University of Houston Top Questions

What are the academics like at your school?

Amer

Very knowledgeable and helpful

victor

My academics is a B average

LaDarius

VERY GREAT PROFESSORS ARE REALLY COOL

Thu-Mai

The types of classes and programs here are as various as the students. The Honors college is especially great providing the strong, challenging academics needed to push their students. The small classes and friendly professors make the environment comfortable. Teachers can get to know their students and engage with them. And this helps students continue this education outside of the classroom.

Hannah

The academics at my school are great. We are a tier one university which I take pride in being a part of. My university offers great classes specific to my major in biology.

Shannon

Academics are very important at UH. There has never been a time that the library has been empty. Students use many of the resources around them. The classes are not a "breeze". Teachers are fair, but tough. If a student studies and takes responsibility within their school work, the classes are just fine. Professors take time out of their schedules in order to make sure that the student has clarified all of the information in the classes taught.

Shazia

People think UH is too easy, it actually is. But, not like community college easy. The things that are taught are really difficult topics, but our teachers, staff, and helping students always make it a lot easier! I know how hard math is for some people and I am great at it, and so last semester I helped someone who failed Finite before make an A+ in the class! Even I got help from people in Stat. Everyone is so friendly that no matter how hard a class is there is always someone there to make it easier on you. And they make it so easy you end up helping others too!

Mitchell

Depending on the departments, the academics are fun, interesting, and challenging. I am in engineering and the classes are crazy, but I like it. I also am doing a Global Business minor, and I really LOVE those classes. They are very informative and interesting, and the professors are very cool. I look forward to those classes a bunch. In my smaller classes, the professors are very concerned with learning our names, so you can tell they really care.

Samira

-If you have a good connection with your professors, they will certainly know your name. Do not be one of those students that just comes for the lectures and leave. You need to know your professor, so you can maybe get a recommendation letter for graduate school or a job. -My favorite classes has been all my HDFS classes, I have learned so much and the professors are very helpful when I have a certain problem with something. My least favorite class was Biology, since it was something I did not love. -Students usually study in groups in the library, but its a bit loud there. I believe the best place to study is at your department or somewhere you can get some peace. You can actually rent of the rooms in the library on the first to 3rd floor to study by yourself or with some people. -The class participation is at its good level since there are many students that are willing to raise their hands when they have a question or knows the answer to the question. -My major is Human Development of Family Studies, and I absolutely adore it. It is at the education department. It basically focus on the roles of certain people in the family,such as children, parents, grandparents, and relatives. -The time I spend with my professors are when I have a ton of questions that needs to be answer, or need to go over a test, and maybe have my paper edit. They will be more than glad to do it. :)

James

UH is TierOne in Research for a reason. Whether you're a History major or a Biomedical Engineer major, research is your ticket to the top. If you can, get into the Honors College where the options are even greater: sponsored study abroad programs, a unique ethics course called Phronesis, and of course the Human Situation courses which open your eyes to a new degree to intellectual analysis of text and the world around you.

Bianca

Like anywhere else, your degree is what you make of it and what you take from each class is up to you! Most of the core classes at UH are rather big ranging from 100-500 students. However, you shouldn't let those number intimidate you. Being that there are so many students, there many opportunities to form study groups and things like that. In addition, the university offers a plethora of tutoring centers and other resources to help students along. As you get further into your major, the size of the classes naturally becomes significantly smaller. Despite the size of the classes, most professors do require class participation whether it be electronically or in person. If you choose to be in our Honors College, the smaller classes are guaranteed since their policy prohibits honors sections from exceeding 35 students. The Honors classes encourage more class participation and provide more interaction with professors. Regardless of whether or not you are in an Honors section, UH professors are extremely passionate about teaching and their field. As a senior, I have never had a professor who I felt did not respect their students or did not care about the class they were conducting. In fact, the opposite is true. I have been given many opportunities to know my professors both professionally and personally! It is extremely apparent that they love teaching and want to see their students succeed! The best part about the professors is that they are well-educated themselves (having Master's and Doctorate degrees) and incredible experience in their respective fields! At UH, you can steer your degree and experience in any direction you so choose. We are an accredited research institution, so undergraduate research is extremely popular at UH. The university allows you to take on internships and receive course credit for your experience! The university makes it clear that their goal is to see you succeed and prepare you for your career once you graduate!

Kendall

Do professors know your name?no Tell us about your favorite class. Least favorite?calculus, physics How often do students study? not alot but i do Is class participation common?yes Do the students have intellectual conversations outside of class? yes Are students competitive?yes indeed What's the most unique class you've taken? calculus II Tell us about your major / department. Do you spend time with professors outside of class? Petroleum eng., and sometimes How do you feel about this school's academic requirements? reasonable Is the education at this school geared toward getting a job, or learning for its own sake? towards both evenly

Lurinda

My favorite professors have been the accounting teachers who also are faculty advisors for various student organizations. My Accounting Information Systems professor is the faculty advisor for the Texas Society of CPAs - Houston Chapter: Student Auxiliary. The professor over the 5 year Professional Program in Accountancy also directs the PPA Colloquiums and is heavily involved with setting up Career Mixers, and he is also the faculty advisor for the Internal Audit Student Association.

Carl

For the most part, in lower level classes, the classes are large, so the professors do not know the students at a personal level, unless the student makes the effort to approach the professors. in the upper level classes, the class size is much smaller, leaving room for the professors to know students individually.

Natalie

I was a member of the Honors College during my undergraduate years. The Honors College created a small/private/liberal arts environment for me, within the large/public UH community. Honors College courses are very small (20-30 students), and you form strong relationships with faculty and staff members. I was able to get to know my professors outside of Honors College courses, but due mainly to my pursuit of relationships with them. I attended class and office hours regularly. As a National Merit Scholar, I was very focusse on my academic experience at UH. I tookt eh time and put forth the effort to get involved in my classes-- with fellow students and professors. I majored in Marketing and Management with a minor in Spanish.

Jessica

Not very many professors know my name. I don't mind too much because I am there to learn and if they know my name then that is fine but not that important.

Wally

I'm in the Honors College, so all of our professors know us on a first name basis. My favorite class would have to be Intro to Operations Management (DISC 3301H). It's what made me decide on my major. I study every day. Class participation is common in my honors sections.

Reese

My favorite class so far has been Intro to Art History with Professor Costello. This class was challenging, but it was so much fun and I really learned alot. For someone who is looking for a blow off class then this is not the class for you. Art History is far from Art Appreciation. This class actually gives you a detailed image of history through the eyes of paleolithic and medieval artists. Everything from architecture, canvas, pottery, clothing, and wall paintings are covered throughout the course. I promise if you take this class you'll never look at art, or history for that matter, the same way ever again.

Adrian

I make a point every semester to make sure that every professor knows my name and knows how hard I am trying in their class. My favorite class right now is chemistry, I really enjoy Dr. Bott's teaching methods and how is keeps the class interesting but also funny. In past semesters my favorite class was probably either Tourism or Convention & Meeting management. My least favorite class is economics due to the professor not keeping the material interesting and zooming through the lectures so quickly that all you have time for is to fill in the blanks in the powerpoint and your not able to actually pertain the information being taught. I, myself study approximately 15 to 20 hours a week but I think most students study 5 to 8 hours. Class participation is not common at least in the classes ive taken. When I have asked professors why they don't use more class participation they normally say that it takes too much time. At least in my circle of friends we don't normally have intellectual conversations unless its concerning a study or homework question. Students are very competitive, their always trying to one up one another and set the curve in the class. The most unique class ive taken is either, Wine Appreciation or Etiquette. I am a Hotel and Restaurant Management major and I personally think its the best and most interesting major on campus due to the unique classes and personally involved professors. HRM offers students memberships in organization related to their specific concentration and also provides it's students with an internship coordinator who will try to find students the internship of their dreams. I have spent time with professors outside of class, I've had professors take me to lunch and actually still go and visit professors that I had during my first semester at UH back in the Fall of 2005. I think the fact that I am a HRM student that we should not be required to take two sciences... I think the education at UH is greatly geared towards getting a job, every semester at least in one of my classes we have a person come in to talk about getting an internship or how to write a resume properly, I think the goal at UH is to see its students succeed.

Dylan

My favorite class- International Marketing with Professor Andrews. It is an online class, with streaming online lectures. Rather than having boring straight from the powerpoint lectures, she makes class interesting. I am more likely to "attend" one of her lectures than I am most of my regular on campus classes. She makes us think, and gives us real life examples.

Charlie

My professors know my name, at least my math professor does. My favorite classes have been with her in Math 3304, Math 3305, and Math 3306. Her name is Ms. Leigh HOllyer. The most unique class I've takin was Children's Literature and it was really awesome. My major/department is Education. The advising for undergraduates is HORRIBLE. Just flat out horrible. Everyone has a very difficult time with all three of the advisors.

Lee

Most of my professors know my name, they all at least know my face. Being an English major I have the luxury of more intimate classes. My favorite calls is a hybrid class about Chaucer. The blend of technology and traditional teaching is great! My least favorite was Biology, I'm not good at it and have very little interest in it, but the professor recognized that and graded accordingly. Class participation varies class to class, but if the class set up allows for it, the students participate. You overhear a lot of "coffee house" conversations around campus, students debate literature, philosophy, talk about their latest lab, and fight over favorite sports teams. I'm an English major with an emphasis in Creative Writing. The classes are great, but a little over crowded. The college could do with a few extra sections a semester. It's hard to have a workshop with over 20 students. UH's academic requirements are inconsistent. It feels like Liberal Arts majors bear the brunt of the "well rounded" education, having to take many classes outside our field as apposed to the science/technology types who get more of a chance to focus on their specif field of study. Fine print is a favorite tool in the Liberal Arts college. You have to check, double check, and triple check every detail of your graduation plan. They would rather make you stay an extra semester to take a similar class to the one you just took than let the similar class substitute the credit.