3.9

Christopher Ragan

Economics - McGill University

3.9
Quality
3.6
Difficulty
100%
Would Retake
104
Reviews
3.9
Quality
3.6
Difficulty
3.7
Helpful
4.3
Clarity

100%

Would Retake

104

Reviews

Rating Distribution
Official
104 total ratings

5

50

4

33

3

8

2

6

1

7

What Students Say

Absolutely sensational

ECON406 - 5.0 rating

Ragan is the best econ prof at McGill, and 319 has been my favorite econ class

ECON319 - 5.0 rating
Class Info

Attendance Mandatory

25%

Textbook Required

100%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

B+

71% confidence
Based on 7 grades
Most common grades:
A- (3)
C (1)
A (1)
Grade Distribution
A(2)B(0)C(1)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(4)
Based on 7 reported grades
A-: 3
C: 1
A: 1
B+: 1
Common Tags
Get ready to read (1)
Hilarious (1)
Amazing lectures (1)
Rating Trend

Improving

+0.42 avg change
Mar
Apr
Dec
Apr
Jun
Jan
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

219

5.0

(1)

319

5.0

(1)

335

5.0

(1)

352

5.0

(1)

ECON209

5.0

(1)
+24 more courses
Difficulty by Course

335

5.0

ECO164

5.0

MACROD1

5.0

ECON001

5.0

295

4.0

Reviews (103)
3.0
4.0
295
May 5, 2002

No Comments

4.0
3.0
ECON295
Jun 23, 2002

great teacher...makes economics alot of fun!

4.0
3.0
ECON208
Oct 10, 2002

Smart, clear, funny, makes fools out of fools

5.0
2.0
ECON208
Oct 16, 2002

He's got it together, can be hilarious, fair exams

2.0
4.0
ECO620
Oct 24, 2002

He is a medium-quality teacher and a very poor researcher.

2.0
3.0
ECO208
Oct 28, 2002

No Comments

3.0
4.0
ECON620
Nov 2, 2002

Very good teacher but very busy, what does poor researcher mean anyways?

4.0
3.0
ECON208
Dec 14, 2002

entertaining, hilarious. learned alot. good! unlike the rest of the econ dept...

5.0
3.0
ECON295
Jan 14, 2003

great teacher!!! all thumps up!

5.0
3.0
ECON209
Jan 23, 2003

amazing prof. very smart.

2.0
4.0
ECON208
Feb 11, 2003

arrogant. hard exams.

5.0
2.0
MACRO
Feb 27, 2003

Great teacher. Handles a class of 400 people so well!!

5.0
5.0
335
Mar 13, 2003

No Comments

4.0
5.0
ECON295
Apr 14, 2003

Great prof. He makes the class interesting.

3.0
4.0
MACROECON
Apr 19, 2003

interesting class! material is overwhelming..but he tries hard to make it more bearable..

5.0
4.0
ECON295
May 9, 2003

One of the best teachers I've had at McGill.

1.0
5.0
ECO164
Oct 24, 2003

He's a ****ing idiot. I do not know how he got his tenure at McGill. No publication, nothing.

1.0
2.0
ECONOMICS
Nov 2, 2003

Puts class to bed QUICKLY. The perfect cure for insomniacs

5.0
3.0
ECON
Nov 7, 2003

Great professor. He insists upon intuitive understanding of the material. He is very very funny too. If your class is in the morning, he is perfect. Arrogant with idiots and imbecils, and those who think that they will understand all without thinking.

5.0
2.0
ECON
Feb 18, 2004

I'm not going to lie... this man is a bit crazy sometimes. A little too conservative, a little too arrogant. But he's one of the very best professors at McGill: his lectures are clear and easy to follow (and often funny,) and his arrogance is kinda sexy.

4.0
3.0
MACRO
Mar 9, 2004

Good guy, shame lecture are giving is such a big class

5.0
3.0
MARCOECON
Mar 15, 2004

He is absolutely amazing. You need to have a talent to teach a class of 400, and Ragan definitely has it. His classes are funny and he actually makes you like economics. How cool is that?? Yo prof, you rock! :)

4.0
2.0
MACRO
Mar 20, 2004

Very funny, tries his best to explain to 600+ students.

4.0
2.0
ECON295
Mar 30, 2004

What sexy?! You call that sexy? Get real... Whatever, he definitely knows his stuff and he's got a sense of humor. I like him and it's not easy to teach a class of 600+ students but he does it well.

5.0
2.0
MACRO
Apr 4, 2004

great presence in class, hot, funny, knows his stuff... what more can you ask??

4.0
4.0
ECON295
Apr 17, 2004

He is a good professor that knows his material and has the ability to keep a class of over 600 quiet and concentrated. The people that left mean comments are the ones that failed - his exam is 100% final. He'll entertain you, but he expects you to LEARN.

5.0
3.0
MACRO
Apr 25, 2004

a very good teacher. but 100% final is a little crazy. if the class size is smaller then it will be perfect. btw, he put all class' audio record on the web, amazing.

4.0
4.0
MACRO
May 6, 2004

the 100% final is insane....it was the most difficult exam I ever did at McGill...just memorize the book and you should be ok.

3.0
4.0
MACRO
May 7, 2004

He is a good teacher, but the 100% final was a****. Still, he follows the book closely so just read it and u should be fine.

3.0
4.0
ECON
May 10, 2004

he is a good teacher but the exam is hard and long for the amount of time given..plus not allowed to have a calculator which sucks and makes it even longer

5.0
4.0
ECON620
Aug 5, 2004

One of the best teachers I have every had. Very capable of explaining concepts clearly and is easy to follow. Very appraochable. Tough but fair marker. Is genuinely concerned about students.

2.0
5.0
ECON295
May 1, 2005

Horrific eperience away from Bronf High

5.0
2.0
352
May 21, 2005

No Comments

4.0
4.0
MACROECONOMICS
Grade: C
Oct 19, 2005

You better brown nose this guy, otherwise you're in trouble. Yep, he's that type, thinks he's real hot****. His exams are hard, but you'll pass if you do exactly as he says.

5.0
3.0
ECON219
Grade: A
Dec 4, 2005

Great teacher. He knows what he is talking about and his lecture are interesting. He does think he is the s*** so if you say something stupid, he will intelectually crush you. Can be helpfull outside of class. Great class although a lil disorganised right now. One of the best teachers at McGill, take a class with him if u can.

5.0
2.0
219
Dec 5, 2005

Awesome prof... makes economics interesting and crystal clear. Very fair and class is a joy to go to.

4.0
4.0
ECON219
Dec 15, 2005

A very accomplished prof, and he knows it. He loves to talk about himself and is pretty conceited. Good stage presence in lectures though. ECON219 is basically just intro. theory, so if you have taken ECON208/209, 230D, etc. this course is of no use to you. Course was very disorganized.

5.0
3.0
INTROECON
Jan 15, 2006

This guy is the reason I did a minor in Economics! Truly, a fabulous professor...he had so much presence in that huge Leacock room. He really was one of the best profs I had at McGill.

5.0
4.0
MACRO
Mar 29, 2006

Pros: great teacher very clear about what he wants works perfectly with the book since he wrote it hilarious Cons: none

5.0
3.0
ECON295
Apr 16, 2006

Very good lecturer. Although i agree he does pass off as arrogant at times. More than makes up for it with humour. Discussion Questions are fairly long, but straightforward and easy for the most part. Very qualified prof and an asset to McGill(which is more than I can say about most).

5.0
3.0
MACRO
Jun 20, 2006

Great teacher, MIT PhD, arrogant but hes a cool guy

1.0
4.0
ECON295
Aug 2, 2006

I'm really NOT recommending this teacher, but then again he is the only one teaching ECON-295. All I can wish you is luck..a hell of a lot of luck.

4.0
3.0
ECON217
Jan 27, 2007

Very entertaining and engaging professor. Encouraged class discussion and did not force new topics until old ones had been fully understood. Unlike most profs, class time went quickly.

4.0
2.0
MGCR295
Mar 5, 2007

makes it look easy, interesting but its actually quite tricky.

4.0
5.0
ECON295
Mar 22, 2007

Ragan is funny and stimulates the class to participate in discussion and voice their opinions. I disagree with the 100% final. The lectures are recorded so students have no reason to go to class or open the book until the last week of the semester...

4.0
3.0
ECON219
Mar 22, 2007

He was great. Very knowledgable, very funny.

5.0
4.0
ECON219
Mar 24, 2007

It's very obvious he's knowledgeable in his field. He's a great lecturer and you'll learn tons for sure; but come exam time, you'd better study your butt off and pray that you do alright.

5.0
4.0
ECON295
Jun 8, 2007

He does a really great job making material that could be so boring that you want to pull your eyes out interesting. I was one of few who did well in this class so take this advice. 1. Go to class. 2. Keep up with the readings. Otherwise you will screw yourself. It is VERY easy to get behind in this class.

4.0
3.0
ECON219
Jun 25, 2007

Is probably a little arrogant but unless you're really sensitive to that kind of thing (or are a know-it-all in class) you probably wouldn't notice (I didn't). Class attendance not vital but you MUST do the readings before the final. Would recommend taking the optional mid-term.

5.0
2.0
ECON295
Nov 6, 2007

Very helpful, answers his emails quite quickly. Had 400 students entertained for 3 hrs every week. Read your textbook: Macroeconomics, Eleventh Canadian Edition (Paperback) by Christopher T.S. Ragan (Author), Richard G. Lipsey (Author)

4.0
5.0
ECON219
Dec 14, 2007

A very good professor if you are interested in Economics, but don't take ECON 219 if you want a beginner class... very very difficult and moves quickly. Average on the midterm was 52. Ragan is clear and helpful but that's if you already understand Econ.

5.0
3.0
ECON219
Dec 19, 2007

Professor Ragan is an amazing professor. He is intelligent and an excellent public speaker. His tests are long, but you can do well if you study hard. He was my favorite professor this term! Yeah Ragan! I love you!

3.0
3.0
ECON352
Dec 27, 2007

Probably a good management prof, but not cut out for the honours program. Midterm scores were so low that he didn't count them. Problem sets were time consuming and didn't help to understand the material. Spent most of class answering questions. Study the class notes, don't bother with the book.

1.0
5.0
MACROD1
Dec 29, 2007

Unbelievably hard marker. I got an A in both terms of honours micro, but only got a B+ with Ragan (class average was a wonderfully high B-). He knows his stuff, just doesn't put any effort into the class.

4.0
5.0
ECON219
Jan 8, 2008

Ragan is extremely smart. One of the best profs I've ever had. Do not take this class first year or if you have no economics background unless you are prepared to work extremely hard for grades that you may be disappointed with.

4.0
5.0
ECON219
Mar 24, 2008

ahh, I took ECON 219 in the first semester of my first year and almost died. The lectures are recorded, which kind helped, but it was hard to keep up with things since I had no Econ background. I didn't know you can choose not to do the midterm, it probably would have been a good idea to not do it (you get to choose) b/c the class avg was around 56

5.0
4.0
ECON352
May 9, 2008

Good prof and a very hard prof, it is a very hard A- but fairly easy B or B+ alot of my friends got B+. forget about the book and study whatever he says... study ALL sidenotes he gives and expect very tricky english in the exam. he will explain why that is hehe... extremely arrogant and confident but he has everything to back up his attittude

1.0
3.0
ECON721
May 15, 2008

He's the worst professor in Canada. period. Doesn't do any work because he's too lazy. Let's the students do everything while he gives useless lame comments. He's also very arrogant and just plain stupid. He acts like he's some movie star but he's just a dorky nerd. Not recommended. at all.

3.0
5.0
ECON295
May 21, 2008

Forces you to do manual calculations b/c doesn't allow calculators = waste of time. His teaching style didn't work for me-- found him arrogant and irritating, wish he'd just teach us what we need for his impossible final. Fortunately there are web quizzes which help bring grades up and lots of bell curving. Study my econ lab lots.

4.0
5.0
ECON295
Sep 3, 2008

Nice, tough professor. Tough exam,know your stuff. Lots of material. He wrote the textbook and it is the best textbook I have ever used. Since he wrote it, class is consistent with the text.I stopped going to class because it was the exact same as the amazing book. Buy and use the exercise book also, very helpful and some questions similar to

4.0
5.0
ECON001
Oct 21, 2008

Harsh, pays a lot of attention to wording!

5.0
4.0
ECON352
Nov 8, 2008

Prof. Ragan is probably the best professor in the department. Very clear, funny, entertaining, knowledgeable, helpful. Material is not hard, but exams are tricky and require more than just memorizing. He does make fun of some people, which may explains some negative reviews, but he makes sure to never hurt anyone. Look for courses he teaches.

4.0
3.0
ECON295
Dec 5, 2008

I'll give props to Ragan that he is pretty entertaining in that he is a very good and eloquent speaker. But the way he structures the class is bad. 3 quizzes that you have to do at a "set day" and only have an hour equals stress. The final was long and tricky so have to know your stuff. Textbook and class it the same, he repeats himself tenfold.

5.0
2.0
ECON208
Dec 11, 2008

Fantastic prof. Straightforward, helpful, and entertaining. An excellent speaker who clearly enjoys teaching - tells fun stories, but always keeps on track. Class is consistent with the textbook. Provides multiple ways you can learn the material - class, textbook, myeconlab, conferences, etc. - without being redundant. Highly recommended.

5.0
2.0
ECON208
Dec 17, 2008

His lectures are entertaining and fun. He makes the material very clear and basically goes over everything in the lectures. As of exams, my advice is PRACTICE MULTIPLE CHOICE questions in the study guide. MyEconLab is not crucial. This is a good intro to econ course.

4.0
3.0
ECON219
Dec 28, 2008

BEST PROF AT MCGILL.One man show.u feel like ur in comedy central stand up comedy show. knows what he is talking avout. He wrote the book u use, so his lecture is a repetition of the book. But still go to his lectures, if not you'll be missing big time. at the end of the last class we had a standing ovation. shows how good his course was

5.0
4.0
ECON219
Jan 5, 2009

Great prof in all respects. Intelligent, well-spoken, and a commanding lecturer. Unfortunately he is currently on sabbatical. That being said, take one of his classes when he gets back. If you know nothing about economics it's still worth to take the class as long as you are willing to work a little. If you do know something, so much the better.

5.0
5.0
ECON208
Jun 7, 2010

A really funny prof. He wrote the textbook and if you use it an MyEconlab, you'll get a A for sure. I took his class a while ago, he was a bit arrogant but he's got the brains to be which makes him hot. Knows it though. Take his class for sure.

5.0
3.0
ECON352
Jan 13, 2011

Ragan is a fantastic professor--certainly the best I have had in the ECON department. His only fault is writing lengthy exams.

4.0
4.0
ECON295
May 13, 2011

I can say that after attending this class I have become 5x times smarter and understand macroeconomics with clarity. Its simple - he is the best and brightest in Canada. Take him. Lectures are always interesting and McGill is lucky to have him - TAKE ADVANTAGE!!

5.0
2.0
ECON313
Jul 5, 2011

Chris is an extremely cool character. He teaches the material in a fantastic way and communicates well within lectures. The course would normally be considered a tough topic to study, but Chris actually makes it fairly easy. As an ECON student I found the easiness five star, but if you're an elective student you'll be looking at a four star rating.

4.0
3.0
ECON219
Nov 26, 2011

Ragan is an awesome professor! He is very knowledgable and passionate about what he teaches. His exams questions are fairly easy, but really long. If you read the textbook, make notes, and go to class, you will understand and do well. Be careful about raising your hand in class. Unless you can defend your arguments, he will shut you down.

4.0
5.0
ECON319
Nov 28, 2011

I found Prof. Ragan to be very nice, very clear, and very helpful. But his midterm exam was so unfairly graded that, on the basis of his grading alone, I couldn't possibly recommend that anybody take his class. It's too much of a headache. I don't care how nice he is if he can fail the entire class without batting an eyelash.

3.0
5.0
ECON219
Nov 29, 2011

he is an economics genius and highly decorated. but for a 200 level econ class (this is my second year here), he is a ridiculously hard marker. took this class to boost my econ gpa and its doing the opposite. cant believe my midterm was so bad

5.0
5.0
ECON219
Dec 13, 2011

Absolutely brilliant. I only made an account on this site to say how smart and educational a prof ragan is. I loved attending his classes. If u have any interest in economics, you should too. Though terribly hard marker. This is not a GPA booter

5.0
3.0
ECON219
Jan 4, 2012

A highly coherent and engaging speaker. Lectures are a pleasure to attend though the grading in the course can border on the pedantic.

4.0
5.0
ECON219
Jan 19, 2012

Ragan is an excellent speaker and the class material is applicable and pretty interesting. However, the marking in the course is quite difficult and the exams are extremely long. How to do well: 1)Take 208 first! 2) Approach this course as a difficult one and take the time to read ALL the readings and to do the practice exams.

5.0
5.0
ECON219
Jan 22, 2012

Best professor at McGill, but only if you actually like economics. Marks very, very hard and exams are long, but if you put in the effort and study hard its a great course. I highly recommend taking it, though it is easier if you take econ 208 and 209 before.

1.0
5.0
ECON295
Feb 4, 2012

very arrogant. his jokes are not interesting at all

4.0
4.0
ECON219
Feb 23, 2012

Excellent and entertaining lecturer but unfair/shady grading methods. Take pass/fail if you can to relax and enjoy his course... or just learn how to write really fast.

5.0
5.0
ECON219
Mar 26, 2012

He is a fantastic lecturer, really keeps his student engaged. The final marks were ridiculous though! Make sure you are able to understand everything and take GOOD notes when the guest lecturers come

4.0
5.0
ECON319
Mar 26, 2012

This man is very intelligent, a phenomenal lecturer and I learnt more in his class than any other class I've ever taken at McGill. That being said, he will happily fail the entire class without thinking twice. I can't recommend his class on that basis alone. TL;DR Made class interesting, marks exams unnecessarily harsh

5.0
5.0
ECON319
Apr 26, 2012

Best prof i've had so far. Charismatic, smart, entertaining, engaging, and rightfully opinionated. Hard grader, but it's worth the knowledge in the end. Makes you think analytically instead of just memorizing concepts.

4.0
2.0
ECON295
May 5, 2012

Smart guy, pretty good lecturer and cracks some jokes in class, which can be funny at times but can also get really old. I showed up to class for bonus marks but it was unbelievably boring. I think the material is useful but I couldn't imagine doing it again.

2.0
5.0
ECON352
May 14, 2012

Good lecturer but does not communicate the material effectively. Gets caught up in his own stories/jokes. Marking is VERY HARD. Make sure you know what you are doing in this class or he WILL fail you.

4.0
4.0
ECON219
Dec 5, 2012

Excellent teacher, though very harsh grader! It is a pleasure to listen to him and you WILL learn a lot of things from his lectures, things you didn't think about before! Highly recommend unless your only goal is to get a perfect GPA...

5.0
3.0
ECON219
Dec 9, 2012

Prof. Ragan is an enthusiastic and passionate lecturer who explains basic economic concepts very well. If you have a background in economics this class isn't too hard, but Prof. Ragan does grade quite harshly.

5.0
4.0
ECON319
Dec 15, 2012

Amazing prof. Not only does he really understand what hes talking about, but he teaches it well.

5.0
4.0
ECON219
Dec 21, 2012

Amazing lecturer,is great at what he does.

5.0
4.0
ECON295
Feb 10, 2013

Absolutely amazing professor, have never been this interested. Extremely clear and incredibly intelligent in everything he says. Do not skip class it is completely worth it!

5.0
3.0
ECON219
Apr 10, 2013

Best professor at McGill. Knows the material extremely well. Tough marker but what you learn from him will help you in all classes. Highly recommend!

5.0
3.0
ECON219
Apr 14, 2013

Best professor I have had at McGill! Wish I was in Econ and could take more of his classes. He is hilarious, keeps every lecture interesting, and although a tough grader is extremely approachable. TAKE his class!

5.0
1.0
ECON295
Jun 26, 2013

Interesting teacher who teaches the material pretty well. He could care less about his students which is often apparent (the 600 person class size has something to do with it). Lectures are recorded but if you show up to class and do the practice in the study guide and quizzes, you will do very well on the final exam. Overall a good teacher

4.0
4.0
ECON319
Grade: A-
Sep 22, 2013

Phenomenal lecturer, very charismatic and impressive man. He is a hard grader but the material is not rocket science either. A real point of pride for the department of economics at McGill. Take his classes as many times as you can.

4.0
4.0
MGCR295
Nov 6, 2013

Very good profesor. Best prof i had

5.0
1.0
ECON208
Mar 7, 2014

Best prof i've had at mcgill honestly

5.0
3.0
319
Mar 26, 2014

Best prof at McGill. Genuinely a nice guy and somehow seriously hot. Take his class if you have the chance he's really interesting!

5.0
2.0
ECON319
Apr 10, 2014

Ragan is the best econ prof at McGill, and 319 has been my favorite econ class. The peer grading system was a bit annoying, but this class is definitely worth it! You have to do the readings, but the books are good anyway :D Highly recommend this class!

1.0
5.0
ECON295
Apr 27, 2014

Don't go to class it's completely useless. Read the book and do practice finals. You'll do great. The class is not hard but don't expect to learn anything from the prof.

5.0
2.0
MGCR295
Grade: B+
Dec 11, 2014

THE best from at McGill in the economics department !!! Missed the first two months of class because i was lazy and i regret it entirely because he is that interesting. He's an inspirational teacher, really knows his material (worked closely with the bank of Canada) and explains it in the easiest of terms. I could not recommend him higher.

5.0
4.0
ECON406
Grade: A+
Apr 7, 2015

Absolutely sensational.

5.0
4.0
ECON406
Grade: A-
Jun 11, 2015

Great lecturer. Interesting material. And such a solid grasp of macroeconomics, he'll make it very clear. Peer and homework grading is frustrating, but worth it to take a class with him. Take Ragan as many times as you can.

5.0
3.0
ECON319
Grade: A-
Jan 4, 2017
Would take again

Truly awesome professor. Very knowledgeable about economic crises, having worked with the Department of Finance around the time of the global financial crisis. Ragan literally wrote the book on macroeconomics. You must read all materials, both the required and optional readings. Don't miss this class, if you can get on the list.

Get ready to read
Hilarious
Amazing lectures
Class Info

Attendance Mandatory

25%

Textbook Required

100%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

B+

71% confidence
Based on 7 grades
Most common grades:
A- (3)
C (1)
A (1)
Grade Distribution
A(2)B(0)C(1)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(4)
Based on 7 reported grades
A-: 3
C: 1
A: 1
B+: 1
Common Tags
Get ready to read (1)
Hilarious (1)
Amazing lectures (1)
Rating Trend

Improving

+0.42 avg change
Mar
Apr
Dec
Apr
Jun
Jan
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

219

5.0

(1)

319

5.0

(1)

335

5.0

(1)

352

5.0

(1)

ECON209

5.0

(1)
+24 more courses
Difficulty by Course

335

5.0

ECO164

5.0

MACROD1

5.0

ECON001

5.0

295

4.0

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