3.0
Quality3.8
Difficulty33%
Would Retake109
Reviews33%
Would Retake
109
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
37
4
8
3
18
2
22
1
24
What Students Say
“He plans his pop quiz's on the worst days such as after a holiday, or a weekday football game”
FIN315 - 2.0 rating“Besides a bad teacher, hes an terrible person”
FINN332 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
75%
Textbook Required
33%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.00 avg changeRatings by Course
FIN
5.0
(2)FIN495
5.0
(2)FIN425
5.0
(1)FIN332FIN315
5.0
(3)FIN455
4.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
FIN452
5.0
FINN332
5.0
201QR
5.0
315
4.3
472315
4.0
Reviews (109)
you will learn alot. unbelieveable professor. so ****ing good
Harsh grader, sneaky test writer
Great Guy, he'll tell you where you can get cookies for .99 cents all around tow
Excellent use of 'real world' applications.
No Comments
when 60% of the class failed the first test, he told us all it was OUR fault.
No Comments
Have yet to see partial-credit felton!
No Comments
One of the worst prof's I've had at CMU! Very dry and doesn't appear to have the REAL world knowledge of Finance.
once you get his system down, the class is easy. You have to get into his head.
If you are willing to work and truly want to learn you will do well. Dr. Felton is one of the friendliest, most approachable profs I've encountered. You should be grateful to have a prof that makes you work for your grade. It'll help you in the future.
Good instructor. Good teacher? I think not if you want a professor who is more condescending you are going to have to go somewhere else
Great professor , Learned a lot
No Comments
He is not a helpful teacher, avoid him if you can. Otherwise study like crazy and ignore his remarks to belittle you
No Comments
Very good teacher. Letures are interesting. If you study you will do good on pop quizzes and tests. I mean really study. NO partial credit. Don't bother to ask questions, he is condesending!
His class was difficult, but very rewarding. I learned in his class, but I earned my grade.
This professor is pretty full of himself and knows the material..but just can't teach it. I didn't like his attitude at all as he likes to make his students feel small and below him. I'd avoid him and take a class with Raymond Cox.
He is more interested in research than teaching. Part of that is just the way universities work, I suppose. Anyway, he will help you if you ask, but most of the time he figures the class should be able to figure everything out for themselves.
If you came to college to actually learn something, Felton's the man. If you don't act stupid about stuff he's already covered four times, he won't bother you. Everyone I've ever seen get ripped on deserved it. He prepares you for the real world.
I've had felton before, and have him again next semester, cause he is good. He is the teacher that will prepare you for real life work. Most people don't like him because he won't hold your hand like a lot of prof's do.
Pop quizzes are hard and he is unwilling to help students because of massive ego. Should teach more, research less.
He is a great instructor as long as you work hard. He is helpful when you ask. There's just one thing though. Do not plaguarize! He WILL flunk you. But would you blame him? Why would anyone do that?
No Comments
Terrible!!! Takes pleasure in failing students and not helpful or understanding of the student at all! Avoid him like the plague!!
If the majority of the class is failing, that should give you a clue to change your teaching stlye. This prof. thinks he knows it all. It should be about the students understanding.
Everyone in the class was failing (including grad students) except like 3 people. Not good. Pop quizes on Fridays were not hard. Not easy to get help from.
Great! Funny! Knowledgable!
Simple. The worst prof. I've ever had.
Simply one of the worst professor in the College of Business. His ego gets the best of him. In addition, when more that half is at the D- range and below, some bells should start going off. It seems as though getting a pay check is first on his agenda and while teaching is a distant second.
Great class. Probably the best I've had.
Takes no pity on students that don't want to learn or prepare for class. If you try, he will reward you! Definitely one of the brightest and fairest profs on campus, so take advantage of it and LEARN something! Take a moment and read some of his published articles - he's funny and in touch!
DO NOT TAKE! Not terribly difficult, since he has to curve everything up about 50% ... a complete waste of money. Does not lecture, won't answer questions, and will not hesitate to ridicule you in front of the entire class. Extremely lazy.
This class was very easy. Study from the book because he won't cover everything in the lecture. The first exam was hard but he curved it and the he let us take exams as a group after that. Professor Felton really knows a lot about Finance. He is a bit of a nerd though and tends to tell stories that are only funny to him.
Good class, learned a lot from the cases. Smart, funny prof who cares about students.
Great class. I learned more from him than any other CMU prof. Loved the Wall Street Journal articles and Stock-Trak.
Study for the quizes!!! There hard, but everything else is easy.
I loved this class! Simply the best professor I've had at CMU. Yea, there are pop quizes, but they get easier as you go. Just study for the quizes and you'll be fine. If you even have any questions, he's great at answering them in his office hours. Good guy!
Great Professor
He is a funny ****. The class is interesting and not too hard.
No Comments
Awesome professor! He is very helpful and tests over the information you study in class, nothing that is off the wall. I would definately take him. Also he reminds me of the guy from that commercial "Got Clear Eyes!" Cool guy!
i don't know where these other people who rated this guy got off by saying he's a great teacher..he's not. I did decent in the class, but he is not that good at teaching. Pop quizes do not get easier as they go, I don't know who wrote that, but the average grades definately went down w/ more pop quizzes, he must just be talking about himself.
With half of the semester remaining, I thought there would be no way I could receive an A in this class (which I did)! During the 1st 12 weeks, he weeds out all of the non-hackers, uses pop-quizzes like a nazi, and tries to destroy your selfconfidence. The key to getting an A: 1st)know the notes. 2nd)make him learn your name. 3rd)dont miss class.
Very good professor. Nice person and is willing to answer questions after class or during office hours. The class is "easy" if you put in a reasonable amount of effort. Very fair teacher!
He like to give pop exams! he calls them pop quizes, but they're not. Gives practices problems, but not very often. Always will have a quiz over wall street journal articles every friday. Never gives study guides. Hardest finance class of my life and I love finance.
Class average grade this semester: 63.25% Final exam average: 50.27% No study guides ever. "Pop quizzes" are actually difficult calculation based exams. No partial credit. He enjoys (actually laughs) when students are stumped, surprised, or confused. Avoid this man at all costs. Taking this class is setting yourself up for failure. And I love fin
Felton must be getting on here and giving himself good ratings. This class is horrible. He really does seem to entertain himself by surprising students. If you get an A in his class, they should give you your degree. Tarrant teaches this class and is a much better teacher.
The problem I had would be his lack of respect for the students. He has a superiority complex he needs to get over. He's not helpful with any questions and finds it enjoyable when students are struggling. Besides a bad teacher, hes an terrible person.
I'm not sure how he is getting such bad reviews. I thought he was pretty hilarious and a good teacher too. His tests are all calculations so as long as you prepare for them it's an easy A.
Tough professor, you definitely need to go to class, you don't use the book at all, everything on the tests comes from board work. Make sure to do well on the wall street journal quizzes, you may end up accumulating extra credit.
Great Professor. Actually teaches everything you will need to know and then relates it to the Wall Street Journal. Very interesting but semi difficult. Take him if you ever have the chance.
Dr. Felton is the smartest man in Finance that I have ever met and I know a lot of people in Finance! He wants you to be successful and he won't hold your hand....maybe try hard??? He will show you how to get rich in the market if you pay attention. Make sure you read the book throuroughly for the pop quizzes. Best teacher I have had so far!
Hard as hell. You think like other classes you can chill at the beginning. But he immediately assigns chapters in the book you have to pretty much teach yourself. Then you have pop quizzes on it. There are 3 class periods a week and 2 out of 3 you will have a quiz so read all the stuff he tells you to or your screwed
The best prof I had at CMU. Yes, he is hard, but he is very approachable and will bend over backward to help any student who is legitimately trying. Gave me the best advice when I was struggling and ready to drop out of college. I now run a business that is thriving in this recession, and owe much respect to him. BSBA - Marketing, '95.
Great teatcher, but could simplify the way he explains concepts a lot! They only reason you need the book is to study the definitions. For his unanounced quizes, just study the things he does on the board and you will do great! He teaches this class in a way that is stressful, but once you get used to it - it becomes fun.
Best Prof I've had at CMU! Acc Major/Fin Minor. How to get an A like I did: Go to every class, ready chapters(terms) in relation to syllabus, take clear notes (pop quizzes 100% similar), study math notes before class in case he has a quiz, and read WSJ articles (super easy points). No final if you have an A before it! Bagel/Movie days are bomb!
Nice guy. Not a hard class overall just read the WSJ articles and review your notes before each class and you will do fine
I really enjoyed the content of the class, however it was presented in a terrible way. Loved to give pop tests when attendance was low.
I love Dr. Felton. Come to class and participate and you're golden.
Alright honestly, if your trying to just get by with an easy classgrade, this is ABSOLUTLY not the teacher for you. this semester the class average was a C-. In any case he also has pop quizzes and clearly plans them around "bad times" for students, or times with poor attendance, e.g. after breaks, like thanksgiving, or st patricks day.
Avoid taking this class with this professores if possible.
Dr. Felton is a very funny guy but presented class not organized. The lecture is useless.
Dr. Felton is kind of an arrogant guy. He knows the material well, but will make you feel like an idiot if you answer wrong in class. As long as you stay on top of the optional homework he gives you and prepare for pop quizzes you'll be fine.
Felton is a very arrogant person who is basically out to get students. When you ask for help or to go over something he chuckles and refers you to other students in class. He plans his pop quiz's on the worst days such as after a holiday, or a weekday football game. Avoid him at all costs, he wont help you pass the class or teach you what he knows.
I believe part of the reason i had an easier time in this course was because I took it in the summer and therefor had a two hour class. He is pretty straight up, study every night because there are plenty of pop quizzes throughout the semester. He has good stories/examples and explains things very well. I would take him again.
Felton can be funny at times, but he is a really tough grader. Beware of his pop quizzes. He gives extra credit and acts like he's doing you a favor, but the only way to get the credit is to do well on the pop quizzes which are HARD. I'm normally an A student and this is one of the toughest classes I've taken. STUDY EVERY NIGHT! Horrible prof&class
I think some clarification needs to be made about Dr. Felton and his course. This class is not an easy one. But the way it is structured you can do well. In order to succeed in this class attendence is a must. pop quizes are a big portion of the final grade, however there is built in extra credit. Write down everything he says and study.
He may have been nice back in 2006 (surprising amount of positive reviews), but certainly has changed his ways. Pop Quizzes were purposefully given at awful times (ie. Right after or before a holiday) very rude to students when asked a question. Said students were stupid for getting a certain quiz (which were like exams) question wrong. Stay away.
Pop Quizes are 1/3 of your grade and he gives them at the worst time possible. No book or handouts, all notes. Homework isn't hard, but he give awful instructions and expects you to hear them and right them down so he doesn't have to post them on BB. Avoid if possible, this is my senior year here at CMU and he's the worst professor I've ever had.
The comments below, generally speaking, are accurate. He is tough and pop quizzes WILL catch you off guard so be ready EVERY class period. Whatever you do, don't withdraw if finance major... just push through, finance is tolerable after this, I promise. Advice: Take this class with a friend that will study material every other night with you.
If you want to gain some real knowledge take this professor. He requires you to know your stuff and you will be SOL if you don't, but it would be heavily in your favor to take Felton for any Finance class.
This guy is an expert on Finance and applying it to real world advice. Certainly worth it to take this professor.
Pop quizes are eminent so show up for EVERY class. Get engaged and don't fall behind. He makes the class very hard on purpose so prepare yourself. He is fairly good at explaining things but also gets off topic at times. Quite political and arrogant as well. If you want to get an A you will have to give it 110%. Get ready to work... hard.
Here are the few simple requirements to get an A in this class: 1. Show up to lecture, it's short and not too painful 2. Do the practice problems! You will see variations of these on quizzes 3. Look over your cumulative notes and practice problems for 30min before class This can be the easiest class you take at CMU if you put in any effort at all
Be aware of the pop quizzes they can make or break you. If you have a chance get a tutor before start the semester. Study homework, and old pop quizzes. Final is cumulative.
Taught for only the first half of the semester. Beyond that, it was solely a term paper and presenting the paper for the final 3 weeks of classes, if they weren't canceled or we didn't watch movies. On the bright side, the final was optional.
if there is a way to avoid him, do it. he sets you up to fail, doesn't give any review and everything is based off pop quizzes. no exams, only a final that is impossible.
would love this class if he taught it where it wasn't impossible
Worst Class/Prof I have taken here. I struggled all semester and continuously went to office hours for help and he said he did not know how to help me. Kind of teacher that is more focused on grades rather than learning.
Felton's class was the first one that made me feel like I was really in college. He doesn't treat students like we are too dumb to understand & has high expectations. If you pay attention, take notes, & do the homework you'll get A-B. Learned more in this class than all my other business classes combined.
Rude, not helpful, and sarcastic would be the three adjectives I would use for Dr. Felton. This class's material isn't all that difficult, but the way he presents, and tests the material is the reason students struggle in this class. It's an attitude problem with this professor, not a content problem.
He is very knowledgable in finance, however, he teaches as though he is talking to his colleagues. Instead of working through problems with the class he already has them worked out and written on the board when you get to class. No powerpoints or a book to supplement studying, only your notes from class. 6 pop quizzes, and WSJ quizzes every friday.
Felton is honestly one of the best professors ever. He's tough & you definitely need to study for every class as if there is an exam, but you really learn the material. There are pop quizzes, and a quiz on wall street journal articles every week (those are easy). He lets you know the first day of class what he expects. Do the work & you'll be fine.
Felton is a good professor. This class is really tough, and he does give out pop quizzes. The quizzes are difficult but if you study enough & make sure you understand homework and other quizzes, you'll be okay. I studied flashcards before this class everyday to help me pass.
Awful professor. Does NOT care about his students at all. He provides no help whatsoever. He truly doesn't want his students to succeed. He's rude, sarcastic, and has no enjoyment in him whatsoever. DO NOT TAKE HIM AT ALL. AVOID AT ALL COSTS.
I withdrew from this class because I received an E on the first exam. I am a very strong student with a 4.0 GPA and had never gotten an E in my life. Not only that, but 2/3 of the class also failed, after he curved it 4 points. He did not teach us anything that was on the exam as far as I could tell and it was hard to teach it all to myself.
The tests are very hard. All questions are either about a random topic he mentioned in lecture (one asked what type of vehicles he purchases) or stuff in the book that he never explained in class. If you can somehow do well on the two big projects you should be okay though. Please be warned that his lectures are horrible.
Professor Felton is a good guy and is very knowledgeable on the subject matter. His class, however, is very dull/monotone. There are no exams, only pop quizzes, and do not ask because he will not give you one. If you miss that day, you get a 0 with no make up. Paper due nearly every week and his classes last 20 minutes on average before he ends it.
This is by far the worst professor I have ever had. Is not effective in an online setting, only uses a word document for the "lectures" which he talks over the numbers instead of writing them out. Gets an attitude when students ask questions or don't understand the material. I have no idea why he's still a teacher because he clearly hates it.
Does not write material. Does not help you understand the material. Text is not related to your exams or homework. No examples in the text were given to understand assignments. Has awful office hours, and does not work with students outside that frame so if you work you will not meet him. Many students struggled and he did not care, never responded
Try to take this class with a friend or find a tutor. Study everyday for this class. Ask questions in class even though no one else will, believe me when I saw majority of the class will have the same or similar question but just doesn't want to ask. He is intimidating but do not let that stir you to not asking questions.
Professor Felton is tough and makes sure his class fails those who aren't willing to put in the work. There are 6 pop quizzes throughout the semester, and it is really unpredictable when they are, so you have to be ready at all times. Try to block off an hour before class to study so you are prepared. Final is optional, so take homework seriously.
Pop quizzes are deadly. Grade is 6 parts, 100 pts each (Pop Quiz 1-3, 4-6, Stock game, Bloomberg work, article "quizzes", and Final). Final can replace one of the other 5 if you do better. Lectures are pretty useless, examples given are poor. On tests, marks a question fully wrong for even the simplest of mistakes. Good luck, you might need it.
He is a tough professor so get ready to study. You need to attend class in person because he does not post lectures and all lectures will be through written material on the board. Make sure you write down what he is saying, not just what he is writing. Constantly study your notes because there will be multiple pop quizzes.
Dr. Felton is extremely knowledgeable about Finance. He teaches the importance of reading the Wall Street Journal and staying in the know about current events. The lectures are very interesting if you listen. Pop Quizzes are scary but if you do the practice problems between classes you will be fine. This class is a wonderful opportunity to grow.
there're pop quizzes but if you take time reviewing the lectures and practice problems before class you will do good. Many opportunity to get bonus points, you just need to spend time working on it. He brings bagels for the students on a happy day, final exam is optional. However, DO NOT SKIP ANY CLASSES, they are all important!!!!!
This class has 2 projects (budget and stock), then a few exams and weekly article quizzes. If you read the articles the quizzes are easy. The exams are really not too bad, just use study guides. Projects should not be so much of the grade. The stock game you try to predict the stock market which is impossible even for pros.
I really liked this professor, great guy, really nice and funny. This class was just not a good class for me, I really struggled but that's because I'm just really bad at finance stuff. There was a lot of math involved as well.
One of the most unapproachable people in the school imo. He is very knowledgeable but stuck in his ways of how he learned this material 40 years ago. Not a bad guy he has good stories.
6 pop quizzes! Extremely difficult, weekly article quizzes. No tests until final. He always had office hours. Extensive time and effort to get a decent grade if not already academically ahead. Good man, but unforgiving. Not flexible. Can't miss class. Lecture Heavy.
The content is not hard, but the way it was taught was very ineffective. Doesn't make good use of Blackboard, and doesn't provide content material. I liked the Stock Trak and Bloomberg terminal assignments. He is knowledgeable about finance but not a good educator. Doesn't care about the students and is unsupportive.
I thought Professor Felton was a nice guy, however not the best professor I have ever had. He talks about random topics during lectures. Weekly reading quizzes. I do not recommend getting the book, I never read a word out of it.
He is teaching for his enjoyment, not for his students. He enjoys watching his students do bad.
James Felton is by no means a bad man or someone who I could not get along with. HOWEVER, when it comes to teaching he is unforgiving and unhelpful. He refuses to repeat instructions or fill in students who missed a day even if it's university approved. On top of this, he maintains an attitude that no one tries enough. Don't have a job during class
Very forgiving professor, class is relatively easy if you show up and do the work. Study guides are almost exact copies of the exam. Majority of grade isn't even based on the actual content of the class which helps. Class never uses full time instructing. Overall easy class if you put in the little effort that is required.
Professor Felton runs a tough class, but the material is manageable if you stay on top of it. Attend all lectures, take detailed notes, and utilize resources like Unstuck AI for extra practice - it really helps. The workload is heavy, but the Bloomberg terminal and Stock Trak assignments are valuable hands-on experience.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
75%
Textbook Required
33%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.00 avg changeRatings by Course
FIN
5.0
(2)FIN495
5.0
(2)FIN425
5.0
(1)FIN332FIN315
5.0
(3)FIN455
4.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
FIN452
5.0
FINN332
5.0
201QR
5.0
315
4.3
472315
4.0