3.3
Quality3.8
Difficulty59%
Would Retake91
Reviews59%
Would Retake
91
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
22
4
29
3
19
2
11
1
10
What Students Say
“I'm usually an A student and he was tough for me”
BIO208 - 2.0 rating“This class is the complete OPPOSITE which I love personally”
BIO208 - 4.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
53%
Textbook Required
56%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.86 avg changeRatings by Course
HON321
5.0
(1)HON321B
5.0
(1)BIOL205
5.0
(1)BIO151
5.0
(1)BIO539
4.3
(4)Difficulty by Course
BIOBIO
5.0
BIO
5.0
BIO315
5.0
BIO101N
5.0
BIO334
4.5
Reviews (91)
Amazing. I love Kourtev. He's so good. Get him if you can!
Amazing professor, makes it easy to understand. Always uses powerpoint and posts his powerpoint outlines online. The labs are pretty cool and it's easy stuff to understand. I'd take his class again anyday.
Funny guy, exams are pretty hard. annoying how he uses a webpage and not blackboard so you cannot check grades. Explains info pretty well with good powerpoints
he was all over the place as far as notes, he would yell at us to tell him the answer to notes, i hope i dont have to take him again
Funny, intersting.. I loved this class. His tests are really tough, but if you do well in the lab, your grade will even out. He tries to get his students to understand, and tries not to go so in-depth as to confuse his students. Other than the hard tests, I liked him. My advice is just to study a lot.
I was so scared to take BIO and he made this class easy to understand. He puts notes up ahead of time for lecture and does a good job with study guides. The only reason people didn't like him in my class was because they didn't study. His exams are a bit tough but he gives you everything you need to be able to study and do well. Sense of humor too!
Kourtev is a good prof. Tries to make lectures enjoyable, and keeps clear notes. If you study, a good grade can be expected.
Funny guy who likes beer. Lectures were mildly entertaining, but when he tells you to "just follow the lecture notes" don't listen to him. Ton's of extra credit avaible, which made for a (fairly) easy A. Class average was in the low 70's. I would reccomend him.
Good professor, has clear slide shows and labels what slides have the info that will be on the test. His tests aren't impossible, gives practice tests that are helpful. Also gives extra credit and lab is pretty easy
Not a bad professor, tries to incorporate humor into his lectures. His exams are hard, I would study hours for them and still never got over a 76% on any of them. He does give a ton of extra credit though, so make sure you attend the lectures if your grade is low.
I got better grades on the test when I didn't study than when I did study. He makes the tests pretty hard for a 200 level class. do the extra credit it will push your grade up from say a C to a C+.
HAd a hard time at some point, but if you learn the material well, follow the book, and do the lab well, good grade is sure..do the extra credit things..thats how I got an A..
Clear lecture. Labs are sometimes long. Will curve at end of semester if needed. Is funny in a dorky sort of way
dr. kourtev is awesome. he explains things really well and his tests and quizzes are not that difficult if you put a little bit of effort into it. he will help you whenever necessary and he always trys to make class fun and entertaining.
Kourtev is VERY HELPFUL if you go to his office hours. The class is VERY hard but if you do well in lab you can still manage an A or a B. The class average on our last exam was a 68% (with a curve of 6 points). But like I said, it's NOT IMPOSSIBLE if you do well in lab and attend EVERY session.
Kourtev is an awesome prof! Make sure you attend lecture because the extra credit in there can save ur quiz grades, which is really helpful when it comes to your final grade. attend all the extra credit movie sessions on fridays, they're so easy and helpful. don't miss lab, study a few days in advance, and you should get an A!! Book is pointless
:) One of my favorite professors. Keeps lectures interesting & actually teaches what is on the exam. Labs are fun & not difficult at all. Study a bit for the tests & it wont be so bad.
Dr. Kourtev was AMAZING! He got to know each of us in the class (all 5 of us) and made every class interesting. He taught using a wide variety of formats to enhance our learning and valued our thoughts and opinions. I would take another course with him in a heartbeat if he teaches anything else that pertains to my major! I STRONGLY RECOMMEND!
I'm sure he's great as a higher level prof. but he is just way too hard for a 101 prof. He expects us to know so much and this was SUPPOSED to be my easiest class since i am taking all 300+ right now. Sooo frustrating. He grades pretty hard on exams. I wouldn't take him again.
Hilarious professor! Puts all lecture notes on Blackboard. At times it seemed harder for a 101 level class, and the study guides for exams were long, but if you put forth the effort and study you'll do ok!
Really nice guy. Must study hard to do well on tests and attendance is a must. Great professor to have for Biology.
Worst professor I've ever had. I'm a student on the Dean's list and this guy pretty much ruined it for me. His lectures are horrible. He tries to be funny, but he's not. Lab is the best part of this class. You literally have to commit your entire life to Micro in order to do well in this class. Overall, I DO NOT recommend him.
I studied for twelve hours for my first test in his class.. i got a 69 and never got any higher than that on any of his tests. in my opinion he is way to hard for a 100 level class.... i'm sure he would be fine for a 300 level but not 100. I would avoid taking him if you're not a rockstar at bio.
Extremely hard professor. The average on the second test was a 64 and the third test a 62 and he doesn't curve. If you study for hours and know the material inside and out you'll probably get a C on his exams. If you take him plan on working really hard. Lab is really cool though.
Kourtev is the man. Funny, makes lectures bearable with a sense of humor. He split time with Prof. Juris, and his section was much easier. Weekly quizzes online (easy) and tests only grades. 10 absences allowed before point loss. I reccomend him for Bio, tests were reasonable (provides study guides), and he was a nice, funny, helpful instructor.
Terrible, extremely hard exams. Take it with someone else.
Great guy, knows his stuff and is pretty straight forward with the material through lecture notes and study guides. Gives 4 exams (and 4 separate blackboard exams) and lots of extra credit. Show up to class, take notes, and study and you should be fine. Definitely recommend Dr. Kourtev to anyone who wants to take Microbiology.
Kourtev is a nice guy and likes to joke. However, the tests were very hard. The study guides and notes did not help with the tests. There are 4 online tests that are super easy, but they do not help your grade that much. Very nice guy, but don't take this with him if your more focused on getting a high gpa.
Dr. Kourtev is a great professor. This class was WAY easier than it probably should have been. Average grade was a B, and if you study at all you will get an A. Lab is easy and pretty cool.
Exams were difficult, but he gives online tests too which boost your grades. I did terrible on all of the in-class exams but still made it out with a B+. Lab is worth a lot too, and it's really easy.
He is not very nice!
Good professor. He gives you ever opportunity to get an A in this class. From the 30 points of extra credit to being able to replace your lowest exam score with your blackboard score. The exams are hard and require a lot of memorization but he gives you notes and test is off of those. If you go to class and study you will get an A.
Good professor with a grading scale that makes the class easy. Some of the exams are hard, but just be sure you aren't just memorizing (especially the processes), but actually understanding what is going on. Go to office hours if you need any extra help. Don't miss class and know pretty much everything on the slides for the exams if you want an A.
This professor makes an already difficult subject even more difficult. His grading scale is the only thing that saved me from getting a good grade in this class. His exams are extremely hard and his study guides are too long and detailed to be any help. You absolutely have to read the book to succeed.
One of my favorite professors at CMU! Made lecture fun. Exams are easy if you study and gives out lots of extra credit, plus lab is always fun as well.
hard tests
Very difficult subject. I got a D- on the first test after studying like mad for it. I now make up my own study guide from the notes and go off the study guide he makes for us. I also have a tutor that helps so much! This class takes a ton of work but is not impossible. If you can't work hard then don't take this course with him.
GREAT professor - he's really passionate about his subject and you can definitely tell. Tests are difficult, but if you thoroughly do the study guides and read the assigned readings, you'll do just fine. I ended up with an A in the class.
Extremely hard class. Tests were very difficult. I did an all nighter on the first test and thought I knew everything well and only got a D-. I want to major in biology but this hurt it for me. I have to retake this class now.
Good professor; he wants you to understand the material and do well. It is difficult and requires a lot of studying; you will fail if you skip class or don't pay attention. Understanding and funny guy. I reccomend for BIO majors most definitely.
This class was extremely difficult. You either have to be very good at Biology or have an intense passion for it, because you will most likely have a difficult time. Kourtev explains things well, and you should take a laptop to fill in blanks and then listen along to the lecture. it's easier that way. attend lectures because you will miss a lot.
Wonderful teacher. I'm a Bio major, and having Kourtev teach my first Bio class as a college student renewed my interest in the subject. Exams are EASY if you read the book, but he almost never references the book in class. Do the study guides and you'll be set. I'd take another class with him in an instant.
He had a good sense of sarcasm. Also seemed to have a good sense of the material. Tests were not easy. I studied and worked hard for the grade, which is how it should be. I was disappointed to see the lack of professionalism when attempting to see him during office hours. On more then one occasion there lacked an obligation to want to help.
He was pretty cool. His exams were pretty difficult but he had very helpful study guides and online exams. He has pop quizzes ten times a semester that are worth about 3 points each. He was decent. I'd have him again
He knows his stuff but he is sarcastic which I hate about this class and his tests are HARD, I'm a biomed major and studied very hard and still didn't do great..didn't find office hours helpful and he says stuff that makes you feel dumb because you don't know some things..ugh idk i hated this class.
He was a fun teacher in class and i thought he was pretty funny, but was very arrogant during office hours and when you went to talk to him after class. I'm not really sure how i got the grade i did being that his test were hard but i'm not one to complain about a good thing.
chili pepper :)
Good prof. Can tell he really loves microbio and is a fun professor! Exams need to be thoroughly studied for because they are difficult but a good bio professor overall!
I am taking this class online, and even though I am pretty awful at bio, he is probably one of the most helpful professors I've had. He always responds promptly, and if I had to recommend taking this class (at least online), I would recommend him.
Kourtev knows what he's talking about, but doesn't always convey it clearly to the class. I felt like I understood the material well, but when I got to exams they were very detailed and objective. He gives a quiz about once a week, which is helpful to understand material & lab really helped my grade! I ended with an A, but not without effort.
He gives a few quizzes in class, but as long as you read over the slides, you should do well. He usually indicates which slides the quizzes will be over. The labs are super fun! Overall, I thought he did a good job teaching this class. I would recommend him!
Kourtev is NOT the prof to take for this class. He is extremely unclear and the exams are almost impossible to pass. I study for at least 8 hours before each exam and never got over 68%. Exams are worded very difficult as well. This will be my first class I ever receive a C in. He also has an attitude and doesn't believe in curving exams.
I highly recommend avoiding taking this class with Kourtev. He's a super funny guy and makes lectures interesting but he tends to have an attitude when things aren't his way and exams are HARD. The whole class failed the 2nd exam and he didn't curve it or anything. I should not have had to put more effort into this class than zoology.
Not a bad guy, made me laugh a couple times throughout the semester. Classes are pretty straight forward and easy. Just a Lecture with a powerpoint to fill in. Occasional quizzes. Test are pretty easy if you do the practice tests before hand.
He's a pretty funny guy which keeps his lectures interesting. His lectures are online but you have to go to class to get the full notes. The exams are really hard and the study guides don't help very much. There are quizzes almost every week on previous lectures, but they're fairly easy. Don't expect to get an A if you don't go to class.
The class is pretty hard but he is a great teacher. You need to try hard to get a good grade. You have a lot of quizzes but in the end it is for the better because they keep you studying and you are more prepared for the exams. His accent is hilarious and he has a good sense of humor.
Tests are really hard but he's so nice and helpful if you go to office hours. Practice tests don't help that much. 4-5 point quizzes about once a week- fairly easy if you study. fill in the blank power points for notes. you really only need the book for the practice tests and a few things here and there.
He is a harder teacher that some of the others available. But by attending lecture and studying good grades are possible. He has a bit of an accent but it is easily understandable.
In order to get an A on an exam, you pretty much have to know everything from the notes and be able to use the material in a critical thinking way. Very intimidating guy. The notes are posted allowing you to fill them in and he is straight forward in the notes. Uses Bb tests for a study guide, an A is possible if you study hard and take good notes.
In order to get an A on an exam, you pretty much have to know everything from the notes and be able to use the material in a critical thinking way. Very intimidating guy. The notes are posted allowing you to fill them in and he is straight forward in the notes. Uses Bb tests for a study guide, an A is possible if you study hard and take good notes!
I'm usually an A student and he was tough for me. His lecture notes are not clear enough and slightly disorganized, it becomes difficult to put material together when studying. He is slightly rude in his office hours and hard to understand at times. He still has his accent and likes to mumble during lecture and won't speak up at times. TAKE LEARMAN
He's an extremely rude individual- Would avoid at all costs.
This class was not that bad. Show up to class, pay attention, take good notes (he posts the PowerPoints), and you should be fine. The PowerPoints are really all you need but you also need to be ready to not only know definitions, but apply the concepts on exams so if you have questions, ask them! My only complaint is that he's slow to enter grades.
His class was very interesting, and difficult; however I was extremely disappointed with how rude and un-professional he was. Students fund a vast majority of research for such individuals at this institution, and last I checked I wasnt under employment by him, or in the military to be talked to in such a manner.
He IS a tough professor without a doubt, he makes you work for the A, but it's not impossible. As long as you attend the lectures, read from the textbook, and understand the concepts you should be fine. He seems very sarcastic and rude but he genuinely cares about his students, if you go to office hours or email him he will try and help you out.
I didn't think this class was too hard just listen to the power point lectures and everything you need to know is in there! Skim through book if you need extra studying. Discussion boards are not too hard.
I personally really love Dr. Kourtev. At the end of my time at CMU I will have had him 3x. Kourtev's tests rely heavily on his lectures and the book isn't needed unless you want clarification/ more detail on a tough concept. Dr. Kourtev has dad humor. He makes lots of jokes that I laugh at because I love dad humor. Overall, he's great. Tough though
I got a 97%! Go to every lecture (or get the notes from someone), make 80 question Quizlets for EVERY powerpoint. Memorize every line of text and try to trick yourself to learn it, because you MUST understand it. STUDY for quizzes because there are always five fill in the blanks. THE BOOK IS EXTREMELY HELPFUL FOR CONCEPTUAL QUESTIONS AND IN GENERAL
The workload was outrages. Nearly complete with my degree and I would have to say, this was one of the most difficult classes I have take. It wasn't that it was super challenging. It was just the amount of work he expected out of his students during the course. We have other classes and lives outside of this ONE class. Needs to relaxxxx.
Terrible teacher! will not help you if you ask. Class moves way too fast and there will be two quizzes and one exam in the same week, mulitple times.
He is a great professor and he is very funny! He doesn't give study guides for exams since its a 500 level class. Grade is based on tests, quizzes and one presentation. He makes a lot of jokes during his lectures so you won't get bored. Study his lectures for the quizzes and rewrite thing for the test to better remember them!
Koutev might come across odd but he is super funny and a good guy. He is a tough grader for papers and will make you work for every point. He is clear on what is expected for exams, you definitely will learn from taking his class, no BS. Overall, he is a fair prof and I would (and will) take him again.
He has a funny personality, but this class is hard. The tests are difficult and sometimes not very clear. He will make you go to in person unless you have to quarantine. I usually do well in classes but for some reason this one was not it. Interesting topic just hard and tests are weighed heavy. Also, quizzes like each class.
Class was extremely difficult and he didnt give any grading feedback so you couldnt even figure out what you did wrong. His Class was set up to fail
Kourtev is very hands-off for the online version of this class, mostly communicating through weekly emails. The class itself is a *ton* of work for 3 credits, which can be frustrating. The labs are very long and sometimes require selfies and store bought materials. There are extra credit opportunities, but lots of reading too.
If you need to know anything about bio 334, just know it is one of the hardest classes I have taken at CMU. The class is combined with Geo 334, meaning it is double the work. There is two midterms, and two final exams. Before every class period, there is a prelecture quiz that is at least 5 questions. Then a post lecture quiz after every class.
I am an A student, and this is the only class I have ever failed. Dr. Kourtev has 3 quizzes per week with some exams throughout the semester. He does not curve anything, so expect to receive raw grades. He is not approachable and usually very rude. I strongly recommend taking Dr. Alm for BIO208 instead, she is amazing and she respects her students.
I loved Dr. Kourtev. He organized this class so well and gave so much extra credit. He is also very funny so it is easy to pay attention in lecture. Not very much homework, as long as you go to class and listen to his lectures you will pass. He tells you exactly what to study for exams as well.
I am typically a straight A student, and I am dropping this course due to doing poorly. He will have two exams less than a week apart on top of 3 quizzes a week, every week. I will be retaking this course with professor Elizabeth Alm. The exam study guides do not help. Use the textbook. The labs are not difficult, you just need to show up.
Dr. Kourtev is a great lecturer - I don't think I was ever bored. It helps that this class is an interesting topic. However, the exams were quite difficult, and he doesn't provide a study guide. He did at least tell us what the essay question would be in advance, so we at least knew what to focus on. Make sure you know how to re-draw diagrams.
I have had him for an in-person class and loved him, but he made this one very difficult. So much lecture material to learn in such a short time and exams were on specific things. Was not much help with the paper either and graded hard.
this guy is tough, he really doesnt care how you do at all in the class. he is here for this paycheck and that is about it. you need to go to class every week, the three quizzes a week matter so make sure you do good on them. his exams are HARD so be prepared for them as they happen often (5 of them). lab is pretty easy but lecture is brutal
If you take BIO courses, you know that some of them participate in the active learning when you teach yourself the course and in class you just do assignments with a group. This class is the complete OPPOSITE which I love personally. Dr. Kourtev actually taught the material & has slides with what you need (some reading). Awesome professor overall!
This course is not easy, but I highly recommend you go to office hours! He is willing to help you understand. It is important to go to class to get the notes. Also, skim the textbook before each lecture, it helps a lot.
Took this class 8 weeks online and as a WI. Has good online pre-recorded lectures and the weekly quizzes are heavily based on those. Each lecture was on avg 30 minutes and had 3 a week. Both exams take questions from the weekly quizzes which makes it easy. Heavyish reading on your own, usually need to for discussion board and for the final paper.
talks to his students like he expects them to know everything, never is on schedule for lectures despite setting up the class to be dependent on a schedule, the material is difficult and he is not the one to be teaching it.
Dr. Kourtev is an amazing lecturer and a funny guy, I definitely enjoyed his course. Exams are a bit tough but manageable. He offers about 2% extra credit added to grade, and lots of pre,post, and in class assignments which are pretty easy. He also drops a lot of the lowest ones. Overall I would highly recommend him as a professor to take!
If you take an online class with him, be aware that there is a lot of assignments. His communication is rather condescending toward students and he seems angry most of the time.
I am shocked to see the positive reviews. The professor does not care if you do well in his class. He expects everyone to know everything. If you reach out to him, he is very rude and condescending towards students. The professor does not give clear instructions and refuses to be clear about them. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!
Hard to understand, unclear guidelines for studying, not very helpful outside of class. Total free for all, relied on my classmates a lot to get through this. Fought for my LIFFFEEEEE to get this grade. Not for the weak, be ready to cry!
One of the worst professor I've ever had. Way too much work...this was an 8 week online course. In week 5 there was a full 6-8 page paper due (roughly 20% of the grade) with full citing, a multi-chapter and multi-lecture quiz, a discussion board entry and a response entry and a mid-term exam. Professor uses his own non-standard citing methodology.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
53%
Textbook Required
56%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.86 avg changeRatings by Course
HON321
5.0
(1)HON321B
5.0
(1)BIOL205
5.0
(1)BIO151
5.0
(1)BIO539
4.3
(4)Difficulty by Course
BIOBIO
5.0
BIO
5.0
BIO315
5.0
BIO101N
5.0
BIO334
4.5