3.9

Karen Bursic

Industrial Engineering - University of Pittsburgh

3.9
Quality
2.1
Difficulty
77%
Would Retake
83
Reviews
3.9
Quality
2.1
Difficulty
3.9
Helpful
3.8
Clarity

77%

Would Retake

83

Reviews

Rating Distribution
Official
83 total ratings

5

31

4

29

3

15

2

2

1

6

What Students Say

sweetest FUPA ive ever seen

ENGR0020 - 5.0 rating

She looks like Joe Pesci

IE1040 - 5.0 rating
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

90%

Textbook Required

67%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

A+

95% confidence
Based on 30 grades
Most common grades:
A (23)
A+ (3)
A- (3)
Grade Distribution
A(26)B(1)C(0)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(3)
Based on 32 reported grades
A: 23
A+: 3
A-: 3
Not sure yet: 2
Common Tags
Clear grading criteria (10)
Participation matters (10)
EXTRA CREDIT (7)
Respected (7)
Accessible outside class (7)
Lots of homework (5)
Gives good feedback (4)
LOTS OF HOMEWORK (4)
Rating Trend

Stable

+0.04 avg change
May
Dec
May
Jun
Dec
Dec
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

ENG020

5.0

(1)

ENG0020

5.0

(1)

STATISTICS

5.0

(1)

ENGR0011AND12

5.0

(1)

ENGR0012

4.8

(4)
+10 more courses
Difficulty by Course

ENGR0012

2.5

IE1035

2.5

IE1040

2.3

ENGR1040

2.0

EE20

2.0

Reviews (82)
5.0
3.0
ENGR0020
Nov 27, 2002

Take Stats with Her. Gives lots of example Problems

3.0
1.0
ENGR0010
Nov 29, 2002

Engineering Statistics....soooo sexy with the FUPA

5.0
1.0
IE1040
Dec 1, 2002

No Comments

5.0
2.0
IE1040
Dec 2, 2002

i wanna marry her

5.0
1.0
ENGR1040
Dec 3, 2002

No Comments

4.0
2.0
EE20
Dec 4, 2002

kinda looks like Kid Rock...but, ok

5.0
1.0
ENGR0020
Dec 4, 2002

Great instructor!

5.0
2.0
IE1040
Dec 5, 2002

makes economic analysis interesting

5.0
2.0
ENG020
Dec 7, 2002

Great Teacher, explains everything, notes online

5.0
1.0
ENGR0020
Dec 7, 2002

whoooweeee, what an awesome, easy A class... Notes are online and tests rock!

5.0
1.0
ENG0020
Dec 9, 2002

many examples, easy tests, sexy breasts.

4.0
2.0
IE1040
Dec 10, 2002

No Comments

5.0
3.0
IE1040
Dec 10, 2002

good prof

5.0
2.0
IE1040
Dec 13, 2002

No Comments

1.0
1.0
ECON
Dec 13, 2002

No Comments

5.0
2.0
ENGR0020
Dec 13, 2002

Dr. Bursic is a great teacher. She _wants_ to help her students. And, yes, hot.

5.0
1.0
ENGR0020
Feb 2, 2003

sweetest FUPA ive ever seen.....

5.0
1.0
IE1040
Feb 26, 2003

She looks like Joe Pesci! Sounds like him too

5.0
1.0
IE1040
Mar 3, 2004

Great professor! Always helps, and is very nice.

4.0
1.0
ENGR0020
Aug 11, 2005

Easy Stats Professor. Gave 75 bonus pts (which will probably bring an exam up by 5 pts but hey....). Gives hw solutions with the homework assignments (just numbers). Pretty approachable but sometimes made me feel a little dumb. Exams are pretty long but not bad at all. Just got to be careful cause she'll take a good # of pts off for wrong #'s.

3.0
1.0
STATS
Sep 1, 2005

No Comments

5.0
1.0
STATISTICS
Sep 2, 2005

No Comments

3.0
3.0
ENGR0020
Mar 15, 2006

I'm sure her presentation of the material is as clear as can be, but I loathe statistics. At least she gives you a whole page (8.5x11), front-and-back to use as a formula sheet. Dresses real cute.

5.0
4.0
ENGR0012
Apr 27, 2006

She isnt hard, but the class is. She is very prepared for class and utilizes courseweb. One of the best professors in the ENGR department. Tries to be stern, but is really a nice person.

4.0
2.0
IE1040
May 3, 2006

Class got annoying big time after 3 weeks...annoying quizzes...stupid project...lectures weren't that helpful cause she ran through everything so fast...but just do the hw and you'll do fine

4.0
2.0
IE1040
May 9, 2006

quizzes and homework very helpful, annoying project and in class problems. tests pretty simple. pretty easy class if you show up and do hw. should be an easy A or B.

5.0
3.0
ENGR0011
Oct 27, 2006

Helpful, if you are lost, but wont hand feed you the answers. enjoyable class to go toand she jokes with students

4.0
2.0
IE1040
Jan 8, 2007

great prof. stupid project but notes and homework help greatly for tests. one of the nicest ppl to teach a class.

4.0
2.0
ENGR0011
Nov 13, 2007

Sometimes is confused by what she is presenting but she is a really awesome professor. The class is two hours long but after the first couple weeks the class flies by. The exams are tough but if you know the material they are fairly easy. Definitely going to take her 0012 class

4.0
3.0
ENGR0012
Jul 8, 2010

Dr. Bursic is a good professor that makes you do a lot of work on fairly easy material, but thats part of the college experience.

1.0
2.0
IE1040
Dec 22, 2010

Not helpful to students at all She is one of the worst professors at Pitt

4.0
2.0
ENGR0011
Jan 19, 2011

Good teacher, and not a bad class. I would pick her over budny unless your going into computer engineering.

5.0
1.0
ENGR0011
Apr 8, 2011

Dr. Bursic is a great teacher. She's clear and to the point, and is definitely one of the better teachers to take for ENGR 0011 or (probably, she didn't teach it this semester) ENGR0012. I'm really excited to have her again for IE1040 next semester. Tends to read through PowerPoint to explain things, but then teaches by example afterwards.

3.0
2.0
ENGR0110
Sep 22, 2011

She moves too quickly

4.0
2.0
IE1040
Dec 14, 2011

Dr. Bursic is a great professor. She teaches you what you need to know. The homework is helpful and the learning environment is interactive. She moves quickly in class, although her notes are very thorough and will help you if you miss something. A bit snappy when you ask questions, but helpful.

3.0
3.0
IE1040
Dec 17, 2011

She's a really nice lady, ok teacher. moves too quick in lectures and doesn't help too much in office hours. fairly thorough notes though. quizzes arent difficult. the class is an easy B if you do the homework.

4.0
2.0
ENGR0011
Dec 20, 2011

slightly condescending when answering questions, but overall a good professor. Go to class, use the book, and practice and you'll get an A as long as you don't mooch off your partner's work all semester.

5.0
2.0
ENGR0012
Apr 2, 2013

Very helpful teacher. Wants to help kids and likes sports

5.0
1.0
ENGR0012
May 30, 2013

She was extremely clear and gave good powerpoint notes helpful in the hw assignments.

2.0
3.0
IE1040
Nov 20, 2013

just no

1.0
3.0
IE1040
Feb 27, 2014

She is one of the worst professors at Pitt

1.0
4.0
IE1040
Apr 6, 2014

horrible lecture... completely impossible to get help from the course, which there is no TA. she doesnt give two sh!ts about teaching

5.0
2.0
ENGR0011AND12
Jun 2, 2014

Great professor. Easy To Understand. Takes time to make sure all students know what they're doing, doesn't go too fast. Assignments and tests were fairly easy. Would 100% recommend as an Engineering Analysis teacher

3.0
3.0
IE1040
Dec 10, 2014

Being taught by Bursic is a bit like being verbally assaulted, especially if it's early in the morning. Once she starts teaching be ready to take notes because she does not slow down. That being said, she's an alright teacher. She gets a little impatient sometimes but the material isn't hard and she explains it fine. Know how to use excel.

4.0
2.0
ENGR0011
Grade: A
Dec 14, 2014

Dr. Bursic lectures very well on the ENGR0011 material. It helps a lot to bring a computer to class and do the tasks as she is lecturing on them. Although she occasionally goes a bit too fast, she is very clear and helpful. Lots of grades and group work in this class, but it is very manageable. I would take a class with her again.

4.0
2.0
IE1040
Jan 13, 2015

Gave a lot of assignments, but if you complete them the quizzes and tests aren't bad. Just show up to class, do the assignments and pay attention and its relatively easy.

3.0
1.0
IE1040
Grade: A
Dec 12, 2015

talks super fast and does not slow down at all. she doesn't really teach, she just shows you what you have to do and makes you do it. gave a lot of assignments, but they're easy along with the quizzes and class in general

3.0
3.0
IE1040
Grade: A
Dec 21, 2015

If you come to class and do the homework, you should be fine. The tests are extended examples of in class notes examples. Fair grader and effective at time management

4.0
3.0
IE1040
Dec 10, 2016
Would take again

Dr. Bursic is great. Sometimes, she isn't that great at teaching because she moves fast, but if you ask her specifically about a topic she can easily clarify it. Also very funny.

Gives good feedback
LOTS OF HOMEWORK
GROUP PROJECTS
5.0
2.0
ENGR0011
Grade: A
Dec 19, 2016
Would take again

Love Dr. Bursic! She makes it super easy to learn everything. She'll often show her code and the output and go through it step by step so that you understand where everything is coming from which is helpful if you don't have much experience with HTML/JavaScript. She offers lots of in-class extra credit as well. Highly recommend for ENGR 0011!

Clear grading criteria
Caring
EXTRA CREDIT
4.0
3.0
IE1040
Grade: A
Dec 23, 2016
Would take again

Bursic is a pretty solid professor. Had her for engineering computing and ie1040, both pretty easy a's if you do the homework. Sometimes can move a little too fast, but if you study the homework for the tests you'll do fine.

EXTRA CREDIT
5.0
3.0
IE1040
Grade: A
Apr 7, 2017
Would take again

Dr. Bursic is a great professor. I had her for ENGR 11/12 and have never had difficulties with her as a prof. The class is not all that difficult, but Dr. Bursic makes the course especially easy to understand. If you do the homework and understand what you're doing, you should get As on the exams.

Respected
ACCESSIBLE OUTSIDE CLASS
Clear grading criteria
5.0
2.0
ENGR0020
Grade: A
May 18, 2017
Would take again

Dr. Bursic was great. Very straightforward, easy, and useful class. She used clicker questions in class which were very helpful, and good practice for the quizzes (which were also taken by clicker). Really enjoyed her and this class, would take again.

Respected
Participation matters
Clear grading criteria
4.0
2.0
IE1040
Dec 8, 2017
Would take again

Lots of hw points/quizzes/in class points

Clear grading criteria
Would take again
4.0
3.0
IE1040
Jan 1, 2018
Would take again

Dr. Bursic gives clear and well organized class notes and assignments. Do the work and the tests won't be hard. She is really nice and helpful . The topics covered are useful and relevant to my other coursework. Overall I'm very happy I took this class.

Tests? Not many
EXTRA CREDIT
Would take again
3.0
3.0
IE1040
Grade: Not sure yet
Apr 16, 2018
Wouldn't take again

Not a bad teacher, but the amount of homework she assigns is a little absurd. She also goes way too fast and i end up just teaching myself with the textbook

Get ready to read
LOTS OF HOMEWORK
3.0
3.0
IE1040
Nov 20, 2018
Wouldn't take again

Dr. Bursic teaches very fast in class. Be prepared to go over parts of the slides by yourself. Overall, she is an effective teacher, but hands out some tough homework. The quizzes are not very difficult if you do the homework.

Skip class? You won't pass.
LOTS OF HOMEWORK
3.0
2.0
IE1040
Grade: A+
Jan 14, 2019
Wouldn't take again

Luckily she allows you to print out the notes because she flies through content. If you study and do the homework, the class is not bad.

Tough Grader
LOTS OF HOMEWORK
1.0
2.0
IE1040
Grade: A
Oct 30, 2020
Wouldn't take again

Material is very easy, thankfully, because she speeds through lectures, says she receives that same critic every semester, yet doesn't slow down. Refuses to hold herself accountable for all 3 of her sections doing equally poorly.

1.0
2.0
IE1040
Grade: A-
Oct 30, 2020
Wouldn't take again

Dr. Bursic has not adapted well to online lectures, and by that i mean she refuses to adapt at all. I have not taken her for in person classes, however I absolutely would not take her online. She actually gets angry if students ask questions during lectures because she attempts to cover too much material in too little time. 0/10.

5.0
3.0
IE1040
Dec 5, 2020
Would take again

Dr. Bursic is an amazing professor who really cares about her students. Concepts are a bit confusing but she really does a good job helping out anyone who is struggling. Wants everyone to do well in the class. Dr. Bursic deserves the world for being such a great professor. If you are in IE, try to get her as an advisor too--she's very helpful.

Gives good feedback
Respected
Accessible outside class
4.0
2.0
IE1040
Grade: A
Dec 9, 2020
Would take again

Dr. Bursic struggled a bit with online learning, but constantly was open for feedback from students. The material was straightforward but I found myself having holes in my notes because she goes insanely fast during lecture, something that will probably never change with her. Shes an organized person and responded to my emails fast.

Lots of homework
Accessible outside class
4.0
3.0
IE1040
Grade: A
Feb 11, 2021
Would take again

Homework and exams were very straightforward, anything we were expected to do we learned in class. She does move pretty fast in lectures so it can be hard to keep up. Super nice and wants students to succeed.

Gives good feedback
Respected
Clear grading criteria
4.0
2.0
IE1040
Grade: A
Dec 19, 2021
Would take again

Professor Bursic always very clear explaining different topics in class, and didn't get annoyed if students asked questions in class. I always emailed her about homework, and she would respond to my emails immediately with clear answers. She went really fast in class sometimes, so collaborating with the people around you in class is important.

Gives good feedback
Respected
Accessible outside class
3.0
3.0
IE1040
Grade: A
Jan 6, 2022
Would take again

Bursic goes really quickly during class so I'd suggest getting the notes ahead of class. She was a nice lady but had an uncanny ability to make me feel bad when I asked questions. Exams were open note and pretty similar to the hw and in class problems. She does top hat questions during class

Accessible outside class
Participation matters
Clear grading criteria
5.0
3.0
IE1035
Grade: A-
Apr 29, 2022
Would take again

She was a good lecturer who was very organized. Graded tough but fair

Participation matters
Group projects
4.0
2.0
IE1035
Grade: A
Nov 22, 2022
Would take again

class not too bad, need to go, lots of mini papers but all graded easily.

Group projects
So many papers
Respected
4.0
1.0
IE1040
Grade: A+
Dec 21, 2022
Would take again

Pros: Caring Interactive lectures HW/exams are very easy Posts sample Excel sheets + annotated slides Grades very fairly Cons: Occasionally struggles to explain things in more than 1 way if people don't get it Participation assignment in every lecture Conclusion: She's a good professor teaching a very easy course. Avoid the 8am section.

Participation matters
Clear grading criteria
Caring
4.0
3.0
IE1040
Grade: B
Jan 10, 2023
Would take again

She was a great professor for IE1040. As a Civil Engineering student, I found the class quite boring but Dr. Bursic was still a great professor. Exams aren't too hard and are open note.

Amazing lectures
Respected
Test heavy
4.0
2.0
IE1035
Grade: A
May 12, 2023
Would take again

The course material was not very difficult. She made it interactive and tied concepts from class to real-world examples and case studies. I really appreciated that she gave us lots of time in class to work on the group project. Her tests were also very fair and she would always review the concepts for the exam during the class before it.

Participation matters
Group projects
4.0
2.0
IE1040
Grade: A
Dec 18, 2023
Would take again

Bursic is very knowledgable about Economics and will help you when needed. This class is fairly easy, and she makes the quizzes and exams fair. The homework takes a lot of time, but the course overall was good. I would take again.

EXTRA CREDIT
Lots of homework
4.0
2.0
IE1040
Grade: A
Dec 23, 2023
Would take again

This class was not hard to get a good grade in- she gives most of the homework answers in class (and they aren't graded very hard) and exams are open note. I didn't always understand everything covered in class but it wasn't really that hard to figure it out outside of class. There are in-class tophat questions so it will hurt you if you skip.

Participation matters
5.0
3.0
IE1035
Grade: A
May 8, 2024
Would take again

Dr. Bursic is a very caring but direct professor. She can sometimes come off as harsh but is actually very kind, respectful, and knowledgeable. Very organized and clear directions for every assignment and project. Participation is graded and the last third of the class is all a group project.

Participation matters
Group projects
Accessible outside class
4.0
3.0
ENGR1040
Grade: A
Jun 23, 2024
Would take again

I went into this class hearing that many people did not like it. However, the hardest part was the class time at 8am. I would say that you definitely need to go to every lecture in order to do well. It's too hard to make up classes. There are weekly quizzes that are pretty straight forward. Make sure you can follow along in class and ask for help.

Participation matters
Clear grading criteria
Lots of homework
2.0
3.0
IE1040
Grade: Not sure yet
Dec 16, 2024

She did not have to be doing all that at 8 in the morning. Talks to you like you're stupid when you ask for help. Went extremely fast during lectures. Tests are open note but if you got a problem wrong she would not give any partial credit cause her grading criteria is wack. I dreaded going to class and usually I'm fine with anything, just not her.

Tough grader
Lots of homework
Lecture heavy
3.0
2.0
IE1040
Grade: A
Dec 19, 2024

Dr Bursic is a decent professor, I think her lectures are a little too fast sometimes, but the material of the class is very easy and if you have any issues or problems, she is generally understanding and available to help out. Overall decent class, lectures can be a little boring sometimes though, prepare to occasionally fall asleep.

Participation matters
Lots of homework
4.0
1.0
IE1040
Grade: A
Dec 20, 2024
Would take again

Dr. Bursic was great! TopHat every class, so make sure you go. All tests are open note, and the final wasn't cumulative. She is very good at explaining the topics and answering questions. Sometimes she came over with a little bit of a condescending tone, but it was 8 am. Make sure you know how to use excel and goalseek. Makes life so much easier.

Participation matters
Clear grading criteria
Caring
5.0
2.0
IE1040
Grade: A+
Dec 20, 2024
Would take again

Dr. Bursic is one of my favorite professors I've ever had at Pitt. She is very direct and organized. She may come off as harsh at times, but I genuinely think she cares about her students. Exams were very fair, and the practice exams were helpful. Would definitely recommend her!

EXTRA CREDIT
Caring
Accessible outside class
4.0
2.0
IE1040
Grade: A
Dec 21, 2024
Would take again

Pretty good lecturer, the course wasn't too interesting but definitely helped my Excel skills. There's homework and a quiz almost every week, but these aren't too hard. Definitely make sure you go to every lecture to get Top Hat credit, and because I found it hard to teach the material to myself.

5.0
2.0
IE1040
Grade: A
Dec 23, 2024
Would take again

Quizzes and exams are not hard as long as you stay organized with the material. Quizzes and HW are critical as they are 50% of the final grade, so make sure to get full credit for that.

EXTRA CREDIT
Clear grading criteria
Accessible outside class
3.0
3.0
IE1040
Grade: A
Dec 17, 2025

The course was overall well taught, and the professor clearly knew the material well. Lectures could feel fast at times, and she occasionally seemed frustrated, but she is very lenient with grading and will raise a B to an A. Attendance and participation matter a lot, and if she sees you show up and engage, you are very likely to earn an A.

EXTRA CREDIT
3.0
2.0
IE1040
Grade: A-
Dec 18, 2025
Would take again

The class is fairly straightforward, so as long as you go to lectures and do the homework, you will be fine. She does not have mandatory attendance, but she uses attendance for potential extra credit if needed. You can tell that she is ready for retirement, but she still puts in a good effort.

Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

90%

Textbook Required

67%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

A+

95% confidence
Based on 30 grades
Most common grades:
A (23)
A+ (3)
A- (3)
Grade Distribution
A(26)B(1)C(0)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(3)
Based on 32 reported grades
A: 23
A+: 3
A-: 3
Not sure yet: 2
Common Tags
Clear grading criteria (10)
Participation matters (10)
EXTRA CREDIT (7)
Respected (7)
Accessible outside class (7)
Lots of homework (5)
Gives good feedback (4)
LOTS OF HOMEWORK (4)
Rating Trend

Stable

+0.04 avg change
May
Dec
May
Jun
Dec
Dec
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

ENG020

5.0

(1)

ENG0020

5.0

(1)

STATISTICS

5.0

(1)

ENGR0011AND12

5.0

(1)

ENGR0012

4.8

(4)
+10 more courses
Difficulty by Course

ENGR0012

2.5

IE1035

2.5

IE1040

2.3

ENGR1040

2.0

EE20

2.0

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