BMGT411 | PlanetTerp

Information	Review
Brian Jefferson BMGT411 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/13/2025	I initially wanted to drop this course when I found out it was going to be all presentation, since I fear public speaking. However, Professor Jefferson created a very inclusive and welcoming environment that encouraged me to take risks. As a result, I feel like I improved my soft skills tremendously. I highly recommend his course as it will for sure make you better.
Brian Jefferson BMGT411 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/13/2025	TAKE ETHICS WITH PROFESSOR JEFFERSON. This was one of the most fun, engaging, and helpful classes I've taken at UMD. While the structure of the class is a little daunting at first (every week there are 2 student presentations that teach the content), it works phenomenally well. Professor Jefferson creates one of the most supportive classroom environments I've ever been a part of and it truly uplifts every student. Whether you consider yourself a seasoned pro in giving presentation or despise public speaking, I promise you will learn something in this class that you can implement in other classes and in your career.
Brian Jefferson BMGT411 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/13/2025	The best professor at UMD. There are 2 big presentations and a couple short elevator pitches but that's pretty much it. The workload is light and he creates such a welcoming environment where everyone is so supportive. His feedback is genuinely helpful and he wants everyone to succeed. I can't recommend him as a professor enough!
Brian Jefferson BMGT411 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 05/13/2025	Super nice and supportive professor. You will do a lot of presentations but you will never feel stressed since he'll try to help you improve your public speech skills. My PS skills are improved a lot from being nervous to being confident. Quizzes are kind of hard because they're accumulative, but if you read textbook carefully, you'll be good.
Brian Jefferson BMGT411 Expecting an A- Anonymous 05/13/2025	Jefferson is a very welcoming professor who wants everyone to succeed in the course. There are quite a few presentations, but there is not a lot of work besides preparing for those. Jefferson tries to grow everyone's presentation skills, so be prepared for constructive feedback from him and classmates. A great class to improve those skills in a low risk environment.
Brian Jefferson BMGT411 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 05/13/2025	I thought this class was a valuable part of my education at the business school, because I know feel like I am a better public speaker than other students who do not take this class. Professor Jefferson really cares about each of his students, providing feedback that is intended to help you in the future. He also created an environment where everyone in the class becomes friendly with each other, which is great for networking and learning names. This class was challenging at times and you have to put in the work but I am thankful for it.
Brian Jefferson BMGT411 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 05/13/2025	Professor Jefferson was a very hands-off professor. Meaning he let the students do presentations and then the class would learn from those presentations. In addition, it was a public speaking class where he would provide feedback and this would help you improve so that when you are in the workplace, you perform better. One of the better accounting classes I have taken at UMD. Strong recommend.
Brian Jefferson BMGT411 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/13/2025	He is a super chill professor, and the class is pretty easy. It is mostly presentation-based (there are 2 group presentations and a group paper), and then a few cumulative multiple-choice quizzes. Overall, the class was pretty fun and lowkey. I would definitely recommend Prof. Jefferson.
Brian Jefferson BMGT411 Expecting a B Anonymous 05/13/2025	This course was super fulfilling. There was a lot of relevant information, and the course was structured in a way that made the information interesting to receive. Professor Jefferson gives students a ton of opportunities to get up in front of the class and present, and gives a ton of helpful feedback as well. Overall, this course was awesome. I learned a ton, and truly got a lot out of it. I highly recommend Professor Jefferson for this course!
Brian Jefferson BMGT411 Expecting an A- Anonymous 05/13/2025	Super kind and really cares about his students' learning.
Brian Jefferson BMGT411 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/05/2025	At first, I was thinking about my grade, like most people do. But somewhere along the way, I started participating just because I wanted to, because the class made me care. Professor Jefferson sets things up so that you can’t help but grow and succeed if you put in the effort. It’s the kind of course that changes how you show up, not just for school, but for yourself. And coming from someone who always says, “I want to care about class, but I can’t focus after the first couple of weeks,” that doesn't happen here.
Brian Jefferson BMGT411 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 05/04/2025	One of the better professors you will run into as an accounting major in the Smith School. I took him for ethics and right out of the gate, you can tell he's knowledgeable, caring, patient, and kind. His course makes you a better speaker which is where 75% of your grade comes from which is speaking with a group to class about ethics topics. Its a shame he's a newer professor and I'm graduating because I would look to take him again and recommend him to those coming up through Smith.
Brian Jefferson BMGT411 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 12/06/2024	Professor Jefferson is the best! I took both a tax class and an ethics class with him, and it was absolutely wonderful. He promotes a tremendous amount of growth and learning among his students and creates an inclusive environment where everyone feels comfortable, valued, and capable. Beyond just teaching the material, he prepares you to act professionally and succeed in real-world scenarios. I only wish UMD had more professors like him—so inspiring and knowledgeable!
Brian Jefferson BMGT411 Expecting an A- Anonymous 12/05/2024	Very nice and interesting professor. Class participation is a big commitment, but Jefferson makes the class enjoyable. The majority of the class is taught by students in presentations, in two large group projects. He is generally generous in grading participation and presentations. Outside of the participation and Group Projects, there are 8 multiple-choice quizzes that will chip away at your grade, however he does drop the lowest two quizzes. Overall great professor, and seems to be very personable and someone who you can talk to and ask for guidance
Brian Jefferson BMGT411 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/03/2024	411 is a unique class in the accounting program, most classes is taught by a new group of students instead of the professor himself, so you get what your classmates and you put into it. That being said it was very fun, engaging, and the student groups all did a very fine. It was one of my favorite classes. Prof Jefferson was great of you asked questions and I loved the format, but if you are reading this review for one of his other classes, I do not think 411 reviews would be helpful due to the very different formats.
Brian Jefferson BMGT411 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/03/2024	Professor Jefferson is great. The class is set up with 2 major presentations, a paper, an elevator pitch, and chapter quizzes where the lowest two get dropped. The presentations are definitely intimidating at first but once you get over the first one it gets a lot better. Jefferson creates a welcoming environment for the students to feel comfortable in speaking in front of everyone. I recommend you take him for 411 and for 323 he's great!
Brian Jefferson BMGT411 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/13/2024	Overall, I really liked this class. There are 2 presentations, 1 group paper, and 9 quizzes. Aside from the presentations, there isn't much work you have to do outside of class. You do have to show up and participate basically class to get a good participation grade. We also had to do a short 3 minute individual presentation (or you could do 6 minutes with someone else). He creates a positive environment where presenting and participating isn't bad. After every presentation, everyone is super supportive and gives very positive feedback. You could give a horrible presentation and he'll still find things to point out that you did super well. One thing I didn't like is that he's not very clear on what he wants from the presentations and grades them kind of low. Thankfully, we had extra credit and he drops the lowest 2 quizzes (he changed it to 3 at the end of the semester because he liked how we participated throughout the semester).
Brian Jefferson BMGT411 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/07/2024	Professor Jefferson is a great professor and he is very understanding of his students. There are two large presentations but other than those two weeks there is no homework on a weekly basis. The class is pretty interesting and there is a lot of open discussion about ethical topics and current events. Overall, highly recommend taking Jefferson for any class that he teaches.
Brian Jefferson BMGT411 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/07/2024	Professor Jefferson is a very good professor because he cares about your development as an individual. The class is structured so that you really have to get comfortable with public speaking. Would recommend to everyone!!
Brian Jefferson BMGT411 Expecting an A- Anonymous 05/20/2023	Most of this class is fairly hands off by design by Professor Jefferson. Most of the class is watching presentations for the chapters (each team prepares two presentations per semester). As far as I know, the other sections not taught by him operate on the same structure. Professor Jefferson is very kind and understanding and willing to work with you if you need additional help. Very important you go to class as there is a participation grade.
Mary Keim BMGT411 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/22/2022	If I could give her 0 stars I would. She is genuinely one of the worst professors at the business school. Has absolutely no regard for getting student grades back on time, no clue how to run a classroom or use ELMS, and doesn't even respond to emails. Needs to be fired ASAP
Stephen Loeb BMGT411 Expecting an A Anonymous 11/06/2014	He is the most knowledgeable teacher I've had for accounting. I think he is also the head of the accounting department in the Smith School. He talks a lot about his own research, and has had a lot of his research published as well. But he isn't a bragger, he genuinely wants you to learn from his experiences. He is extremely nice so definitely take advantage of his presence while you have it. The class doesn't have much work; two hour-long group presentations (mostly skits and videos), a paper, and a test, along with class participation. It's probably the easiest accounting class, so take advantage! Only downside is that this class is inherently boring, especially because half the time you are watching other groups present topics such as Sarbanes-Oxley, Discrimination, the Environment, etc.
Stephen Loeb BMGT411 Expecting an A Anonymous 01/03/2012	Prof. Loeb is overall a nice man. This class has no exams, which is nice, but the class expectations are very vague. We have two 1-hour long presentations (sounds bad, but really isn't), a journal of topics, and a research/opinion paper. The expectations were so unclear I had absoutely no idea what my grade would be before he posted it. That said, I can't complain about how the class went because it really didn't take up much of my time. Also, Loeb takes attendance and participation VERY seriously. Not going to class/never participating is a bad, bad idea. He makes a dot by your name every time you speak and then compares your number against your classmate's numberss. Last note: talk to Loeb. He knows a lot of stuff and is a great resource about anything Accounting related.
Stephen Loeb BMGT411 Expecting an A- Anonymous 07/16/2010	You have two group presentations during the semester, and almost every class period consists of an hour long group presentation from a group of about six. You are mostly graded on creativity so make sure your presentation is interesting/fun.Almost everyone gets an A on the them. He takes attendance at the beginning of each class so you have to go to class, but if you are sick or something just email him and its fine. You also have to participate, he marks down how many times you participate and compares your total to your classmates in determing grades. You have to write a corporate social responsibility paper on a company you get to pick, and be sure to follow the directions when they say to give your opinion throughout the paper. Lastly, you have a take home essay final, which has to be really long, about 20 pages he told my class, so plan a lot of time during finals week to write this paper. Overall, enjoyable class to attend most of the time, not too much work, and a pretty easy A-.
Stephen Loeb BMGT411 Expecting an A terpinator 02/20/2009	Not a very exciting course which for the most part consists of student presentation on various accounting-ethics topics. Loeb is a very reasonable grader and it helps talking to him to figure out the grading criteria. I strongly recommend going to all of the extra credit presentations to receive the grade boost at the end of the semester. It was one of the less challenging courses at the business school.

Brian Jefferson
BMGT411

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/13/2025

I initially wanted to drop this course when I found out it was going to be all presentation, since I fear public speaking. However, Professor Jefferson created a very inclusive and welcoming environment that encouraged me to take risks. As a result, I feel like I improved my soft skills tremendously. I highly recommend his course as it will for sure make you better.

Brian Jefferson
BMGT411

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/13/2025

TAKE ETHICS WITH PROFESSOR JEFFERSON. This was one of the most fun, engaging, and helpful classes I've taken at UMD. While the structure of the class is a little daunting at first (every week there are 2 student presentations that teach the content), it works phenomenally well. Professor Jefferson creates one of the most supportive classroom environments I've ever been a part of and it truly uplifts every student. Whether you consider yourself a seasoned pro in giving presentation or despise public speaking, I promise you will learn something in this class that you can implement in other classes and in your career.

Brian Jefferson
BMGT411

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/13/2025

The best professor at UMD. There are 2 big presentations and a couple short elevator pitches but that's pretty much it. The workload is light and he creates such a welcoming environment where everyone is so supportive. His feedback is genuinely helpful and he wants everyone to succeed. I can't recommend him as a professor enough!

Brian Jefferson
BMGT411

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
05/13/2025

Super nice and supportive professor. You will do a lot of presentations but you will never feel stressed since he'll try to help you improve your public speech skills. My PS skills are improved a lot from being nervous to being confident. Quizzes are kind of hard because they're accumulative, but if you read textbook carefully, you'll be good.

Brian Jefferson
BMGT411

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
05/13/2025

Jefferson is a very welcoming professor who wants everyone to succeed in the course. There are quite a few presentations, but there is not a lot of work besides preparing for those. Jefferson tries to grow everyone's presentation skills, so be prepared for constructive feedback from him and classmates. A great class to improve those skills in a low risk environment.

Brian Jefferson
BMGT411

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
05/13/2025

I thought this class was a valuable part of my education at the business school, because I know feel like I am a better public speaker than other students who do not take this class. Professor Jefferson really cares about each of his students, providing feedback that is intended to help you in the future. He also created an environment where everyone in the class becomes friendly with each other, which is great for networking and learning names. This class was challenging at times and you have to put in the work but I am thankful for it.

Brian Jefferson
BMGT411

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
05/13/2025

Professor Jefferson was a very hands-off professor. Meaning he let the students do presentations and then the class would learn from those presentations. In addition, it was a public speaking class where he would provide feedback and this would help you improve so that when you are in the workplace, you perform better. One of the better accounting classes I have taken at UMD. Strong recommend.

Brian Jefferson
BMGT411

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/13/2025

He is a super chill professor, and the class is pretty easy. It is mostly presentation-based (there are 2 group presentations and a group paper), and then a few cumulative multiple-choice quizzes. Overall, the class was pretty fun and lowkey. I would definitely recommend Prof. Jefferson.

Brian Jefferson
BMGT411

Expecting a B
Anonymous
05/13/2025

This course was super fulfilling. There was a lot of relevant information, and the course was structured in a way that made the information interesting to receive. Professor Jefferson gives students a ton of opportunities to get up in front of the class and present, and gives a ton of helpful feedback as well. Overall, this course was awesome. I learned a ton, and truly got a lot out of it. I highly recommend Professor Jefferson for this course!

Brian Jefferson
BMGT411

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
05/13/2025

Super kind and really cares about his students' learning.

Brian Jefferson
BMGT411

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/05/2025

At first, I was thinking about my grade, like most people do. But somewhere along the way, I started participating just because I wanted to, because the class made me care. Professor Jefferson sets things up so that you can’t help but grow and succeed if you put in the effort. It’s the kind of course that changes how you show up, not just for school, but for yourself. And coming from someone who always says, “I want to care about class, but I can’t focus after the first couple of weeks,” that doesn't happen here.

Brian Jefferson
BMGT411

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
05/04/2025

One of the better professors you will run into as an accounting major in the Smith School. I took him for ethics and right out of the gate, you can tell he's knowledgeable, caring, patient, and kind. His course makes you a better speaker which is where 75% of your grade comes from which is speaking with a group to class about ethics topics. Its a shame he's a newer professor and I'm graduating because I would look to take him again and recommend him to those coming up through Smith.

Brian Jefferson
BMGT411

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
12/06/2024

Professor Jefferson is the best! I took both a tax class and an ethics class with him, and it was absolutely wonderful. He promotes a tremendous amount of growth and learning among his students and creates an inclusive environment where everyone feels comfortable, valued, and capable. Beyond just teaching the material, he prepares you to act professionally and succeed in real-world scenarios. I only wish UMD had more professors like him—so inspiring and knowledgeable!

Brian Jefferson
BMGT411

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
12/05/2024

Very nice and interesting professor. Class participation is a big commitment, but Jefferson makes the class enjoyable. The majority of the class is taught by students in presentations, in two large group projects. He is generally generous in grading participation and presentations. Outside of the participation and Group Projects, there are 8 multiple-choice quizzes that will chip away at your grade, however he does drop the lowest two quizzes. Overall great professor, and seems to be very personable and someone who you can talk to and ask for guidance

Brian Jefferson
BMGT411

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/03/2024

411 is a unique class in the accounting program, most classes is taught by a new group of students instead of the professor himself, so you get what your classmates and you put into it. That being said it was very fun, engaging, and the student groups all did a very fine. It was one of my favorite classes. Prof Jefferson was great of you asked questions and I loved the format, but if you are reading this review for one of his other classes, I do not think 411 reviews would be helpful due to the very different formats.

Brian Jefferson
BMGT411

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/03/2024

Professor Jefferson is great. The class is set up with 2 major presentations, a paper, an elevator pitch, and chapter quizzes where the lowest two get dropped. The presentations are definitely intimidating at first but once you get over the first one it gets a lot better. Jefferson creates a welcoming environment for the students to feel comfortable in speaking in front of everyone. I recommend you take him for 411 and for 323 he's great!

Brian Jefferson
BMGT411

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/13/2024

Overall, I really liked this class. There are 2 presentations, 1 group paper, and 9 quizzes. Aside from the presentations, there isn't much work you have to do outside of class. You do have to show up and participate basically class to get a good participation grade. We also had to do a short 3 minute individual presentation (or you could do 6 minutes with someone else). He creates a positive environment where presenting and participating isn't bad. After every presentation, everyone is super supportive and gives very positive feedback. You could give a horrible presentation and he'll still find things to point out that you did super well. One thing I didn't like is that he's not very clear on what he wants from the presentations and grades them kind of low. Thankfully, we had extra credit and he drops the lowest 2 quizzes (he changed it to 3 at the end of the semester because he liked how we participated throughout the semester).

Brian Jefferson
BMGT411

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/07/2024

Professor Jefferson is a great professor and he is very understanding of his students. There are two large presentations but other than those two weeks there is no homework on a weekly basis. The class is pretty interesting and there is a lot of open discussion about ethical topics and current events. Overall, highly recommend taking Jefferson for any class that he teaches.

Brian Jefferson
BMGT411

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/07/2024

Professor Jefferson is a very good professor because he cares about your development as an individual. The class is structured so that you really have to get comfortable with public speaking. Would recommend to everyone!!

Brian Jefferson
BMGT411

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
05/20/2023

Most of this class is fairly hands off by design by Professor Jefferson. Most of the class is watching presentations for the chapters (each team prepares two presentations per semester). As far as I know, the other sections not taught by him operate on the same structure. Professor Jefferson is very kind and understanding and willing to work with you if you need additional help. Very important you go to class as there is a participation grade.

Mary Keim
BMGT411

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/22/2022

If I could give her 0 stars I would. She is genuinely one of the worst professors at the business school. Has absolutely no regard for getting student grades back on time, no clue how to run a classroom or use ELMS, and doesn't even respond to emails. Needs to be fired ASAP

Stephen Loeb
BMGT411

Expecting an A
Anonymous
11/06/2014

He is the most knowledgeable teacher I've had for accounting. I think he is also the head of the accounting department in the Smith School. He talks a lot about his own research, and has had a lot of his research published as well. But he isn't a bragger, he genuinely wants you to learn from his experiences. He is extremely nice so definitely take advantage of his presence while you have it. The class doesn't have much work; two hour-long group presentations (mostly skits and videos), a paper, and a test, along with class participation. It's probably the easiest accounting class, so take advantage! Only downside is that this class is inherently boring, especially because half the time you are watching other groups present topics such as Sarbanes-Oxley, Discrimination, the Environment, etc.

Stephen Loeb
BMGT411

Expecting an A
Anonymous
01/03/2012

Prof. Loeb is overall a nice man. This class has no exams, which is nice, but the class expectations are very vague. We have two 1-hour long presentations (sounds bad, but really isn't), a journal of topics, and a research/opinion paper. The expectations were so unclear I had absoutely no idea what my grade would be before he posted it. That said, I can't complain about how the class went because it really didn't take up much of my time. Also, Loeb takes attendance and participation VERY seriously. Not going to class/never participating is a bad, bad idea. He makes a dot by your name every time you speak and then compares your number against your classmate's numberss. Last note: talk to Loeb. He knows a lot of stuff and is a great resource about anything Accounting related.

Stephen Loeb
BMGT411

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
07/16/2010

You have two group presentations during the semester, and almost every class period consists of an hour long group presentation from a group of about six. You are mostly graded on creativity so make sure your presentation is interesting/fun.Almost everyone gets an A on the them. He takes attendance at the beginning of each class so you have to go to class, but if you are sick or something just email him and its fine. You also have to participate, he marks down how many times you participate and compares your total to your classmates in determing grades. You have to write a corporate social responsibility paper on a company you get to pick, and be sure to follow the directions when they say to give your opinion throughout the paper. Lastly, you have a take home essay final, which has to be really long, about 20 pages he told my class, so plan a lot of time during finals week to write this paper. Overall, enjoyable class to attend most of the time, not too much work, and a pretty easy A-.

Stephen Loeb
BMGT411

Expecting an A
terpinator
02/20/2009

Not a very exciting course which for the most part consists of student presentation on various accounting-ethics topics. Loeb is a very reasonable grader and it helps talking to him to figure out the grading criteria. I strongly recommend going to all of the extra credit presentations to receive the grade boost at the end of the semester. It was one of the less challenging courses at the business school.

Reviews for BMGT411