Carney Curve

Boston College course evaluations · every published number, ranked class by class

Top of the board1.ECON 9902962.LAWS 8856973.PRTO 3300984.BSLW 2299975.PHIL 4932986.LAWS 8308987.SCWK 9960998.EESC 99011009.MUSP 16609610.UGMG 10109811.UNCP 55119712.SCWK 883197

Positions account for how many records stand behind each number, so one perfect review does not outrank a semester of them. Every score shown is the real average — only the ordering is adjusted.

Instructor record · Music · Fall 2021 – Spring 2026

Peter Watchorn

Adjunct Professor · Music · 23 evaluation records across 3 classes

On each class's board
MUSA 12005th of 11 instructorsMUSA 3260only instructor on recordMUSA 2203only instructor on record Provisional
What the overall is made of
90BC evaluations23 records · weight ×1.0 · Fall 2021 – Spring 2026
86RateMyProfessors6 ratings · weight ×2.0 · 83% would take again
—Student reviewsno reviews — does not contribute

Sources are averaged by how much we trust each one and by how many records sit behind it, so a handful of reviews nudges the number rather than replacing it.

What the challenge rank is made of
50thMore challenging than 50% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
88BC — “Intellectually Challenging”23 records · raw score out of 100

Boston College's own “intellectually challenging” question — students answer it positively about courses that stretched them, so it measures intellectual challenge and NOT grading, workload or quality. Almost every BC class scores high on it, which is why it is shown as a rank rather than a score. RateMyProfessors separately rates this instructor 56 out of 100 for difficulty — that IS a difficulty measure, but it is about the person across everything they teach, not about any one class, so it is shown here rather than folded into the number above.

What the workload rank is made of
42ndMore work than 42% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
49BC — “Workload”23 records · raw score out of 100

Boston College reports workload as one of five bands, not as a number of hours, and it does not publish what the bands mean — so this site will not translate it into hours. Higher means more work, which is not the same as worse.

Ratings from outside BC

Not evaluation data

Collected from RateMyProfessors, not from Boston College: 6 ratings, 83% would take again, difficulty 56 out of 100. Difficulty is not a quality signal in either direction — a harder course is not a worse one.

Anyone can post there — no @bc.edu check and no enrolment check — so it is weighted alongside the evaluation data, never above it.

The line

All 13 items · means across 23 records
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9142nd pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9358th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9145th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9459th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8734th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8735th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8727th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8951st pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8941st pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9053rd pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
4942nd pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8850th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9055th pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

Class by class

3 classes · 23 sections

How each position is worked outPositions account for how many records stand behind each number, so one perfect review does not outrank a semester of them. Every score shown is the real average — only the ordering is adjusted.

MUSA 1200 Introduction to MusicOvr87Chal33rdWork39th
On this class's board5th of 11 instructors

18 sections on record · course itself rated 80 out of 100. See the full board for MUSA 1200.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 2026039579—
Spring 202604989340
Fall 202505918340
Spring 202503978340
Spring 202505887640
Fall 202406938660
Summer 2024019080100
Spring 202403868040
Spring 202404958840
Fall 2023049384—
Summer 2023019590—
Spring 202302626240

Showing the first 12.

All 13 items for MUSA 1200
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
8926th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9343rd pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
8926th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9235th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8624th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8724th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8513th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8728th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8835th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8937th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
5139th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8833rd pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8833rd pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

MUSA 3260 J.S. BachOvr98Chal55thWork25th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record

3 sections on record · course itself rated 94 out of 100. See the full board for MUSA 3260.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 202501989840
Fall 20230110088—
Fall 202101979740
All 13 items for MUSA 3260
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9665th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9666th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9667th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9882nd pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9465th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8622nd pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9350th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9258th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8522nd pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9357th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
4025th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9155th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9781st pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

MUSA 2203 Music of the BaroqueOvr100Chal37thWork39th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record Provisional

2 sections on record · course itself rated 98 out of 100. See the full board for MUSA 2203.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 20240110010060
Fall 2022011009740
All 13 items for MUSA 2203
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9886th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9562nd pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9885th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
100100th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9251st pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9363rd pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9356th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9891st pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9362nd pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9780th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
5039th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8837th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9571st pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

How to read this pageScores are out of 100 — Boston College's 1–5 agreement scale, ×20, the way these numbers were printed for years. Almost every class scores high on that scale (the median is about 90), so challenge and workload are shown as a rank against every instructor we hold rather than as a score; the raw figure is in the breakdown above. Neither describes quality, and neither is ever marked better or worse anywhere on this site. A dash means the question was not reported, and is never a zero. The position printed against each class is this instructor's place on that class's own board, computed from the same records the board itself is built from.