Joseph Perfetti | PlanetTerp

Information	Review
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Expecting an A- Anonymous 05/08/2025	This is the first time I've felt compelled to give a professor a negative rating through my time here at Smith, and this is also my first PlanetTerp review since my experience in the class was truly that bad. Regrettably, this was the case because I believe that the content in this class is probably the most important out of all the undergraduate Finance courses at Smith, especially if you want to go into investment banking. His conduct on the first day of class already set off a red flag for me. He spent the entire class bragging about how smart he is and said "I'm not going to let some undergraduate student tell me I'm incorrect", which is a terrible mindset for an educator to have. The professor made it clear that he had strict expectations and wanted everything to be perfect but was unwilling to admit when he made a mistake or show an ounce of empathy. He often makes mistakes in assignment material uploads, posting assignments, calling out students for being wrong (even though after discussion they were proven right), and much more. I believe this to be very hypocritical and not fitting for a professor. He consistently used his grading policies as a method to scare students and wanted things to be done perfectly even though the rubrics for his assignments were not clearly outlined. This resulted in many students losing points for even the smallest mistakes (with students not even knowing it was a mistake since he never covered it in the rubric or class). Professor Perfetti refuses to take any accountability for his mistakes, and even when corrected he brushes it off. He consistently made comments about how students are always at fault, even for things that were out of the student's control. This led to unnecessary conflict between students and the professor (and the TAs) and ultimately created a learning environment that was full of anxiety and stress. I believe that it is perfectly fine for a professor to make a course challenging, and I understand that rigorous courses often foster growth in student's learning. However, the professor was more often an obstacle to success rather than a guide to help students develop. He lets his ego get in the way of his student's learning experience, primarily because he believes that he can't possibly be wrong and legitimately doesn't care about anything that doesn't align with his views. As for the content of the class itself, the homeworks have a 500-word minimum requirement and often requires screenshots from the Bloomberg Terminals to support the numbers in your writing. However, since the rubric for the homework isn't clear, many students end up writing 1500+ word papers just to try and cover all bases. Even in doing so, TAs were instructed to take off points for things that were not even discussed in the rubric or class. As for group projects, make sure you choose your group wisely so the rest of the semester goes smoothly. There are 4 presentations and a Bloomberg Trading Challenge (BTC) that you have to do with your group. The BTC has your group run a portfolio and compete against the other teams in your class. This challenge makes up 10% of your grade (broken up into 2 halves, 5% each half). The professor grades the challenge by portfolio value rank in your class (first place gets a 5 and last place gets a 1), so if you get a place last in both halves you lose 8% of your grade, and so on. There is a midterm which was intentionally made to be very tricky, and the final is likely to be the same way. Overall, the class is very time-consuming and covers a lot of content. This would be fine if the professor didn't make taking the class such a miserable experience. If you're looking to go into IB, this course's content is correlated, but be prepared to deal with the potential issues caused by the professor and class structure. If you're looking for a random finance elective to fulfill your 44X requirement, don't take this class. The amount of time you'd have to spend to get an "A" doesn't make this course worth it, especially because of the professor's conduct.
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/07/2025	I typically refrain from leaving negative reviews, but I feel a responsibility to provide an honest reflection of my experience in this class. My review is not related to the professor’s medical-related absences, which I respect and empathize with. Rather, it is focused entirely on the classroom environment and the professor’s conduct. From the very first day, the professor set an unnecessarily hostile tone by warning students about his grading style in a way that felt more like a scare tactic than helpful guidance. That tone carried through the semester. Grading was excessively strict—points were often deducted for the smallest details, many of which were never clearly outlined in the instructions. This level of scrutiny did not enhance learning; it created anxiety and confusion. More troubling, however, was the clear double standard the professor exhibited. While he expected students to be precise and meticulous, he himself often made premature remarks or assumptions about students’ work without verifying the accuracy of his comments. When challenged or corrected, there was rarely any accountability or acknowledgment. This created an environment where students felt unfairly judged and unheard. The course content itself was not particularly difficult, but the professor’s approach made the experience unnecessarily burdensome. The atmosphere was discouraging, and many students left the class feeling disheartened rather than challenged in a constructive way. If you're seeking an easy "A", I would advise you to think twice before enrolling in this course.
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Expecting a B Anonymous 05/06/2025	My semester was a little bit unique because he was not able to be in person due to medical reasons but my review isn't based on that. His TA availability is mainly during the weekends and as someone who works on weekends, it is not at all accommodating for people who commute(especially since you need the Bloomberg program in that one computer- can't access it at home or anywhere else) or work part-time on weekends. Trust me his assignments are do-able, but sometimes TAs help is necessary for minor tweaks here and there. In addition, TAs will not respond to your email or respond after you had submitted that assignment in even though you emailed them four to five days prior to that assignment being due. I can go on- sometimes the professor will give you two assignments of the same concept but apply it to different companies, but by the time first one is submitted- its never graded til three weeks later- Well! guess what you probably made the same mistake on the second assignment because it wasn't graded on time and you didn't know. Attendance is mandatory. You're screwed if your group members suck. I fortunately had good teammates who was well communicative. In the beginning, professor wasn't even providing rubrics for group presentation but he changed that eventually. But the biggest problem is he doesn't provide rubrics for Homework. He is strict but doesn't apply the same expectations to himself.
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/22/2024	The course - probably the most valuable course in Business School. Bonus - the Bloomberg Certification. Perfetti - an awesome Professor, preparing you for life. All courses are recorded and Homeworks are similar to the class exercises. Everything is related to practice, you will learn and become confident on your assessments. You will face life with real tools. He is Professor at Duke, teaching some courses to Oxford University as well. If you are doing well in class, have no absences and submit all Homeworks, you can waive the final exam. There are a lot of Group Projects - if you have a bad group, you will struggle and will leave bad comments like my colleagues down below.
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 12/11/2024	If you are trying to take this course for an easy A, think again. It's a significant amount of work and the professor and his TAs can be harsh with grading. Perfetti will try to scare you away from the class at the beginning of the semester since there is usually a long waitlist. However, unlike other finance courses here that are very math-heavy, this class is more concept-heavy and workload-heavy. If you're willing to put up with the work and don't want another math class, then this class is worth it. The content you learn, like how to use the Bloomberg terminals and create DCF models, will be very useful for other finance classes at UMD and a career in finance. Also, he cancels class and gives asynchronous days to catch up on work every once in a while, which is nice. Make sure to KNOW his syllabus front to back and keep track of small things that could disqualify you from opting out of the final, i.e. you get more than one unexcused absence, less than a 50% on a homework assignment, a negative peer review, etc. Midterm and final are both online and open book and are only worth 10% each, but the wording of the questions can be tricky. Bloomberg trading challenge can be annoying since it's not entirely in your control and is partially just luck. I followed everything on his syllabus, did all the extra credit, and was able to opt out of the final, but because my team scored poorly on the BTC, I ended with a B+.
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Expecting an A- Anonymous 12/10/2024	DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. You may see the grade data and think, oh I may get an easy A. And you may! But it is definitely not worth the headache of dealing with this professor and his incompetent TA’s. They take off points for basically anything and 0’s are common for simple mistakes. He talked about politics after the election, not considering how a lot of students may disagree (not even about the impact on finance but his personal opinions). Every time I submitted an assignment I held my breath because I was worried what stupid points I would get off even after working for hours. Attendance is mandatory. The course is useful, but there are plenty of other useful courses to take! DO NOT TAKE THIS ONE!!
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Anonymous 12/09/2024	Professor Perfetti is AWFUL. An entire group was penalized 40% on their group presentation for one of their group members being on their computer during a presentation. Also, if you make one single small mistake on your homework you will receive a 0%, he gives no partial credit. He talks about his political view with the new Trump administration like how he hates RFK Jr. The content is interesting, but the professor is brutal. Glad this class is over.
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Expecting a C+ Anonymous 12/09/2024	This class is really interesting and the trading challenge was a super fun experience, but I did not enjoy him as a professor. He is extremely harsh on grading, using only general rubrics to justify point penalties and offering offering no partial credit. MOST PEOPLE get an A or B in this class because he offers significant extra credit opportunities to offset his harsh grading policies. He is not forgiving or understanding whatsoever, and everything in his class is all or nothing.
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Expecting an A Anonymous 06/04/2024	I took this class as a senior but I wish I had taken it sooner. The course material is pretty interesting if you like the analysis aspect of finance. The course is heavily involving, as there are group (same group throughout the year) assignments throughout the semester that weigh heavily as well as a weekly assignment. You better hope you have competent group members. Attendance is necessary and so is every assignment. If you attend every class, submit every assignment, and work well with your group, you'll likely get an A. This is a busy class, however, Perfetti makes his lectures interesting and you will learn a lot in this class. Highly recommend. He doesn't mess around, but he sets the class up for you to do well.
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 05/17/2024	Most accurate review is the one in 12/14/23. There’s a lot of work to do but this is 400 class so that’s expected. You will need a Bloomberg Certification by the first two weeks and four group projects were you need to present at least once. Best teacher I got so far at UMD and the only reason I didnt get an A is because I forgot about two HW. If you can do everything asked on the syllabus to avoid the final do it. Our avg grade for the final was 4/10 which is worth 10% of all your grade.
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 05/05/2024	Very useful course and is taught pretty straightforward. Keep every assignment on lockdown and every excused absence sent in a week early as the professor crafted an ironclad syllabus so he doesn't have to deal with students outside of class. Failure to do so will lead to having to take the final. Exams are complete curveballs and are plagued with tricky wording making it deadly to have to take the final.
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/14/2023	The class itself is great. The content is useful and flows logically, and the homeworks are directly related to what you learn. The dcf modelling and analysis makes any other finance class that uses dcfs a breeze because you already have a working model and a pretty deep understanding. As long as you do not miss homeworks you basically guarantee an A. There is sufficient extra credit (6% of your total grade) to bring up any lost points elsewhere which is generally minimal.
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Expecting an A Anonymous 08/24/2023	This course was messy and had no clear organization to it. Professor Perfetti is a little bit rude and does not make it feel like a safe space to ask questions. This class required so much writing on a weekly basis. The only upside is that you learn a bunch in this class and you can opt out of the final exam if you come to class and do well on your assignments. Unless you are really into a career in investment banking, look to take another finance elective course.
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/09/2023	I'm getting an A in class, but it's not thanks to Perfetti. This class was the most work I have ever had to do in a college class, and unless you want to go into investment banking there is 0 reason to take this. Find a different finance class. He couldn't care less about his students and doesn't seem to be interested in making sure the students learn anything. If you submit screenshots for an assignment even a minute late you'll get a 0, meanwhile him and the TAs fell a half semester behind on grades. If you're gonna hold students to that standard, hold your TAs to the same standard. The only positive thing about the class is that if you put in the time to do the work (which for most of us was over 10 hours a week) you will get an A. I don't understand how he has such a high rating. Unless you're a finance bro you won't enjoy the class.
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Expecting an A Anonymous 04/25/2023	Absolutely no BS professor. No BS work, everything he assigns is for a reason. Absolutely no credit for late work (even just 1 minute late). And if you have a mild cold you're probably going to have to show up to class. But regardless, any finance major should take this class, you'll learn so much and it's probably the best finance class in the Smith School. Don't bother with the textbook. You're probably going to have to dedicate on average 2-4 hours a week working outside of his lectures. Everything I learned is also heavily applicable to the financial world. Take the class!
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Expecting an A Anonymous 01/11/2023	I will say the way he structures his class is a 10/10. He makes you show up to every class by taking attendance but you are rewarded with opting out of the final. His homework's were really annoying at first because they could only be completed in the Bloomberg labs on campus but you get the hang of it. Definitely take this class. However, the only down side to this class isn't the class itself but the professor. Perfetti doesn't bother nor care to learn anyones names or faces. He's kind of just there to teach and move on. I know someone that was going through personal troubles and asked for an extension and he basically said no its unfair to give one student additional time. Yikes.
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/14/2022	This guy is great. Everyone is a senior and everyone just wants to graduate so the class is made to be super doable. Honestly it is a decent amount of work and I feel really overwhelmed about the homeworks sometimes but the second I go to office hours the TA's help me immedietaly and it gets done in the next hour. Honestly so many people were stressed about this class and missed class and thought that they wouldn't get a good grade but everyone ends up opting out of the final (another great feature an automatic 10%) and gets an A in the class. Really easy class first one on my transcript and definitely a good requirement for finance majors
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Expecting an A Anonymous 01/12/2021	Perfetti is an extremely knowledge professor, but can be intimating to some students. He expects a lot from his students but not anything that is too complicated. Everything is outlined on the syllabus and if you don't follow it exactly you have the potential to get your grade lower or receive no credit on assignments. He teaches the Bloomberg software which is very confusing (but extremely useful) so listening to lecture really helps complete assignments and understand what is going on in the class. There is a lot of extra credit to make up from a bad grade on like 3 different assignments. Group project also account for 50% of your grade, so you should hope you get put in a good group were everyone does their fair share
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/11/2019	Professor Perfetti has tons of industry experience and really know what he's talking about. His lecture is what I think, without a doubt, the best finance course in Smith, and I've learned from him a lot. However, he is very strict on assignment rules and he can be harsh in grading, given the fact that the course is very easy, and an overwhelming proportion of students got an "A" from his class. His rules on final exam opt out is truly awesome and make my life in finals week much easier. However, he admits that people “hate” him for that as well. Since some grading on cases and projects are just totally by LUCK. Yes, by luck! Apart from the Bloomberg challenge, there is a group case that asks you to pick two companies to outperform S&P500 in 2.5 months, otherwise you’re gonna to be deducted by 2.5 points. Our team missed both. Seriously if I can predict the future by this why I’m I even in this university? I should be sitting in JPMorgan or Morgan Stanley, or even writing a book to tell people which stock they should invest, and everybody who knows this will become rich. It is totally ridiculous. I would say be very careful in picking a team/selecting your teammates since unreliable teammates will result you unable to be opt out from the tedious final exam that will be potentially destroying your final grade. This is a course you can really learn a lot about finance but you can also get end up with a bad grade easily if you have made some careless mistakes. But I still gotta say, Perfetti is a great lecturer and BMGT443 is a perfect course for those who are interested in finance, it will definitely exceed your expectations.
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/25/2015	Perfetti is great professor, with tons of knowledge and experience. However, in order to enjoy this course, you really need to enjoy finance. If you do, this will be one of the best classes you'll ever take!!! The material covered is this course is very really world, interest, and very useful, even for other classes. You'll also learn some high-level Excel modeling and how to use Bloomberg. There are a lot of assignments, some individual, some in group, but there are not very hard, and the grading is pretty lenient. The exams are also all take-home, and done online. Overall, this was one of the best classes I ever took, and an A is very easily attainable. I highly recommend this class to everyone!!!
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/14/2014	Let me preface this by saying that you need to really enjoy finance to appreciate Perfetti and this course. I can say that this was the one of the best classes I've taken in the business school. Perfetti is a great lecturer and does a great job of simplifying complex material, and making it interesting. I learned a ton, which sadly I can't say for many of my other courses. This class did require a good amount of work, but everything I got out of it was worth it. Also grading is fairly lenient.
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Expecting a B AcctFin2014 01/09/2014	This was an okay class, if you like the material and you enjoy the "finance personality." A lot of the class is spent listening to Professor Perfetti emphasize how smart he is, and how important it is to be smart like him. I went to about half the classes, and usually showed up late. In spite of that, I would have gotten an A but my group was dinged 6 points for failing to submit a spreadsheet with our final paper. The exams were both take-home and all of the homeworks are pretty much the same and exactly what we did in class; in order to do badly, you have to really try (as I did). So, again, if you enjoy stock stuff, think valuation is interesting, want to learn some high-level Excel modeling, or just really enjoy being in a room full of Finance people, take this class. If none of these apply to you (and besides the Excel practice, none of them applied to me), I suggest finding a different Finance elective.
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Expecting an A sukhenkoy1990 05/23/2013	Professor Perfetti is one of the best Finance professors in the business school. He is extremely knowledgeable in the subject matter and does a great job of presenting the material in an easy-to-understand manner. His classes are very practical and give you great experience in valuing real-world companies using a valuation model that you create in class. The class is pretty easy to get an A in as long as you do all of the work that is assigned to you. The midterm threw some people off as it was slightly more difficult than many were probably expecting, but it was pretty fair if you took the time to read the multiple choice questions carefully. The homework assignments are all easy, and Professor Perfetti provides videos on how to do all of the homework assignments properly. The group valuation project just gives you experience valuing a real-world company in a group setting using the valuation model that you construct in Excel, while the StockTrak assignment is really a hit or miss. The final exam is take-home and is also pretty easy. Overall, this is probably the most practical Finance class offered in the business school as it gives you great experience in valuing real-world companies using McKinsey's economic format and DCF. If possible, try to take this class with Perfetti.
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Anonymous 12/23/2012	Perfetti is one of the better professors I have had at UMD. He gets down to business and doesn't mess around or waste anyone's time. Don't leave the final group project until the last second or else it will be the bane of your existence if you try to balance it with finals.
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Anonymous 12/20/2012	Perfetti is awesome. He really knows what he is talking about and knows how to explain everything to make it understandable to undergrads. The course is about valuing companies and throughout the year you will go about building a model. The course consists of attendance, homeworks, stock portfolio, a midterm, a final, and a final project. Everything is take home and open notes which makes it really easy. There is no excuse to not get an A in the class. Attendance is pretty self-explanatory. The homeworks are relatively easy and for almost all of them, he posts videos that if you follow step by step you will do well on the homework. The midterm and final are like longer homeworks with some multiple choice questions thrown in. They are relatively easy too since you have a lot of time to do them and they're open notes and open book. The other parts of the class are the stock portfolio and the final project which is an analysis and valuation of a company that you choose in an industry he chooses. The stock portfolio is hit or miss since it seems to be mostly luck. You're graded against your classmates in this. The final project is a complete analysis and valuation of a company and he tells you everything that needs to be included in it. This class is very easy and interesting. Perfetti is one of the best professors in the business school and finance department by far.
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Expecting an A Anonymous 09/23/2012	Perfetti is THE man. Despite the fact that the teaches at UMD and Wharton while concurrently owning a management consulting firm, he still shows up to class in a polo, jeans, and sneakers. The goal of this class is to teach you the DCF as viewed by consultants, as well as a few bits about multiples and economic profit valuations. Each lecture consists of you going over one small part of the valuation. Grades consist of periodic homework assignments, a midterm, a final, attendance, stocktrack performance (i.e. a stock portfolio), and final group project (a formal valuation of some company). All assignments, including exams, are take-home. He gives at least 2 points of extra credit during the semester. He grades leniently, and getting an A is very easy. Perfetti really knows this subject in and out, and he drills important concepts into your head better than most professors. Probably the most important course for a finance major.
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Expecting a B Anonymous 05/22/2011	Good course, really teaches you something that matters. I should have gotten the A in the class, but I missed 4 classes (each miss after the first takes 2 pts off your final grade). Show up to all the classes and make sure to do the homeworks and keep up to date. This is not a class you can teach yourself. Go to class and pay attention, Perfetti will get you there.
Joseph Perfetti BMGT443 Expecting an A dhyun3 05/14/2009	Best Finance course you probably ever take at Smith school. he knows what he's talking about.I felt like I am actually learning something.

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
05/08/2025

This is the first time I've felt compelled to give a professor a negative rating through my time here at Smith, and this is also my first PlanetTerp review since my experience in the class was truly that bad. Regrettably, this was the case because I believe that the content in this class is probably the most important out of all the undergraduate Finance courses at Smith, especially if you want to go into investment banking. His conduct on the first day of class already set off a red flag for me. He spent the entire class bragging about how smart he is and said "I'm not going to let some undergraduate student tell me I'm incorrect", which is a terrible mindset for an educator to have. The professor made it clear that he had strict expectations and wanted everything to be perfect but was unwilling to admit when he made a mistake or show an ounce of empathy. He often makes mistakes in assignment material uploads, posting assignments, calling out students for being wrong (even though after discussion they were proven right), and much more. I believe this to be very hypocritical and not fitting for a professor. He consistently used his grading policies as a method to scare students and wanted things to be done perfectly even though the rubrics for his assignments were not clearly outlined. This resulted in many students losing points for even the smallest mistakes (with students not even knowing it was a mistake since he never covered it in the rubric or class). Professor Perfetti refuses to take any accountability for his mistakes, and even when corrected he brushes it off. He consistently made comments about how students are always at fault, even for things that were out of the student's control. This led to unnecessary conflict between students and the professor (and the TAs) and ultimately created a learning environment that was full of anxiety and stress. I believe that it is perfectly fine for a professor to make a course challenging, and I understand that rigorous courses often foster growth in student's learning. However, the professor was more often an obstacle to success rather than a guide to help students develop. He lets his ego get in the way of his student's learning experience, primarily because he believes that he can't possibly be wrong and legitimately doesn't care about anything that doesn't align with his views. As for the content of the class itself, the homeworks have a 500-word minimum requirement and often requires screenshots from the Bloomberg Terminals to support the numbers in your writing. However, since the rubric for the homework isn't clear, many students end up writing 1500+ word papers just to try and cover all bases. Even in doing so, TAs were instructed to take off points for things that were not even discussed in the rubric or class. As for group projects, make sure you choose your group wisely so the rest of the semester goes smoothly. There are 4 presentations and a Bloomberg Trading Challenge (BTC) that you have to do with your group. The BTC has your group run a portfolio and compete against the other teams in your class. This challenge makes up 10% of your grade (broken up into 2 halves, 5% each half). The professor grades the challenge by portfolio value rank in your class (first place gets a 5 and last place gets a 1), so if you get a place last in both halves you lose 8% of your grade, and so on. There is a midterm which was intentionally made to be very tricky, and the final is likely to be the same way. Overall, the class is very time-consuming and covers a lot of content. This would be fine if the professor didn't make taking the class such a miserable experience. If you're looking to go into IB, this course's content is correlated, but be prepared to deal with the potential issues caused by the professor and class structure. If you're looking for a random finance elective to fulfill your 44X requirement, don't take this class. The amount of time you'd have to spend to get an "A" doesn't make this course worth it, especially because of the professor's conduct.

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/07/2025

I typically refrain from leaving negative reviews, but I feel a responsibility to provide an honest reflection of my experience in this class. My review is not related to the professor’s medical-related absences, which I respect and empathize with. Rather, it is focused entirely on the classroom environment and the professor’s conduct. From the very first day, the professor set an unnecessarily hostile tone by warning students about his grading style in a way that felt more like a scare tactic than helpful guidance. That tone carried through the semester. Grading was excessively strict—points were often deducted for the smallest details, many of which were never clearly outlined in the instructions. This level of scrutiny did not enhance learning; it created anxiety and confusion. More troubling, however, was the clear double standard the professor exhibited. While he expected students to be precise and meticulous, he himself often made premature remarks or assumptions about students’ work without verifying the accuracy of his comments. When challenged or corrected, there was rarely any accountability or acknowledgment. This created an environment where students felt unfairly judged and unheard. The course content itself was not particularly difficult, but the professor’s approach made the experience unnecessarily burdensome. The atmosphere was discouraging, and many students left the class feeling disheartened rather than challenged in a constructive way. If you're seeking an easy "A", I would advise you to think twice before enrolling in this course.

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Expecting a B
Anonymous
05/06/2025

My semester was a little bit unique because he was not able to be in person due to medical reasons but my review isn't based on that. His TA availability is mainly during the weekends and as someone who works on weekends, it is not at all accommodating for people who commute(especially since you need the Bloomberg program in that one computer- can't access it at home or anywhere else) or work part-time on weekends. Trust me his assignments are do-able, but sometimes TAs help is necessary for minor tweaks here and there. In addition, TAs will not respond to your email or respond after you had submitted that assignment in even though you emailed them four to five days prior to that assignment being due. I can go on- sometimes the professor will give you two assignments of the same concept but apply it to different companies, but by the time first one is submitted- its never graded til three weeks later- Well! guess what you probably made the same mistake on the second assignment because it wasn't graded on time and you didn't know. Attendance is mandatory. You're screwed if your group members suck. I fortunately had good teammates who was well communicative. In the beginning, professor wasn't even providing rubrics for group presentation but he changed that eventually. But the biggest problem is he doesn't provide rubrics for Homework. He is strict but doesn't apply the same expectations to himself.

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/22/2024

The course - probably the most valuable course in Business School. Bonus - the Bloomberg Certification. Perfetti - an awesome Professor, preparing you for life. All courses are recorded and Homeworks are similar to the class exercises. Everything is related to practice, you will learn and become confident on your assessments. You will face life with real tools. He is Professor at Duke, teaching some courses to Oxford University as well. If you are doing well in class, have no absences and submit all Homeworks, you can waive the final exam. There are a lot of Group Projects - if you have a bad group, you will struggle and will leave bad comments like my colleagues down below.

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
12/11/2024

If you are trying to take this course for an easy A, think again. It's a significant amount of work and the professor and his TAs can be harsh with grading. Perfetti will try to scare you away from the class at the beginning of the semester since there is usually a long waitlist. However, unlike other finance courses here that are very math-heavy, this class is more concept-heavy and workload-heavy. If you're willing to put up with the work and don't want another math class, then this class is worth it. The content you learn, like how to use the Bloomberg terminals and create DCF models, will be very useful for other finance classes at UMD and a career in finance. Also, he cancels class and gives asynchronous days to catch up on work every once in a while, which is nice. Make sure to KNOW his syllabus front to back and keep track of small things that could disqualify you from opting out of the final, i.e. you get more than one unexcused absence, less than a 50% on a homework assignment, a negative peer review, etc. Midterm and final are both online and open book and are only worth 10% each, but the wording of the questions can be tricky. Bloomberg trading challenge can be annoying since it's not entirely in your control and is partially just luck. I followed everything on his syllabus, did all the extra credit, and was able to opt out of the final, but because my team scored poorly on the BTC, I ended with a B+.

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
12/10/2024

DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. You may see the grade data and think, oh I may get an easy A. And you may! But it is definitely not worth the headache of dealing with this professor and his incompetent TA’s. They take off points for basically anything and 0’s are common for simple mistakes. He talked about politics after the election, not considering how a lot of students may disagree (not even about the impact on finance but his personal opinions). Every time I submitted an assignment I held my breath because I was worried what stupid points I would get off even after working for hours. Attendance is mandatory. The course is useful, but there are plenty of other useful courses to take! DO NOT TAKE THIS ONE!!

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Anonymous
12/09/2024

Professor Perfetti is AWFUL. An entire group was penalized 40% on their group presentation for one of their group members being on their computer during a presentation. Also, if you make one single small mistake on your homework you will receive a 0%, he gives no partial credit. He talks about his political view with the new Trump administration like how he hates RFK Jr. The content is interesting, but the professor is brutal. Glad this class is over.

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Expecting a C+
Anonymous
12/09/2024

This class is really interesting and the trading challenge was a super fun experience, but I did not enjoy him as a professor. He is extremely harsh on grading, using only general rubrics to justify point penalties and offering offering no partial credit. MOST PEOPLE get an A or B in this class because he offers significant extra credit opportunities to offset his harsh grading policies. He is not forgiving or understanding whatsoever, and everything in his class is all or nothing.

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Expecting an A
Anonymous
06/04/2024

I took this class as a senior but I wish I had taken it sooner. The course material is pretty interesting if you like the analysis aspect of finance. The course is heavily involving, as there are group (same group throughout the year) assignments throughout the semester that weigh heavily as well as a weekly assignment. You better hope you have competent group members. Attendance is necessary and so is every assignment. If you attend every class, submit every assignment, and work well with your group, you'll likely get an A. This is a busy class, however, Perfetti makes his lectures interesting and you will learn a lot in this class. Highly recommend. He doesn't mess around, but he sets the class up for you to do well.

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
05/17/2024

Most accurate review is the one in 12/14/23. There’s a lot of work to do but this is 400 class so that’s expected. You will need a Bloomberg Certification by the first two weeks and four group projects were you need to present at least once. Best teacher I got so far at UMD and the only reason I didnt get an A is because I forgot about two HW. If you can do everything asked on the syllabus to avoid the final do it. Our avg grade for the final was 4/10 which is worth 10% of all your grade.

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
05/05/2024

Very useful course and is taught pretty straightforward. Keep every assignment on lockdown and every excused absence sent in a week early as the professor crafted an ironclad syllabus so he doesn't have to deal with students outside of class. Failure to do so will lead to having to take the final. Exams are complete curveballs and are plagued with tricky wording making it deadly to have to take the final.

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/14/2023

The class itself is great. The content is useful and flows logically, and the homeworks are directly related to what you learn. The dcf modelling and analysis makes any other finance class that uses dcfs a breeze because you already have a working model and a pretty deep understanding. As long as you do not miss homeworks you basically guarantee an A. There is sufficient extra credit (6% of your total grade) to bring up any lost points elsewhere which is generally minimal.

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Expecting an A
Anonymous
08/24/2023

This course was messy and had no clear organization to it. Professor Perfetti is a little bit rude and does not make it feel like a safe space to ask questions. This class required so much writing on a weekly basis. The only upside is that you learn a bunch in this class and you can opt out of the final exam if you come to class and do well on your assignments. Unless you are really into a career in investment banking, look to take another finance elective course.

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
05/09/2023

I'm getting an A in class, but it's not thanks to Perfetti. This class was the most work I have ever had to do in a college class, and unless you want to go into investment banking there is 0 reason to take this. Find a different finance class. He couldn't care less about his students and doesn't seem to be interested in making sure the students learn anything. If you submit screenshots for an assignment even a minute late you'll get a 0, meanwhile him and the TAs fell a half semester behind on grades. If you're gonna hold students to that standard, hold your TAs to the same standard. The only positive thing about the class is that if you put in the time to do the work (which for most of us was over 10 hours a week) you will get an A. I don't understand how he has such a high rating. Unless you're a finance bro you won't enjoy the class.

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Expecting an A
Anonymous
04/25/2023

Absolutely no BS professor. No BS work, everything he assigns is for a reason. Absolutely no credit for late work (even just 1 minute late). And if you have a mild cold you're probably going to have to show up to class. But regardless, any finance major should take this class, you'll learn so much and it's probably the best finance class in the Smith School. Don't bother with the textbook. You're probably going to have to dedicate on average 2-4 hours a week working outside of his lectures. Everything I learned is also heavily applicable to the financial world. Take the class!

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Expecting an A
Anonymous
01/11/2023

I will say the way he structures his class is a 10/10. He makes you show up to every class by taking attendance but you are rewarded with opting out of the final. His homework's were really annoying at first because they could only be completed in the Bloomberg labs on campus but you get the hang of it. Definitely take this class. However, the only down side to this class isn't the class itself but the professor. Perfetti doesn't bother nor care to learn anyones names or faces. He's kind of just there to teach and move on. I know someone that was going through personal troubles and asked for an extension and he basically said no its unfair to give one student additional time. Yikes.

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/14/2022

This guy is great. Everyone is a senior and everyone just wants to graduate so the class is made to be super doable. Honestly it is a decent amount of work and I feel really overwhelmed about the homeworks sometimes but the second I go to office hours the TA's help me immedietaly and it gets done in the next hour. Honestly so many people were stressed about this class and missed class and thought that they wouldn't get a good grade but everyone ends up opting out of the final (another great feature an automatic 10%) and gets an A in the class. Really easy class first one on my transcript and definitely a good requirement for finance majors

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Expecting an A
Anonymous
01/12/2021

Perfetti is an extremely knowledge professor, but can be intimating to some students. He expects a lot from his students but not anything that is too complicated. Everything is outlined on the syllabus and if you don't follow it exactly you have the potential to get your grade lower or receive no credit on assignments. He teaches the Bloomberg software which is very confusing (but extremely useful) so listening to lecture really helps complete assignments and understand what is going on in the class. There is a lot of extra credit to make up from a bad grade on like 3 different assignments. Group project also account for 50% of your grade, so you should hope you get put in a good group were everyone does their fair share

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/11/2019

Professor Perfetti has tons of industry experience and really know what he's talking about. His lecture is what I think, without a doubt, the best finance course in Smith, and I've learned from him a lot. However, he is very strict on assignment rules and he can be harsh in grading, given the fact that the course is very easy, and an overwhelming proportion of students got an "A" from his class. His rules on final exam opt out is truly awesome and make my life in finals week much easier. *However*, he admits that people “hate” him for that as well. Since some grading on cases and projects are just totally by LUCK. Yes, by luck! Apart from the Bloomberg challenge, there is a group case that asks you to pick two companies to outperform S&P500 in 2.5 months, otherwise you’re gonna to be deducted by 2.5 points. Our team missed both. Seriously if I can predict the future by this why I’m I even in this university? I should be sitting in JPMorgan or Morgan Stanley, or even writing a book to tell people which stock they should invest, and everybody who knows this will become rich. It is totally ridiculous. I would say be very careful in picking a team/selecting your teammates since unreliable teammates will result you unable to be opt out from the tedious final exam that will be potentially destroying your final grade. This is a course you can really learn a lot about finance but you can also get end up with a bad grade easily if you have made some careless mistakes. But I still gotta say, Perfetti is a great lecturer and BMGT443 is a perfect course for those who are interested in finance, it will definitely exceed your expectations.

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/25/2015

Perfetti is great professor, with tons of knowledge and experience. However, in order to enjoy this course, you really need to enjoy finance. If you do, this will be one of the best classes you'll ever take!!! The material covered is this course is very really world, interest, and very useful, even for other classes. You'll also learn some high-level Excel modeling and how to use Bloomberg. There are a lot of assignments, some individual, some in group, but there are not very hard, and the grading is pretty lenient. The exams are also all take-home, and done online. Overall, this was one of the best classes I ever took, and an A is very easily attainable. I highly recommend this class to everyone!!!

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/14/2014

Let me preface this by saying that you need to really enjoy finance to appreciate Perfetti and this course. I can say that this was the one of the best classes I've taken in the business school. Perfetti is a great lecturer and does a great job of simplifying complex material, and making it interesting. I learned a ton, which sadly I can't say for many of my other courses. This class did require a good amount of work, but everything I got out of it was worth it. Also grading is fairly lenient.

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Expecting a B
AcctFin2014
01/09/2014

This was an okay class, if you like the material and you enjoy the "finance personality." A lot of the class is spent listening to Professor Perfetti emphasize how smart he is, and how important it is to be smart like him. I went to about half the classes, and usually showed up late. In spite of that, I would have gotten an A but my group was dinged 6 points for failing to submit a spreadsheet with our final paper. The exams were both take-home and all of the homeworks are pretty much the same and exactly what we did in class; in order to do badly, you have to really try (as I did). So, again, if you enjoy stock stuff, think valuation is interesting, want to learn some high-level Excel modeling, or just really enjoy being in a room full of Finance people, take this class. If none of these apply to you (and besides the Excel practice, none of them applied to me), I suggest finding a different Finance elective.

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Expecting an A
sukhenkoy1990
05/23/2013

Professor Perfetti is one of the best Finance professors in the business school. He is extremely knowledgeable in the subject matter and does a great job of presenting the material in an easy-to-understand manner. His classes are very practical and give you great experience in valuing real-world companies using a valuation model that you create in class. The class is pretty easy to get an A in as long as you do all of the work that is assigned to you. The midterm threw some people off as it was slightly more difficult than many were probably expecting, but it was pretty fair if you took the time to read the multiple choice questions carefully. The homework assignments are all easy, and Professor Perfetti provides videos on how to do all of the homework assignments properly. The group valuation project just gives you experience valuing a real-world company in a group setting using the valuation model that you construct in Excel, while the StockTrak assignment is really a hit or miss. The final exam is take-home and is also pretty easy. Overall, this is probably the most practical Finance class offered in the business school as it gives you great experience in valuing real-world companies using McKinsey's economic format and DCF. If possible, try to take this class with Perfetti.

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Anonymous
12/23/2012

Perfetti is one of the better professors I have had at UMD. He gets down to business and doesn't mess around or waste anyone's time. Don't leave the final group project until the last second or else it will be the bane of your existence if you try to balance it with finals.

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Anonymous
12/20/2012

Perfetti is awesome. He really knows what he is talking about and knows how to explain everything to make it understandable to undergrads. The course is about valuing companies and throughout the year you will go about building a model. The course consists of attendance, homeworks, stock portfolio, a midterm, a final, and a final project. Everything is take home and open notes which makes it really easy. There is no excuse to not get an A in the class. Attendance is pretty self-explanatory. The homeworks are relatively easy and for almost all of them, he posts videos that if you follow step by step you will do well on the homework. The midterm and final are like longer homeworks with some multiple choice questions thrown in. They are relatively easy too since you have a lot of time to do them and they're open notes and open book. The other parts of the class are the stock portfolio and the final project which is an analysis and valuation of a company that you choose in an industry he chooses. The stock portfolio is hit or miss since it seems to be mostly luck. You're graded against your classmates in this. The final project is a complete analysis and valuation of a company and he tells you everything that needs to be included in it. This class is very easy and interesting. Perfetti is one of the best professors in the business school and finance department by far.

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Expecting an A
Anonymous
09/23/2012

Perfetti is THE man. Despite the fact that the teaches at UMD and Wharton while concurrently owning a management consulting firm, he still shows up to class in a polo, jeans, and sneakers. The goal of this class is to teach you the DCF as viewed by consultants, as well as a few bits about multiples and economic profit valuations. Each lecture consists of you going over one small part of the valuation. Grades consist of periodic homework assignments, a midterm, a final, attendance, stocktrack performance (i.e. a stock portfolio), and final group project (a formal valuation of some company). All assignments, including exams, are take-home. He gives at least 2 points of extra credit during the semester. He grades leniently, and getting an A is very easy. Perfetti really knows this subject in and out, and he drills important concepts into your head better than most professors. Probably the most important course for a finance major.

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Expecting a B
Anonymous
05/22/2011

Good course, really teaches you something that matters. I should have gotten the A in the class, but I missed 4 classes (each miss after the first takes 2 pts off your final grade). Show up to all the classes and make sure to do the homeworks and keep up to date. This is not a class you can teach yourself. Go to class and pay attention, Perfetti will get you there.

Joseph Perfetti
BMGT443

Expecting an A
dhyun3
05/14/2009

Best Finance course you probably ever take at Smith school. he knows what he's talking about.I felt like I am actually learning something.