class while also using real world examples to make Micro Econ easy to understand. There's extra credit. If you have him for in-person he will make it a point to get to know everyone's name and he knows his students very well which I liked. He's pretty understanding about alot
He was a great professor. If you go to the lectures and engage with the material he will see it and help you if you need it. If you don't and don't reach out, that's on you. Love the way he engages with his students and definitely would take this class again.
Avoid.
Speicher's lectures made clear sense and are very easy to follow. Homework that is assigned are the exact problems that are found on the quizzes and exams. He is very good at explaining how things are macroeconomic principles are connected to one another. 5 quizzes, 2 exams, and a final. Professor Speicher is passionate about what he teaches.
ERC is your friend for these Econ classes
Lots of homework! You could work ahead & he was forgiving on most assignments if they were turned in late. Very discussion heavy for the online class - challenging topics, expects a lot & tough grader. Syllabus was clearly outlined & could use notes for quizzes. His tone was condescending at times, but would take again knowing his teaching style.
There were only four homework assignments for the class, and they make you think. Strategizing and then performing in in-class competitions helped us to understand the analytical processes. During lecture, some things were explained great, others were skipped over, but if you stay after class + ask, he will clarify any questions nicely. Use the ERC
8wks online. The homework/quizzes were every week so I could plan it out. Only a midterm and final test. You really have to read, watch videos, do the HW or fall behind. Lectures were ok but not super informative. He was good at replying back. I think this class was doable for summer but prob better to take in person for understanding concepts.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
48%
Textbook Required
80%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.54 avg changeRatings by Course
ECONO3150
5.0
(1)ECON3100
5.0
(1)ECON3003
4.6
(5)ECON000
4.5
(2)BUSAD5000
4.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
ECON3105
5.0
ECON5000
5.0
BUS5000
5.0
ECONOMICR
5.0
MICROECON001
5.0