ECE-551D
PROG, DATA STRUC & ALGO IN C++
Offered Fall 2026
Term
Instructor
Overview
Feedback is mixed. The clearest upside is that some students still find real value in the course. Best for students who can handle a demanding pace without needing constant hand-holding.
DepartmentELEC&CMP
Terms offeredFall
Typical enrollment25–54
Semesters of data3
8.7
Hrs / week
180
Responses
206
Enrollment
87%
Response Rate
Evaluation Scores
Overall quality
Teaching, content, and experience combined.
3.9
Intellectually stimulating
Challenges students to think deeply.
4.1
Instructor effectiveness
Explains concepts and facilitates learning.
4.0
Difficulty
Higher means harder.
3.9
Feedback Analysis
Feedback Analysishigh
Analysis based on student evaluations
Based on 282 comments across 6 sections
Feedback is mixed. The clearest upside is that some students still find real value in the course. Best for students who can handle a demanding pace without needing constant hand-holding.
Student Reports
How hard is the A?
A is doable but not automatic
The signal here is more do-the-work-and-you-should-be-fine than easy-A chatter. Students do not describe the A as automatic, but the evidence also does not paint grading as punishing.
Homework Load
Heavy homework load
Homework load is one of the clearest friction points. Students repeatedly describe assignments, readings, or problem sets as time-consuming.
Lecture Load
Lighter lecture burden
Student comments describe this as more discussion-, seminar-, or workshop-driven than lecture-dependent. The lecture burden itself does not sound like the main source of friction.
Strengths
• Instructor ratings are strong even when the comments do not cluster around one obvious positive theme.
Tradeoffs
• Difficulty runs high even when comments do not settle on one dominant complaint.
Best fit for
Best for students who can handle a demanding pace without needing constant hand-holding.
Student Responses
7 steps, OOP, data structure
Fall 2024 · Hilton, Andrew
The course helped me think like a systems-level programmer - focusing on how the choice of algorithms, data structures, and resource management strategies affect the overall efficiency and scalability of applications. Beyond technical skills, it cultivated a problem-solving mindset and the ability to break down complex challenges into manageable components.
Fall 2024 · Hilton, Andrew
Basic knowledge in programming, including C and C++, basic data structure and algorithm knowledge.
Fall 2024 · Hilton, Andrew
How to write C code correctly. How to write C++ code correctly. Basic data structures and algorithms.
Fall 2024 · Hilton, Andrew
1.self-study 2. ask the teacher in the office hour 3.the knowledge of C++
Fall 2024 · Hilton, Andrew
Rating History
Rating history
Error bars show \u00B11 std dev
| Term | Instructor | Overall | Difficulty | Hrs/wk | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | Hilton, Andrew 3.1Rate My ProfessorsQuality3.1Difficulty3.6Would retake31%Based on 23 ratingsClick to view on RMP → | — | — | 8.5 | 53 |
| Fall 2024 | Hilton, Andrew 3.1Rate My ProfessorsQuality3.1Difficulty3.6Would retake31%Based on 23 ratingsClick to view on RMP → | 3.9 | 3.8 | 8.7 | 59 |
| Fall 2023 | Lipp, Genevieve 2.9Rate My ProfessorsQuality2.9Difficulty4.0Would retake41%Based on 17 ratingsClick to view on RMP → | 3.9 | 3.9 | 9.0 | 94 |
Instructor
Hilton, AndrewELEC&CMP
Also teaches
ECE-553 COMPILER CONSTRUCTION4.5ECE-651 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING4.3