I found the class environment to be the most challenging part of this course! There was not much time to be asl questions and get feedbacm throughout the course. It was very much lecture, turn in homework/project, and receive a grade. For context, I interned at Wintrust last summer and even my boss would give feedback before I turn something in!

I wanted to take this class to learn more about Commercial Banking and get technical prep. I found the class culture to be very toxic to non Keeley students. I have an internship at a bank next summer and am all set with that but still felt pushed to join the academy. The professor wants Keeley kids only in this course. If you're not, don't join!

I emailed him three times throughout the quarter about important things (homework, final exam) and each time he never emailed me back. Ridiculous if you ask me. Also, be weary of the final, it's only about 12 questions and only the final answers count. There's no "show your work" component so if you're off by a decimal point, tough luck

I took FIN 324 in-person with this professor. All of the in-class tests are written by him and are completely different from the lectures and homework. The tests are open note and still the class average was bad. Class is waste of time. He's here to mold you into what he thinks a good DePaul banker is more than be a mentor/ professor!!!

The concept of this class is good just the execution is bad. This professor forgets that's we are in college to learn. Rather than helping students who need help

Professor Essenburg's classes does not suit most students including myself a 4.0 student. I was seeking an open learning environment. His teaching style feels more like constant critique than guidance, making it difficult to engage fully. If you value collaborative and supportive instruction, you may find this class discouraging and hawkish

Martin Essenburg is the worst professor I've had. He's unorganized, unresponsive, and his lectures are unclear. He expects you to teach yourself and grades harshly with no clear feedback. His class feels like a punishment rather than a learning experience. Avoid at all costs!

Lecture slides were unclear and you had to spend A LOT of time outside of class to figure out things for the exams. the entire class grade is based on exams & project so it is high stakes. He is not very approachable and was not accommodating at all when I had an extreme and unexpected family circumstance come up for an exam

This class was extremely insightful and professor essenburg is very knowledgeable around the space. I found the class material to be beyond what is normal for a 300 level class and not much time to ask questions. Ok overall

I took the SEI prep course over the intercession. I found the material to be very unmanageable and professor Essenburg does not shift timelines should something come up. Course is graded by very few assignments and expect to take 25 hours per assignment. I do not recommend if you work a job or have other priorities over the class

I took this course over the winter intercession. Mostly underclassmen take this course. I wish the course branched out into overall professional development rather than focus IB, CB, and Wealth/Equity. Course was much of sit and listen to lecture. 1 day turn around for homework with no flexibility and needs to fit the rubric exactly to get an A

Course consists of lectures, midterm, final, and final presentation. There is no time between these assignments to get feedback from the professor. Items are grade to "industry level" as he mentions. I found this difficult while managing other courses and a full-time job. Groups are assigned randomly and you cannot make switches should someone drop

I took the SIE class with my Keeley cohort, the only issue was that the content requires about 40 hours a week of studying time. This was not made clear beforehand. Even having worked at Plante Moran for 2 summers, I have never had a workload as tough as this course. Your grade is entirely dependent on your grade on the SIE, very much make or break

This course consisted on long lectures, midterm, final and final pitch. There was not anytime to get feedback on the content for the final pitch. The class requires about 40 hours of work a week. I don't recommend if you are working a job or doing leadership in a club. Professor grades to a very strict rubric and does not deviate from it

The course content has potential, but it felt disorganized, and feedback on assignments was vague. Some activities didn't seem relevant to real-world career needs. Clearer guidance, more practical examples, and focused discussions on career paths would make this class more impactful.

Professor Essenburg's banking and credit analysis class lacked structure, with unclear expectations and minimal practical application. Feedback on assignments was vague, making improvement difficult. Incorporating real-world examples, clearer guidelines, and more engagement would enhance the learning experience.

Professor Martin Essenburg's FIN 313 class is extremely disappointing. The lack of professionalism and support from the faculty is disheartening. The environment feels unwelcoming, and the teaching approach leaves students feeling unsupported. Overall, the class and atmosphere are demotivating and do little to foster a positive learning experience

Took this class flex, and he isn't a good online teacher. Grades harshly and provides very little help. Not approachable—if you ask about grades or the extra credit he mentions, he's dismissive and condescending. Wouldn't recommend if you're looking for support or clarity.

FIN 398 has incredibly tight timelines with no flexibility. I had a family funeral and asked to reschedule the final, but he refused and flunked me. There's zero understanding for personal emergencies, and the workload is overwhelming. Wouldn't recommend if you value compassion or reasonable deadlines

Took FIN 324 and failed after missing one group meeting because I had to pick up shifts at work to cover my bills. He doesn't care about students who have jobs or other responsibilities. If you're working while in school, don't expect any flexibility—he's super strict and doesn't try to understand.

He rushes through lectures, making it hard to keep up, and is often condescending when students ask questions. Be prepared to do a lot of self-studying to succeed. Avoid taking his class if possible!

Martin Essenburg's FIN 313 class was disappointing. He made dismissive and inappropriate comments about DEI, creating an uncomfortable environment. Lectures were rushed, and he wasn't approachable for questions. Be prepared for self-teaching if you take his class.

Completely disorganized all semester. Assigned excessive writing but didn't grade half of it. We had to contact the department head to address the issue. In the end, the final determined our entire grade because he couldn't keep up with the work he assigned. Would not recommend.

I had difficulty following along in FIN 313 at times. The class wasn't very structured, so I had to re-learn much of the material on my own. However, Prof. Essenburg doesn't provide constructive feedback, and his attempts at engagement often miss the mark. Be prepared for a lot of independent study.

As a high-achieving student with multiple academic honors, FIN 398 SIE was the most frustrating and poorly structured class I've ever taken. The curriculum is confusing, and even after re-reading the text multiple times, it could take an hour to finish just three questions. Absolutely ridiculous and not worth the stress!!!

By far one of the worst professors I've ever had. Overly strict grader, gives intentionally confusing questions, frequently goes on irrelevant personal tangents, gatekeeps, is socially unaware, wastes class time, and is generally careless and unfriendly. Avoid him for FIN 250 if you can

FIN 250 with Martin Essenburg is awful. There's an excessive amount of homework that counts for nothing. He spends more time teaching irrelevant finance theories instead of focusing on practical concepts. None of the content feels applicable to the real world. Don't waste your time.

Do not take his FIN 250 if you can. I took it flex due to my job, but it was a frustrating experience. Grading was slow, emails went unanswered, and lectures felt scattered and confusing. During Zoom calls, his responses to questions were often curt or dismissive. The only saving grace was the grade curve, but it doesn't make up for poor teaching

You would think after 3 years his teaching style would improve. Not at all. Still confusing. His homework does not apply to his lessons. It is useless to come to his class, because his lessons do not work. Just teach yourself this semester with the book and pay extra for a tutor. It is the only way to pass his class.

Avoid taking Martin Essenburg's FIN 398 SIE prep course. He assigns an absurd 30+ hours of work for a single class, which is completely unreasonable. On top of that, he made inappropriate and offensive comments about Black people needing DEI for job opportunities. The workload and disrespectful remarks made this class an awful experience

Absolutely the worst professor. Don't ask any questions in his class, or get ready to be yelled at you. He can get easily offended for anything. Not very clear in presenting the material, and intentionally makes it very confusing for students to understand.

Do not take this, he is extremely strict and demanding. Not really a nice person to speak with, and marks you absent if you show up 10 minutes late to class. Quizzes every week based on the long modules. Plus midterm, final SIE test and a final exam. Tests were difficultly worded even if you read the modules. Take another class for your sake

I found the workload in this class to be beyond manageable. I took it over the intercession and it felt like I was taking 6 classes. I took time off work just to focus on his course. The professor was unwilling to budge deadlines despite my outside commitment. He also did not offer any office hours to help with the study materials

I took Banking & Credit FIN 324. I love finance, however, Martin's teaching made me strongly dislike this class and the content. He looks at the screen and almost talks to himself without actually interacting with the students. No questions are asked because he does not encourage them nor does he encourage a stimulating learning environment.

His instructions were unclear throughout the semester. He would say refer back to the syllabus but constantly changed due Dates and when asked he would still say go back to the syllabus even though the dates no longer matched. At the end of the intercession there were only 2 grades in the grade book. He was a horrible professor and not helpful.

VERY BAD, hope you enjoy learning on your on from the bookinternet. This guy does no teaching in class. He just reads from a power point copied from the textbook. The in class examples, that he just reads from like you understand what he is talking about, are impossible to follow. The best teachers I had teached the process of solving problems.

Worst professor I've taken in my entire academic career. Extremely unfunny, uncharismatic, uncaring. He makes up RateMyProfessor reviews because he knows how much students hate him. Not sure how he hasn't been fired yet but vote with your wallet and avoid him at all costs

Martin Essenburg's SIE class was frustrating. He tries to tie random concepts to finance but ends up making everything more confusing. Attendance and participation are mandatory, yet neither add much value. The workload is overwhelming, and the material is poorly structured. Even with effort, it's hard to enjoy or learn effectively in this class.

Avoid Martin Essenburg's FIN 313. He made racist comments about DEI and dismissed a student's concerns about balancing work and class, saying it's a “work-life choice.” Lectures often don't align with the tests or projects, making it difficult to succeed. Not a supportive or well-structured class. An online Wall Street Prep course will teach more

Martin Essenburg's FIN 250 is overly reading and assignment-heavy without much payoff. The workload feels excessive for what you actually gain, and discussions are often unproductive. If you're looking for a meaningful or engaging class, this isn't it. Save yourself the frustration and take something else.

Martin Essenburg's FIN 324 is overwhelming and rigid. The heavy workload feels pointless, with little feedback or meaningful discussion. There's no room for flexibility, making it hard to balance with other commitments. If you're looking to actually learn or grow, this class isn't for you. Avoid it if you can.

Absolute narc of a teacher. If you want to get belittled by someone and treated like you're a second class human, this is the class. There should be a study done on this man. Absolute worst professor I've ever seen. How DePaul lets him stay is beyond me. He gives a bad name to men and women of the finance department.

He canceled class all the time but then expected you to be ready for zoom classes unexpectedly which were always boring. He didn't have rubrics for any of the assignments so it felt like you were guessing what to do when we didn't have a single in person class for 2 weeks straight. Your assignment wasn't graded until you sent in the next one.

Honestly the worst teacher I've ever come in contact with. With each passing day, he strips my creativity from me with every project he assigns along with strict guidelines. And if, God forbid, you stray from said guidelines, you get stamped with a C. Awful. Take any other teacher if possible.

Essenburg has high expectations but doesn't provide the tools needed to succeed. He's vague in what he wants from us but grades harshly. He's late in grading and providing feedback but will take points off when you submit discussion posts or assignments late. He's passive aggressive in feedback and when you reach out for help. Don't take his class

The guy rambles and talks in circles for 1.5 hours. He doesn't give credit, if you buy the digital version of the textbook. He does not use d2l properly nor does he meet for feedback in office to reinforce what is "taught". Lastly he is a slow grader. Quarter ended, 2 weeks later and nobody in my section knew our grade, which was based on 2 tests!

I have been at DePaul for 2 years and never failed a class before. His point system sucks! The only grade in the first half of the quarter was a test on a lecture worth 5 points. He will not give any extensions no matter the reason. The directions on the syllabus didn't match up with what he wanted on the assignments. He is a very harsh grader!

I am a double major in physics and finance. This was by far the hardest class compared to my physics curriculum. You need to invest 40 hours a week minimum to even get by. This is a test for professionals meant to be taken in 6 months not 3 weeks. If you don't pass then you get failed in the class. I would not recommend one bit!

This professor treats the course like a job rather than a class. I wanted to join the course to be supported with a knowledgeable professor. I wanted clear feedback and someone who had my best interest at heart. The course is structured to make it as though you are not working hard enough if the material does not click. Hard pass on Essenburg!!

After meeting Professor Essenburg for the first class I dropped the class. He started by talking about Banking and proceeded to say, “don't call yourself a banker if you don't make more than an auditor.” He also made comments about work-life choice. I am hear to learn rather than be lectured about his vision for finance and Keeley farmers

Comparing the course load and culture to my experience in active fixed income, I found this class to be over the top. The professor assigns work rather than guide you. He also expects the work to be perfect despite no one having experience. As many mention, this is a college class not a job. If you are in Keeley, do everything to avoid this class!!

Totally disrespectful towards students. It was not diffucult to get the grade, however the course was quite intense, carried out in a short period of time. The course was useless as the professor did not provide us with any knowledge-not only the presentation was not his, but also he just read the slides which we could do on our own at home

I really struggled with the professor and course structure. The professor assumed the role of Managing Director and students are the analyst. It makes the learning environment very difficult. The class is also graded against each group. I would recommend learning IB in a different manner than this course

I really wish Professor Essenburg would teach this course in a training like manner rather than a full time job. There is an underlying expectation that you know the material beforehand which is unreasonable. He isn't the most enthusiastic about meeting outside of class or reviewing your project beforehand. Would slip this class if possible

Would recommend to take anyone but Professor Essenburg for technical finance. He is here to grill you rather than teach you. It makes it difficult to ask questions and feel engaged with the content. The class also puts you against your peers

Professor Essenburg is one of the most stubborn and toughest professors at DePaul. He offers no flexibility and will mold you into what “industry” looks for. I have found his expectations are obsolete and out of touch. The class pushes students to compete with each other rather collaborate. Avoid him at all costs!!!

The course structure was extremely rigid! He doesn't accommodate to students background and forces you to meet outside of class. It's clear this is a class for Keeley students. I was looking for a class to learn more about credit analysis but I am also working full time. He doesn't care and would rather see me drop the course. Avoid!!!

I wish I had nice things to say about this course but he made everything way more difficult than it needed to be. He delegated the teaching to online courses and graded the class entirely on whether you pass the test or not. He is not flexible in his office hours even if you work. Hard pass!!!

Avoid this professor at all costs. He makes the student & professor relationship feel like a job. This is not the best way to learn. He does not give feedback and revisions on projects. One shot, that's it , on a project that carries your grade. I feel that I have learned more from Wall Street Prep and asking Professor Brown questions

The worst professor at DePaul. He is not grading your knowledge, he grades for his personal opinion to the student. He will talk about fairness, but he is really unfair. If he agrees to help you, but you don't live up to his hopes, he will show you that he regretted helping you and that he does not want to continue conversation any longer.

Professor would treat the classroom as a workplace instead of a teaching environment. He expects the students to know everything prior to the class and to do all the work without proper demonstration or explanation. There is a lot to learn and very little to no teaching. Too late to drop and definitely disappointed. A tough grader too.

DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. This is the hardest class I've ever taken with the most homework on a weekly basis and the rudest professor. I was really interested in the content but Essenburg has made me hate this class. I've never been in an introductory course that has regular homework, group homework, quiz, test, and a pitch all in the same week.

Lectures are SO BAD, SO BORING. Going doesn't even help. Exam material is not even based on lectures, loosely related to homework. Would never take again, so boring and hard. He is so rude, I asked a clarifying question after class and he told me he "wasn't a tutor and if I was confused to go find one." Don't waste your time.

If Essenburg's terse unorganized lectures are anything to go on, he genuinely hates teaching. He was surprisingly rude so to students during lecture and refused to answer questions and even openly expressed disdain for students who asked questions that were not up to his expectations.

Professor Essenburg tries to teach this course as a banker would do the job. I wish he treated this like a college course. I worked hard to get an A but would prefer to learn in a supportive environment. This class is taught against DePaul's mission and more l for a school like UMichigan. He's really smart but wish he had more empathy

Prof Essenburg is very knowledgeable and has a goal for us to understand credit banking after the course. However, he teaches the course as he would assign work to an analyst. He does not offer supportive feedback, and expects you to understand the concepts in and out before lectures. This course is going for full-time training not a college class

hard class but should take because its valuable. professor is not the nicest person unless you are his favorite or in keeley. has a lot of expectations of you, kinda reminds me of a hard as* father. take it. but be prepared for the professor.

Prof. Essenburg is probably the worst professor I've had at DePaul. He is, by far, the most difficult grader I've ever encountered. He is rude to his students and has a superiority complex. If this class wasn't required for me to graduate I would've dropped asap. Told me I shouldn't celebrate my graduation. Good luck soldiers.

This class is useful but taught in a very rigid manner. I would recommend avoiding it if possible. The professor does not offer much empathy or leniency for struggling students. He also has expectations that you understand the content right as he explains it. I found that YT and Wall Street Prep were good enough vs taking this class

Professor Essenburg's FIN 324 class was unnecessarily difficult and confusing. The material wasn't explained clearly, and exams felt more like a test of endurance than understanding. Grading was harsh, and there was little support when concepts didn't make sense. Would not recommend unless you're already very confident in finance.

Worked hard all quarter—read every chapter, went to every class and office hours—but FIN 313 still felt impossible. Exams didn't reflect the material, and grading was super harsh with little feedback. Really discouraging experience despite putting in max effort.

This was an incredibly frustrating experience. Despite dedicating extensive time to studying, attending every lecture, and seeking help during office hours, I found the exams to be unreasonably challenging and not reflective of the material. The grading was excessively harsh, and feedback was minimal, making it difficult to find areas to improve in

This is hands down the worst class I've taken at DePaul. His attitude is condescending, and he talks down to students like we're lucky to be there. People seem blind to the fact that we're paying to learn, not to be bossed around and belittled. Asking questions feels discouraged. Avoid if you actually want a respectful learning environment.

FIN 313 was a nightmare. The lectures were disorganized, and he made simple concepts feel overly complicated. Asking questions felt unwelcome, and the exams were nothing like the material we reviewed. Grading was brutal with little to no feedback. Despite putting in serious effort, I walked away confused and frustrated. Avoid if you can.

He runs the class more like a power trip than a learning environment. The lectures felt rushed and often skipped over key details, making it hard to keep up or connect concepts. He rarely entertains questions. The course felt like it was designed to trip students up rather than help them grow. You're paying to be taught, not talked down to

This felt like a power struggle than a learning experience. The class was overly rigid, with little room for discussion or clarification. Lectures were dense and fast-paced, yet somehow still managed to feel uninformative. He treats the class like everyone should already know the material, and confusion is met with frustration rather than support

FIN 313 with Essenburg was a disaster. The class was disorganized and unreasonably difficult, but worse were his inappropriate comments—he said Black students were “lucky” to be in Keeley and was under investigation for racist remarks about a staff member. Completely unprofessional and uncomfortable environment. Avoid at all costs.

FIN 324 was a complete letdown. The class felt more like a test of patience than a finance course. His lectures were hard to follow, overloaded with theory but lacking real application. He rarely entertained questions and made the learning environment feel tense and unwelcoming. It was frustrating to put in effort and still walk away confused

This professor isn't teaching to help students learn. He said he doesn't have time for us to ask questions and tests concepts he specifically says wont be tested. His communication is very abrasive and DePaul should have flagged him since many students fail and drop the class. I've never been so disappointed by a class and professor in my life.

I just wish prof Essenburg taught with care. FIN 324 is a training program not a course. He doesn't teach with care, empathy, and encouragement. The content is ok but his execution does not align with DePaul's values. I pay for this course through tuition and it seems other students forget that they are entitled to quality and respectful teaching

FIN 324 with Essenburg was frustrating. Lectures were confusing, and he rushed through complex topics with little explanation. Questions often felt unwelcome, and the overall tone was dismissive. It felt more like trying to survive the class than actually learning finance.

The material is important but his notes make it extra confusing, very hard exams, every time I would turn up to his class, sad that I didn't get hit by a car on the way. I am a 4.0 student and even after 40+ hours of studying, I struggled immensely in his exams.

I do not like the fact that this professor encourages participation, yet cuts students off to go ramble about how incorrect their opinion is. You should also be prepared to study as there is a quiz due before every class. I love finance but i do not like it with Essenburg. Stay away if you can.