Professor mendieta is pretty easy going. Since he is actively on the field he has the ability to share his war stories and insights which is pretty useful when a student like me is starting. Teaching wise he is pretty knowledgeable, caring and patient. He is pretty responsive as well. I will take him again.

I chose the "lots of homework" tag because at my level homework did take a lot of time. Pretty much all the time was quite useful and I don't feel the homework was in excess. I learned a lot from Professor Mendieta. He shows good examples and the lectures really help steer you in the right direction. All in all, great class and teacher.

Professor Mendeita's CYBV454 course on malware analysis was a very informative course. What's great about his course is that our assignments are practical. The labs that are provided in our class apply in the cyber field. Overall Professor Mendeita was an outgoing and great teacher to work with!

The professor is very knowledgeable, including real world experience in his lectures. He cares about the success of his students. No question is a bad one. Fosters an environment of open communication. He protects the privacy of students by taking extra time after lectures. The course was lab heavy, but it gives you a good idea of the field.

The instructor was one of the best, had I not had as knowledgeable of a teacher - I wouldn't of even dived deep enough to have learned the material. The instructor is knowledgeable (beyond what is expected for this class), but the homework assignments encompassed too much time for a online class for working professionals. Everything else - GREAT!

What strikes me most about Professor Mendeita is his working knowledge of malware analysis, and it is great to have a professor who has such a passion for his work and the desire to pass along as much knowledge as possible. Some labs took a very long time to complete, but he ensured we had the tools to succeed.

Professor Mendieta is extremely knowledgeable on the subject matter. He made taking a ridiculously tough class bearable. Really learned a lot from him, and would take the class again

Very helpful despite being in a online setting, I most definitely would take his class again.

Professor Mendieta is very knowledgeable and passionate, but more importantly, cares a lot about his students. The homework can get pretty tough, but the professor is always there to help, with great feedback and assistance, and actually prepares you for the profession.

the first 2 weeks are tough. you have to attend to the live lecture. if you have questions, he will help you!

This is an online course and you will be drinking from a fire hose from day one. Grading is tough but fair, he will explain in great detail what it is you missed every single point for. Pro: Very knowledgeable Open dialog with students (email, forum, online lectures) Con: Online course Monotone voice (Only negative for instructor)

This class was one of the hardest classes I have enrolled in. The course itself is very tough and there is so much information to digest as you go through the chapters and do the labs. Professor Mendieta is very knowledgeable and always provides very good feedback during the course and is available to answer question you might not understand.

This class is very difficult due to the subject matter. Prof Mendieta is exceptional and has a lot of knowledge. Its best to attend the lectures. They are really long with no breaks, which is very hard to get used to, and pay attention to, considering the subject matter, but he is always there to help explain what he's teaching & the assignments.

Difficult class, but very good instructor! Makes the class bearable and is very knowledgeable. The course is intimidating during the first weeks, but it gets easier since there is plenty of time to practice. Very hands-on class with many labs, and very little tests/quizzes.

Professor Mendieta made dry and difficult material easier to handle. He was always available to assist with homework difficulty or to clear up confusing topics. Usually responded within 24 hours.

Good teacher. provides detailed feedback on assignments turned in. very difficult class, would still recommend

Amazing professor! Highly recommended, easy class if you study

Great Professor, as long as you put in the work you'll be fine. He is always available through email (quick response) , and have the opportunity to ask questions during live lectures.

Prof. Mendieta is wonderful with all of the work he puts in to help you be successful. While it is not mandatory to attend the live lectures, you will do much better if you attend. You also need to ask questions and come prepared. The amount of work you put in each week is a lot, but it is worth it. The Prof. is also wonderful about feedback!

His lectures are pretty helpful, especially if you participate in them live because then you can ask him your own questions. The labs aren't hard but they are time consuming so don't wait until the last minute to start them. I speak from experience on that one.

Professor Mendieta is a good professor. This class is hard but if you attend class and ask question the class becomes easier. Make sure to check the dead line for each assignment sometime he changes due dates and do not wait to last minute to start you lab work because it is a lot of work and you wont be able to finish it.

Grading can be tough until you really know what he's looking for. The lectures are not mandatory, but they definitely help. The course covers a wide range of material, but it is spaced out pretty well so it isn't overwhelming. Prof Mendieta is great about answering questions though, and provides excellent, very detailed feedback.

Professor Mendieta is EXTREMELY knowledgeable regarding malware analysis. He is tough and grades tough, but if you put in the work you'll do alright. The class says knowledge of computer programming isn't required, but it is. Professor Mendieta would be the first to tell you that as well. He wants each student to succeed.

Lab work takes a lot of time, but is doable without serious issue as it comes straight from the book, where answers are provided. The lectures were extremely dry which is to be expected. Be prepared to wait while the professor attempts to "figure out" what is going on during the demos.

Professor Mendieta is a SME in this field and shares his passion with his students. Attend all of the lectures - he does walk throughs that are great to watch later if you need help while you do the lab. If you ever get stuck, refer to the book. He gives great feedback and wants you to learn. I wish Professor Mendieta taught other classes.

Prof Mendieta is passionate about his job and sharing his knowledge with his students. He does take all the time you need if you ever have a question and will break down complex problems into a level that is easier to digest. The trick is to ask lots of questions and make sure you understand it so you don't struggle with the labs.

Professor Mendieta does great work. The material he teaches is definitely difficult, requiring lots of reading and long lectures to fully grasp - but that's not his fault. He made difficult material accessible and showed me that I was capable of doing well in a very challenging field with the right guidance. Overall, great instructor.

Very enthusiastic and knowledgable on the topic. Is willing to help and spend time with you when you do not understand. Very enjoyable class and instructor. Will take again if he has a class I need.

While attendance in the online lectures is not mandatory, you need to, at the very least, watch them later. Professor Mendieta likes to do lab walkthroughs after the lecture that can provide valuable knowledge and insight into how to complete the assignments. He is very approachable and willing to stay after lecture for additional questions.

Prof Mendieta was great. The material was dang tough but he always was willing to go the extra mile to explain something if you didn't understand. The live demos during lecture were very helpful, the labs would have been much tougher without that. If this weren't my final semester I would definitely take another class from him!

Professor Mendieta certainly knows his stuff. He has very high expectations for his students. If you fall behind in this course you will not last long and if you know nothing about malware code beforehand you will have a really rough time. Asking questions is key.

I took Prof. Mendieta's class online and he gives great lectures. He provides examples on the lectures for tools being used in labs, so if you have questions, you can always go back and review. My only confusion was on the grading, there isn't a clear rubric for the labs.

You will work hard but learn alot.

He gives you very good feedback for your homework.

Professor Mendieta does an exceptional job of teaching a subject matter that's pretty intense. Unfortunately the grading criteria for the labs isn't fully laid out and it'll take a couple to understand what he's asking of you. The lectures are absolutely necessary to pass the class because the professor does demonstrations.

Lots of live demo showing HOW instead of just talking about it the entire time, which is great. For this subject matter of malware analysis I don't think you could get a better instructor. You have to work hard to learn this deep subject, and Mendieta is very knowledgable and shows how it's done. Makes you work for it, but you really learn it.

CYBV 454 at the U of A was a difficult class because of the content. Prof Mendieta requires you to be thorough in your analysis and treats your work as if you were a real malware analyst. This can be intimidating, but it gets you in the habit of consistently delivering high quality work. Grading is tough, as he expects evidence with your answers.

Expected a lot out of you but in a fair way.

Class was tough which is to be expected, got a really poor grade on one of the assignments and had to really pay close attention to the following lectures to understand what standard the professor was looking for. My only issue with the class is that the professor's expected standard for the assignments are not clearly expressed.

This is a tough class, but one of the best classes provided in the cyber curriculum. The assignments do take considerable time to complete, but Professor Mendieta provided great feedback and answered all of my extra questions regarding both the content of the assignment as well as the industry practices. I would happily take another class with him!

Great class. Prepare to put in many hours for each lab assignment. Although, some of the content can be non-intuitive, professor Mendieta helps make it clear if you ask him. Go all out on the first assignment because that is where he will give you most of the constructive feedback for future labs.

I loved how hard the class pushed me. It was the hardest class I have ever taken. I think that there should be a class that you could take before this one to help make it less difficult.

I've never had a professor give so much feedback on assignments before. The labs can be difficult, require a lot of effort, and are very time consuming. But, he puts the same amount of effort and time into providing feedback and answering questions, which I greatly appreciated. He is very knowledgeable in this area and brings industry experience.

Outstanding attention to detail when grading that rewards equal attention to detail by the student on assignments.

This was a great, challenging and difficult course. Instructor was available after course to assist and provided useful and encouraging assistance. He let us know that he structured the course how it would be in the field. Although course was tough. I enjoyed the labs minus the reports :-). Great Instructor.

The class assignments are mainly labs from the book that he provides and you just need to be as thorough as possible with them to get a good grade. It's fairly difficult but if you put in time and effort, you would be fine. He's very helpful and caring about how well you do in the class and he gives great specific feedback which can be very helpful

Prof Mendieta is extremely knowledgeable and really strives for everyone to succeed. The course is primarily completed with hands-on labs, but it can be a lot to keep up with. This is probably one of the toughest courses I have taken, but Prof Mendieta gives feedback that will guide his expectations in the future. Study and don't fall behind.

This is class can be easier if you start your labs earlier and practice ahead of time so that you can understand it. The lectures are very straight forward and go over what you need to know to complete the labs. The labs are lengthy becomes easier when you understand them.

Course material is difficult to teach/learn, Professor Mendieta does a good job of explaining things. Homework is difficult, and makes up a big portion of the final grade. My only recommendation would be for the initial example of what is to be expected out of assignments be a little more clear.

This professor has some of the hardest labs I have ever had to do. You will learn a lot from this class, but it will not be easy to get a good grade if you're not willing to put in 8-12 hours of work on each lab. The professor knows his stuff. I recommend it to anyone that wants to be challenged.

The class is intense on report writing and getting the details correct. It is worth it. I applied the knowledge I learned while in the course to incidents on a network and was able to actively participate and assist the defensive team in securing the domain.

Professor Mendieta is awesome!. This course is fully hands-on with some lectures. I highly recommend this course to those who would like to succeed as malware analysts. The feedback provided in this course is excellent and very helpful. I am looking forward to other courses in the future taught by Professor Mendieta.

Very knowledgeable professor. The assignments are great and the professor expects you to perform like you were already working in the field. The assignments can be unclear, so make sure to report everything. Each assignment was about 20-30 pages long (10-15 hours of work a week).

DO THE LABS BY THE RUBRIC!!! The assignments are a lot easier if you complete the questions by what he wants specifically, instead of what the book wants. Good instructor, helped me with some malware outside of class that showed up at work.

Outstand instructor. For someone who does not know assembly, he did awesome in helping with the understanding. If you do not follow his line of instructions and follow the rubric he lays out, you will have a hard time. If you have questions about the work, screenshot it so he can better help you. Really enjoyed the class and learning something new.

Professor Mendieta is very knowledgeable and active in the malware analysis field, he gives very detailed feedback and covers everything in the lecture, be prepared to spend a lot of time doing hands on lab, its tough but fun.

This is not a bird course! Do not get behind! prepare to spend 15-20 hours a week on the labs. Prof will force you to learn and you'll be better for it! Easily, one of the hardest classes i have ever taken, but I am already using skills that he has taught in his lectures.

Tough grader- look at the rubric before you post any assignments.

Assignments get more involved as the semester goes on - don't leave them to the last minute or else you'll spend all day doing them! The professor gives excellent feedback, but it's often received too late to apply it to the upcoming assignment. Either attend the lectures or listen to the recordings, or else you'll fail assignments regularly.

If you slack off, you probably won't pass this class. The assignments are time-consuming, but in a way that does not involve busy-work. Instead, you are learning new skills and applying them straight away, in a way that leaves you feeling rewarded for how much effort you put in. Feedback helps to steer you in the right direction.

Very challenging course that is heavily focused on application which is extremely valuable. My understanding of the subject matter greatly improved due to this course. The labs are intense and the professor ensures you hit every target to achieve a good grade.

My most intense class this semester, but also the class I learned the most in. A tough yet fair grader who gives back feedback that helps you know what you need to do to improve your grade on the next assignment. Few quizzes/tests. Many assignments that help you learn how to apply the materials taught in class. Overall a great class.

He can be a little slow when it comes to grading, but once he finishes the feedback is quite thorough. Also, as someone else mentioned, the rubrics can be confusing. One assignment said to use a specific program, I couldn't figure it out so I just didn't do that part, and yet I still got full points.

The labs are tough but you learn a lot. The professor's feedback is specific and has great detail.

Super hard class and I know a lot of this stuff already. The grading criteria is what makes it hard. You really gotta present things in a specific manner otherwise you wont get the points.

Ask questions. Ask questions. ASK QUESTIONS. There is no such thing as a stupid question. Luis will answer anything. The class starts off very hard, but gets easier overtime if you dedicate to your studies.

The toughest class I've taken for this program by far. Came into the class with a basic understanding of ASM and left feeling comfortable looking at binaries and Windows OS. The lectures are not mandatory, attempt the labs without watching at your own risk. Reading and research heavy class with the best grading rubrics. Clear expectations.

Great instructor glad I took this class!

He is firm, yet fair. He expects you to do assignments as if you were doing malware analyis in a real live environment. The expectations are high, but if you do the work you are guaranteed to receive an "A". Be sure to watch his live lectures, if you do not make it to class. Full detailed Static and Dynamic Analysis is manditory. Great Teacher!!!

Prof Mendieta uses "Practical Malware Analysis" from No Starch Press to teach you a malware analyst's basic skills. He's a caring professor, genuinely interested in helping his students learn. He currently works in industry as a malware analyst which is one of the best things he brings to the table in this course.

I have to say, this was the most difficult class I have taken in my college career, however, it was also one of my favorites. The things people are saying are true: the labs take a lot of time and a lot of focus. Give yourself that time. Prof Mendieta demands a lot from you, but if you rises to the challenge, you will be rewarded.

Professor Mendieta provides you with all the tools you need to succeed, but his class, the assignments, and his grading style is no joke. Be prepared to start assignments early, ask a lot of questions, and consult the grading rubric! Mendieta is super consistent, so once you find your groove, you won't have any troubles.

This is not a class where you can slack off an expect to make up for it later. The course is built almost entirely on practical exercises and your ability to communicate clearly what you've learned in so doing. Read the material, participate in lectures, and you'll do fine. DO NOT put off homework to the last minute, or even the last day. Enjoy!

Hard freaking class but you learn what you need to know to be successful. He forces the material in your head with an extremely rigid grading regime. FOLLOW THE RUBRIC!!

His lectures are long and a bit slow but HIGHLY informative. He tries to avoid boring slides and focuses on hand-on examples that will be helpful during the assignments. He starts off by being a tough grader but eases down the last few assignments. He responds quickly to emails and give great feedback if you missed something in the analysis.

This class is a lot of work, but it is really interesting and this professor makes it easy to communicate. He is a tough grader, but if you follow the rubrics and assignment requirements it will go just fine. Would take Professor Mendieta again!!

Be prepared to work hard. You'll learn new tools about malware analysis and how Windows operates at a low level. Prof. Mendieta provides everything you'll need in lectures and reading, and will always give constructive feedback on your assignments.

This class is not easy, but when the professor says it gets easier halfway through it does. Be prepared to spend a significant amount of time on homework. Follow the rubric. The homework is tough but rewarding and even enjoyable at times because it solidifies the skills learned in class. Don't be afraid to ask questions he is very knowledgeable.

Mendieta is a great teacher, but this is a hard course. You need to be on top of this course and its material every day or you won't do well.

In order to succeed in this course, one must really put in the work required by Professor Mendieta. He may come off as a tough grader, but as long as you follow the rubric, he gives you the outline and what he looks for in the corresponding lab assignments. If you feel stuck, ASK! He will gladly help you. Although it was hard, I gained a lot.

Professor Mendieta is a good teacher that provides the tools to succeed in his class. His lectures are very informative, and his assignments are rigorous. As long as you follow his instructions you should be able to get good a grade for each assignment. If you do work and take his class, be PREPARED to put in the hours for it.

Very homework heavy, but if you read the required chapters and start homework EARLY to ask questions throughout the week, you should be able to get good grades. Definitely need good time management!! The powerpoints and lectures and very detailed and informative. Don't wait until last minute to start homework

Luis Mendita teaches the material well, but his malware classes are very project heavy. Many hours are necessary to understand the material.

Very nice professor, just a lot is expected for homework.

While Mendieta is a stern grader this is necessary, the skills utilized in this class are necessary foundational skills to succeed in the workforce. A rubric is provided to have an exact understanding of the requirements. Fallow the feedback for the assignments it is exceedingly useful. Proper time provisioning is paramount for success in class.