PUBPOL-743

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Not in Fall 2026

PPS · Taught by Fernholz, Fernando · Last offered Spring 2025

Overview

Feedback is mostly positive. The strongest signal is that students say they actually learn something useful. Best for students who want substance, not a disposable elective.

DepartmentPPS

Terms offeredSpring

Typical enrollment19–24

Semesters of data2

4.9

Hrs / week

Responses

Enrollment

35%

Response Rate

Evaluation Scores

Overall quality

Teaching, content, and experience combined.

4.4

12345

Intellectually stimulating

Challenges students to think deeply.

4.3

12345

Instructor effectiveness

Explains concepts and facilitates learning.

4.6

12345

Difficulty

Higher means harder.

3.2

12345

Feedback Analysis

Feedback Analysismedium

Analysis based on student evaluations

Based on 40 comments across 2 sections

Feedback is mostly positive. The strongest signal is that students say they actually learn something useful. Best for students who want substance, not a disposable elective.

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

Moderate homework load

Homework load looks moderate. The recurring signal is steady weekly work, but not a course that turns every assignment into a grind.

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

• Students repeatedly say the course teaches something concrete, whether that is content mastery, research skill, or a strong foundation.

Tradeoffs

• There is no single dominant complaint theme, but the feedback is not uniformly glowing either.

Best fit for

Best for students who want substance, not a disposable elective.

Watch out for

• A large share of the evidence comes from one instructor's version of the course, so this may not generalize cleanly.

Student Responses

This course was one of my favourite courses I had this semester, and Professor Fernando made that exceptional. I have grasped the most important skills I will need in either designing, reviewing, supervising, or negotiating any PPP project that comes my way in a more professional, skilful, and confident way. The professor has made the learning process hands on we all got the basics of PPP more practically including actual simulation of important events in any PPP project like bidding, negotiation, defending the PPP project of your choosing, introduction to new and enhanced software's like the Crystal ball....it was quite a BALL for me! I am really glad that I get to pick the professor's brain within the limited time I had with him-he is incredible and gifted.