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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Introduction to Programming with MATLAB by Vanderbilt University

4.8
stars
17,372 ratings

About the Course

This course teaches computer programming to those with little to no previous experience. It uses the programming system and language called MATLAB to do so because it is easy to learn, versatile and very useful for engineers and other professionals. MATLAB is a special-purpose language that is an excellent choice for writing moderate-size programs that solve problems involving the manipulation of numbers. The design of the language makes it possible to write a powerful program in a few lines. The problems may be relatively complex, while the MATLAB programs that solve them are relatively simple: relative, that is, to the equivalent program written in a general-purpose language, such as C++ or Java. As a result, MATLAB is being used in a wide variety of domains from the natural sciences, through all disciplines of engineering, to finance, and beyond, and it is heavily used in industry. Hence, a solid background in MATLAB is an indispensable skill in today’s job market. Nevertheless, this course is not a MATLAB tutorial. It is an introductory programming course that uses MATLAB to illustrate general concepts in computer science and programming. Students who successfully complete this course will become familiar with general concepts in computer science, gain an understanding of the general concepts of programming, and obtain a solid foundation in the use of MATLAB. Students taking the course will get a MATLAB Online license free of charge for the duration of the course. The students are encouraged to consult the eBook that this course is based on. More information about these resources can be found on the Resources menu on the right....

Top reviews

KB

Jun 23, 2020

I would like to thank vanderbilt university for providing such a wonderful course and i am much impressed by the use of the basic matrices in each and every programming purpose.thank you again!!!!:)))

DA

Jun 5, 2020

Instructor of this course Mike Fitzpatrick is a very good teacher who encourage students to do something new and interesting.

I really enjoyed learning this course and learned new skills in MATLAB.

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76 - 100 of 4,432 Reviews for Introduction to Programming with MATLAB

By Malek A

Feb 8, 2018

was really such enriching experience with all it supplies with smooth explaining, helpful examples and mostly important funny problems from which I learnt a lot about how to to tackle a real problem and how to set up for the right algorithm. Programming is programming and the best way to learn it is by doing more and more exercises especially those involving real life problems as emphasized by the course. For all mentioned thus and more I would like to express how much I am fortune and how glad I am taking this course and follow the whole track up to the end passing all the assignments. Great thanks for Vanderbilt university, my heart thanks to Fitzpatrick and Ledeczi, and all who contributes to edit this wonderful course and I give a positive feedback and recommend all who wanna have such encouraging kick off and real boost in the field of programming.

By VAMSHIDHAR S

Sep 10, 2017

Excellent experience of learning Matlab Programming and the course is elegantly designed to cover most of the concepts in Matlab. Through the video lectures and homework problems one can master most of the commands in matlabs. Prof. Fitzpatrick is the finest teacher I have come across, who made the course so interesting and made to look simple to understand which is not in reality. I never imagined that I could solve the homework problems and it was only possible by the Mentors guidance particularly Pauls posts. I take this opportunity to thank Prof Fitzpatrick, Prof Akos for designing such course which will be helpful in solving many scientific and Engineering problems and I am looking forward to use Matlab extensively.. Thanks to Coursera for providing the platform to experience the best course from the globally reputed University to many people.

By Aph.d. L

Apr 30, 2020

(汉语)作为技术通识课来说,这门课的水准是比较高的,讲的比较细,对于没有接触过Matlab的同学来说,这是不错的入门课程,从简单计算讲到简单I/O,学完这门课之后,应该可以用Matlab做点小工作了;而且这门课的编程作业题目很不错。但就我选课的期望来说,这门课的深度不太够,只能入个门(毕竟intro),更进一步就去做中学啃文档看论文吧(悲)。希望未来能有Simulink和工具箱的intro,毕竟啃文档挺累的。

(English) As a technical general course, this course has high quality and teaches meticulously. For those students who have never learned MATLAB, this course will be a good introduction, ranging from simple calculation to simple I/O operation. Students may be able to do some little work with MATLAB after this course. In addition, this course has good-quality programming assignments with moderate difficulty.

However, the depth is not enough, which makes me disappointed. Students can only get started after the course. If you want to go further with MATLAB, reading documents/papers, learning in working may be useful.

BTW, I need Simulink's tutorial.

By Jaime A N

Mar 12, 2018

By showing me aspects of MATLAB that were new or almost new to me, this course has allowed me to delve deeper into MATLAB, and into programming in general, than I have done for a while now. While I have some past experience in its use, I was barely familiar with some of the more generic programming aspects shared by MATLAB as well as some of it's own characteristics. This course has allowed me to obtain what I hope is a decent grasp of these. I am therefore highly satisfied with the contents of this course and, if I had a suggestion for improving it, I would say maybe extend it to include some of the aspects of the book which are mentioned in the course but not covered as part of it. An alternative would be to organize a more advanced MATLA course that covers these, assuming such a course does not already exist.

By Natalia V

May 17, 2017

Saying that this course is excellent is the least I could say. Lessons are clear and tidy, that way you can easily do homework tasks during the week each lesson lasts. The professor is really gifted, and mentors are very helpful, all my questions were answered with a maximum delay of 1 hour (this can be tricky for some time zones, but it is worth remarking). A special mention for mentor Paul T Mielke who is particularly clear in his explanations, and gives just enough details for students to resolve problems on their own. I recommend this course for beginners and people with some experience in Matlab that never took a formal introduction course (in this course you may learn easier ways to write your scripts, I know I did). Thanks to all the team in "Introduction to Programming with Matlab"

By Nidhi S

Apr 30, 2020

The coursework is very intelligently compiled. Prof is super funny, he introduces each MATLAB feature at an appropriate timing, helping us learn the real importance and need for each feature. He doesn't allow the coursework to turn into a mere list of commands, functions and operators. It's like storytelling, and it's gripping. I spent my days and nights awake in anticipation to do one more assignment after each, finishing this coursework in barely 5 days. I also appreciate the fact that he picked examples that were picked up from practical world, so that we understand how to apply all the MATLAB skills that we've learnt in the coursework in real life also. It's rare to find teachers like him. I'm truly grateful I took this course. It's been a real pleasure learning from him.

By Akshat R

Dec 8, 2017

Very informative course for starters. I have been using MATLAB for like small numericals and so but haven't used it for vast problems. But this course enables you to delve into those problems. Questions provided in the assignments are slightly on the tougher side (after HW5) which I think is difficult for the beginner to solve. Anyway thumbs up to Prof. Michael Fitzpatrick for his thorough micro-level teaching. As he said.."lots of patience is required for generating a code". For some codes I have to run program around 40-50 times to get it right. So one need to be patient while solving the problems.

On suggestion part I would like the course organizers to give more information in problems. Some of the information is missing and can only be guessed which eats up more time.

By Deep S A

Apr 26, 2020

A perfect course for beginners and also for those who wish to brush up their basics of programming in MATLAB. I personally benefited from the Structures, Cells and File I/O sections of the course. The explanations are so simple and lucid. I just loved the way Prof. Fitzpatrick delivered the lectures, with some fun elements infused on the go. I loved, how he drove all the way to the Library just to emphasize on a simple fact that MATLAB online saves its files on clouds. The quizzes proved to be extremely helpful in establishing the concepts and providing a wholesome hands-on experience. Debugging some of the errors on my own was a good experience. The last three assignments were great, giving a subtle exposure to real applications like signal processing. Very Good!

By Danish U S

Nov 7, 2020

Excellent course. Not only informative, but also interesting. The professor, Mr. Fitzpatrick, is an amazing teacher - he does seem odd at first, but once one gets used to it, one just wants to hear him more and more. The course starts out simple, but there is great value in moving forward. As the course progresses, new techniques and features are revealed (which many wouldn't know how to perform) and it keeps getting challenging. Some tasks were easy - took 10min where it said 1hr, but then some were quite tricky and took way more time than advised. I personally loved the course and loved the challenges. Hats off to the team. And an extra hat off for them to go 'into the future' to add a video when extra features in MATLAB were introduced.

By Vincent O

Sep 20, 2020

This is the best course ever on MATLAB!!! Having compared this curriculum to other MATLAB Online Courses, I can confidently say this is the most detailed and professionally executed MATLAB Course. This is beyond introduction. Previously, I had zero knowledge of MATLAB but after completing this course, I came out professionally sound and certified. Although, I cannot claim to be a good programmer yet, but with time and practice utilizing the knowledge I have gained from this course, I will certainly improve beyond measure.

I will advice anyone who really wants to learn MATLAB to enroll in this course without hesitation. However, prospective students should be prepared to put in a lot of efforts as some of the assignments need thorough research

By Mohd B M

Oct 1, 2023

"I recently completed the 'Introduction to Programming with MATLAB' course on Coursera, and I must say it was an exceptional learning experience. The course content was well-structured and beginner-friendly, making it easy to grasp the fundamentals of MATLAB programming. The instructors provided clear explanations and practical examples, which helped me gain a solid understanding of MATLAB's capabilities. I appreciated the hands-on assignments that allowed me to apply what I learned in real-world scenarios. Overall, this course served as an excellent foundation for anyone looking to start their journey into MATLAB programming. I highly recommend it to beginners who want to unlock the power of MATLAB for various applications."

By SUNDARAM B

Aug 3, 2020

pros: The lectures were very good and easy to understand. It gives us a scope for going deep into the programming with matlab. The final assignments explain the value of matlab programming in real life application.

cons: The assignments in the course are harder, its more than that of taught in lectures. One have to learn more than that is taught in the course to get a grip on the skill. They've covered the topics for the beginners and this will be a stepping stone for them

I finally thank the vanderbilt university for such a wonderful course presented. The lecturer was amazing with his explanation and his humor. I've definitely got a scope on my matlab programming skills and I'll look forward to create and find wonders in it.

By Ephraim R

Dec 11, 2017

Absolutely great course.

He has a really good sense of humour and explains everything in a neat and understandable way.

His style of teaching is very impressive. Though sometimes I have to watch it on x1.25 speed, the slides and code examples help with revision.

One tip - do the programs. Pause the video. Do what it says. Create a new program based on what you learnt.

He will be missed, I'm really sad that this course is coming to an end. I'm looking forward to other courses like this.

The exercises are well prepared too. Even if you got full marks, please check with the given solution to ensure that you follow the best programming practices.

The discussion forum has a very good mentor who helped me complete this course.

By Guruvayurappan V

Jun 19, 2019

This course was a great and enoyable learning experience! I liked Prof. Michael's teaching style and the slides that Prof. Michael and Prof. Akos provided.

I do know a few other programming languages, and I had taken this course to help me with MATLAB for Prof. Andrew Ng's Machine Learning course.This course taught me that MATLAB is a lot more than just a Machine Learning language. The assignments towards the end were challenging and introduced me to the basics of image and sound processing. (And how simple they are in MATLAB!)

MATLAB is a powerful language, and it makes solving complex problems simple (with help from the editor and debugger, of course). I hope I get many opportunities to use MATLAB in the future!

By Gokul N

May 29, 2020

The course was extremely useful. I have always been scared of programming as I never respected it as a subject during my schooling. So, I was really in splits on taking the course. But turns out, I simply loved it. The pace, the examples and the mentor were all amazing. The assignments were smartly planned too. It taught me few function that weren't taught in the class. That's a very smart way of teaching. In my opinion, I would recommend this course to anyone( kinda an answer I give to Microsoft customer care!). Thanks people who were behind this.

Edit1: Now that I'm a big fan of Prof.Michael Fitzpatrick, is it also possible for him to teach us OOPSs and other advanced concepts in MATLAB?!!!

By Chris V

Dec 22, 2020

This course was just excellent! I learnt not only programming in MATLAB, but solving problems also. Definitely one of the best courses Coursera could have. The instructor is an amazing person with a lot of experience and skills and he encourages people not to give up. His way of explaining things is unique. One of the best teachers I had in my life for sure! I feel very pride for my self for completing this course cause it's not easy. I can assure you that anyone who complete this course knows for sure how to programming in MATLAB. Thank you for all istructor Mike Fitzpatrick! You're a unique person and an excellent teacher! Special thanks to Vanderbilt University for making these course!

By Irfan Y

May 5, 2021

I must say the professor's explanation is great. Although you feel that every assessment from midway through the course is impossible. But trust me, give it some it, some thought, you are going to make it. The teaching staff is also excellent. I got my answers very rapid. They are very helpful. Week 7,8 and 9 is long, which compensated because from week 1 to week 6 will be a smooth flow. A suggestion would be to constantly seek for help in the discussion forum and also see if you have the same problem that anyone else faced earlier and the staff answered it. This method makes the whole process a lot faster. THANKS to VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY and COURSERA!

Until next time, Adios everyone!

By Sunil K G

Jun 8, 2019

This in the best course on MATLAB Programming for beginners. The beauty of this course is the well framed Structure of the Course modules. Learner keeps on grasping things that are required in a systematic manner.Assignments given to the Learner are quite satisfying and important in terms of Main Tutor Prof.Fitzpatrick is quite energetic and motivating. Would like to see one more course on SIMULINK & Stateflow by the same Professors if its possible. Finally, I would sincerely like to thank Coursera, Coursera Community and last but not the least Profs. Mike Fitzpatrick & Akos Ledeczi for the excellent course which is benefiting Students and academicians all around world.

By 108-SANGALE S S

Jun 30, 2020

Greetings!!!

I'm a student of mechanical engineering and I'm well aware of importance of computers and computer programming in all fields of engineering - especially MECH. ENGG.

Computer programming was always a topic which would grab my attention towards it anytime. But I used to look at it as very complicated and must be requiring higher prerequisites. But when I started this course all my confusions and doubts were cleared.

I know this was just a small figment of computer programming, but with this course a door has been opened to complete new world with lots of fun and interesting things to learn.

Thank you all my dear teachers for making my learning EASY and FUN!

By Shraddha J

Dec 30, 2019

This course is really good. This course came handy for me for my post-graduation project. Because of this course now I can see or think through various aspects of the problem cause the solution is just lying there. Though I left this course in between cause I stuck on an assignment problem however I completed this course at last. Discussion forums are really helpful. Questions asked are quality questions. The answers or hints provided by staff are very well informed. They change your view of the problem. I really want to say Thank you to Mr. Mike Fitzpatrick, Akos Ledeczi, Brandon Armstrong (Teaching Staff) and the coursera team for this awesome course.

By Radkhan S

Aug 17, 2018

I really liked the course. It really forced me to use a lot of logical thinking in some cases. But, from one hand, this probably was one minor drawback of this course. I understand that it was mostly related to basics, but probably you can add more problems to Files IO in the future or cell and struct as well. Otherwise, sometimes I got a feeling that I was solving similar questions that were getting a bit harder from week to week. Nevertheless, great job! Thank you very much. I really liked that you are keeping forums from previous sessions, so you could gain a lot of different information that could actually help to solve question.

By Filipp Z

Apr 30, 2019

When I started this course, I literally had no idea about neither programming nor basic programming concepts. But after completing it, now I feel confident that I can develop my own programs for transport modeling. It was a tough course but totally worth it. The coolest thing about it is that you can take it without having prior programming knowledge, but at the end of it, you will be able to do whatever you want to do.

A BIG thank you to Vanderbilt University and to professors who run this course. They are people who know how to teach and how to transfer knowledge to others!!!

Best regards,

Filipp Zarov, Msc Student, KTH, Stockholm

By Fei G

Dec 6, 2020

This is truly a great introductory course to programming, and note, not only in Matlab. I can feel that the course is created with ❤️ from Vanderbilt. Lectures are very comprehensive, and the textbook is very readable. You can get proper help from Brandon if you get stuck. Although for more experienced learners, getting the hang of Matlab basics is quite easy, the programming assignments are well chosen and would give learners some good practice (and insights). I've learnt several other languages before, so I get this done quite quick, but I still find it fascinating that the whole language(functions, operator) is matrix -based.

By Nanevie A

Apr 6, 2022

On the form, this course is simply brilliant. The pedagogy and enthusiasm with which Dr. Mike Fitzpatrick delivered this course make it one of the best courses I have taken on this platform. At no time did I get bored or have the impression of making a great mental effort, it seemed to me more like a hot one worthy of the best onemanshow. The content helped me to understand and acquire notions in scientific computing. It also helped me to have enough self-confidence to take other courses related to engineering and computational sciences such as courses in machine learning, numerical analysis and computational neuroscience.

By samson r

Jul 24, 2020

To be honest this is one of the best courses available for Matlab. The content that was put together for this course was great and the assignments were the best part of the course and last but not least the instructors were great and Mike made the course really interesting with jokes in between the video lectures which didn't make the long video lectures boring and the mentors and forums were really helpful in clearing any doubts which I had. Also loved the little intro before each video lecture. Overall just loved the course and would really like it if there was advanced programming with Matlab from Vanderbilt University.