ESE 318
Engineering Mathematics A
Laplace transforms; matrix algebra; vector analysis; eigenvalues and eigenvectors; vector differential calculus and vector integral calculus in three dimensions. Prerequisites: Math 233 and Math 217 or their equivalents.
Instructors
Kevin Brennan, Martha Hasting, Peizhen Zhu, Randall Hoven, Vladimir Kurenok
Reviews
One of the best professors at the school. His class is fun and he is so flexible with assignments.
4/27/2026
My favorite teacher, maybe ever. Such a genuine, nice guy and clearly cares about his students. Shares his passion for math and his other hobbies, and the whole class is very conducive to learning. The choose-your-own-adventure format is hard to understand at first but it works really well. Taking 3180 and 3190 with him was amazing.
12/1/2025
She' a nice person but her classes are exam heavy and graded by a few things; it gets even worse with a twist of her OCD. What you learned is not reflective of your grade. She teaches in the engineering dept but I found her teachings are not helpful for my other engineering class. It's more like a principle based math class
9/17/2025
He is amazing. I took his EnCalc class online during the summer and I think he is an amazing teacher over all. He made sure to ask if anyone had questions anytime the subject was confusing. He keeps it real and honest. When something is difficult he make sure that you fully understand it. He's a great guy and he loves rollercoasters!
8/30/2025
she is a good lecturer and cares about her students. Homework is participation and there was (in my opinion) too much extra credit for a class that didn't have that hard of content to begin with. All in all it provided me some release from a tough semester
5/14/2025
Mr. B was very funny and always started class with a fun topic of discussion. He really remembers what it was like to be an engineering student and is very flexible with due dates for assignments and attendance, which is reflected in his standards-based grading model. This model allows for a bit of backloading and correcting up incorrect work.
12/23/2024
Mr. B was a great teacher who taught by connecting the topics of EnMath A to real-world engineering scenarios, which I liked. I also really enjoyed the standards-based grading of the class, which was intimidating at first but ended up helping me succeed. Also, very accessible outside of class with 6 office hour sessions a week.
12/8/2024
EnMath A is much harder than EnMath B with Hasting. This woman clearly has terrible OCD and is very unmerciful in grading. I lost SO many points on exams for having the correct answer, but either not simplified, factored, or expanded enough for her taste. I did all of her practice problems and still not get an A. A lot of my friends are getting Cs.
5/10/2024
She's awesome! Definitely a tough course by nature but she really cares about all of her students' success and is super available to help during office hours or by appointment. She can go a little fast at times but overall the class the reasonably paced and the exams were a fair reflection of what was taught to us.
5/6/2024
Dr. Zhu was a great professor for Enmath A. I learned so much in this class, and she is extremely helpful in office hours. She works through many practice problems and also provides lots of practice through the homeworks and (optional) daily textbook problems. She is also very understanding. Last part of the course was definitely a challenge tho.
1/16/2024
I had Hasting for EnMath A and EnMath B and she is probably the best professor I've ever had. Her lectures are so organized and intentional, and she truly has thought out every aspect of her class. Her exams are crazy hard, but you really learn the material in her classes. She's iconic tbh
1/13/2024
This professor is really great and offer slow pace lectures. Homework are graded solely based on completeness not correctness. The course content is really difficult but tests are not heavy math. Sometimes, you need two letter papers to complete a question so make sure you have enough time to do all works. 2% bonus if most people complete survey.
1/17/2023
Dr. Hasting is the best math professor I have ever met. Class notes are helpful and clearly explained each concept. The class materials are excellent foundations for higher level class. I have applied math techniques from ESE318 and 319 into physical chemistry. Do her daily practice, review notes before exams, and then you will survive.
12/28/2022
Mr.Brennan is one of the top teachers at Washu.His lectures are clear and engaging. He got me to show up to every class for his humor alone. He's also great for reaching out to and asking for advice.
9/2/2022
The best professor I've had at WashU. A lot of people complain about her exams being too challenging. They are challenging only because she is making sure you understand the concept and not just know how to solve an equation. Her lectures are super organized and she gives clear feedback on work. Major Tip: Do her daily assignments.
5/17/2022
Genuine interest in the topics was evident, & that made lectures exciting. His engineering background meant that he had a strong understanding of applications & understood his audience (eng majors, not math majors). Kind, understanding, & enthusiastic; enforced expectations in a respectful way & made an effort to get to know every student.
4/28/2022
Awesome professor! Very organized and clear on expectations, reasonable grading, and reasonable difficulty work. You will learn a lot but the class structure makes it not stressful. Plus he's just a caring, nice professor generally.
1/19/2022
Hasting is definitely a good teacher, but I felt that the class was unnecessarily difficult. My friends who took EnMath A with the other professor had easier homework assignments and easier exams. Also I do not like how her policies for students with disabilities made it more difficult to receive accommodations in the class.
12/22/2021
Dr. Hasting is a truly amazing teacher. While exams and homework can be difficult, she is amazing at communicating topics so that you truly understand them. Exams are 81% of the grade, so make sure you study, but she offers plenty of practice materials, including 2 practice exams per exam. Will be taking her classes again in the future.
12/5/2021