Students said the course provides a good foundation in financial derivatives and that the course material is very useful. They also found the textbook helpful and liked having the lecture slides available online. Some thought the lectures taught with only PowerPoint slides were dry. They suggested that the course could be improved by having more than just two exams. Prospective students should know that the second half of the course goes faster than the first half, and they should be sure to keep up with the readings and homework.

Students felt that the best aspects of this course were the real-life applications of the theories discussed in class, as well as the very useful sections to review and develop materials discussed in the lecture. Students felt that this was a good introduction to financial derivatives and that they had plenty of materials to review for exams. Many students found the concepts difficult, and found that the lectures were broad and lacked enthusiasm. Suggestions for improvement included getting rid of the PowerPoint presentations in favor of interactive discussions with detailed notes and more real-world applications of the materials. Prospective students should make sure that they keep up with the reading and that a strong math or financial background will come in handy.

Students thought their favorite aspect of this course was the way it was able to cover a broad range of topics. Students also appreciated the relevance of the content taught by an approachable professor who drew on their work experience in the financial world. Students found that the biggest drawback of the course was its fast pace. Students thought the course could have benefitted from more practice problems being provided to prepare for exams. People considering taking this class should know that completing the reading material from the textbook was especially important for success in the class.