If you genuinely love Biology and have the space in your schedule to fit a fairly intense class, I would 100% recommend Immunology with Prof. Kittlesen. You really do come out of this course enlightened about this field, which is not really something I experienced in other Biology courses here. That being said, this class is not easy, but Kittlesen absolutely sets you up for success.

Exams make up 100% of your grade, and there are 5 of them (Lowest score is worth 15%, and the others are 21.25%). They are open-note, online, and mostly multiple choice/select all. I thought his exams were fair and of moderate difficulty, and he also scales the scores to a slight curve depending on overall performance of the class. The curved averages for the exams were in the 80s, so the exams are not insanely difficult, but you still need to know your stuff. He bases his questions off of the essential questions on each slide deck, so my primary goal before each exam was to make sure I could answer those confidently. He also audio records the lectures, so rewatching them are also crucial for exam prep as he only asks questions on content covered in the lectures. He hosts a Q&A during the lecture session right before each exam, which is super helpful to attend because he clarifies what you can expect on the exam.

As for Kittlesen, he is wonderful! He's kinda quirky but also incredibly knowledgable about Immunology since that's what he specializes in. He's a very entertaining lecturer and presents information very clearly, so try to attend lectures as much as possible. Highly recommend going to his office hours as well - he loves hearing and answering questions!

Overall, amazing class, amazing professor, and you will learn a lot. Just make sure you don't take it with a bunch of other demanding classes!

If there's one class I'd recommend people to take as a premed, it'd be this class. Kittlesen is an amazing professor who is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about immunology. The class is lecture-based and the only work he assigns are chapters in the textbook to read before class, which are optional. I'd recommend reading them before class because it's very beneficial in lectures since you have a vague understanding of what is being discussed. His exams are open-note but they certainly are not easy. They require you to apply your knowledge and synthesize information from different topics, so you won't be able to get away with memorizing information. He also tests on experiments that he discusses in lecture, so be sure you fully understand those. I got an A in this class, and the most important tool in my success was the lecture recordings! I found it super helpful to relisten to all of the lectures prior to an exam while going through the slides, making sure I emphasized being able to answer all of his learning objectives (he makes the test questions from the learning objectives). Overall, this is an extremely interesting class and if you put in the effort, you will certainly be able to succeed. #tCFS24

Kittlesen is great! Nice to have a professor in the biology department that you can tell loves his job and cares about his students and their well-being. Super kind, always willing to help, answers a ton of questions. Class is interesting, I learned a lot, and he is a very engaging lecturer.

As for the course itself/content, it's not super easy. Exams are 100% of your grade and he asks questions that require to know how to understand apply information instead of just memorize, since they are open-note, so you need to know your stuff. He especially likes to explain and ask questions about complex detailed experiments of how many immunological concepts were discovered and/or tested, so paying attention during lecture and taking good notes is key, as his slides are more of a outline. The textbook can be helpful for explaining class concepts in a simpler way after hearing them in lecture, and audio recordings are a great resource for studying. No work outside of exams. Would recommend if you are want to learn the subject! Not for a GPA boost though #tCFS24

Kittlesen is incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about the subject, and he makes you *want* to learn more. The tests (open-note) are much based off your understanding, memorization won’t help you. Kittlesen records the audios of his lectures but try your best to never miss a class (he makes them really enjoyable imo!). Go to office hours too! I did the textbook readings before each lecture but honestly doing them after is probably better so you can refresh the concepts he actually mentioned in class (he’ll only test you on those). This class isn’t easy but if you show up and study in advance of exams you’ll be fine. All in all, amazing class. #tCFS24

I was uncertain about this class going into it but it ended up being one of my favorite classes at UVA. Dave explained things really well and stopped for questions to make it more like a discussion. He also tried to help us think through the steps that scientists were going through when discovering new things about immunology and told stories that were entertaining yet eventually relevant. There were five exams, each worth 21.25%, except the one you did the worst on was worth 15%. There were also extra credit homework questions that could add 2% to your overall grade. The class was online so the lectures were recorded. I found the best method of studying for me was just to rewatch the lectures, go to his review session office hour, and take the sample exam he sent out. He said that exams would only have material covered in class, so I didn't do the readings at all and watched the relevant lectures again before an exam and ended with an A+ in the class. I think that it's very possible to succeed in this class if you pay close attention in lecture and/or rewatch recordings.

dave is one of the best biol professors that i've had. in my opinion, many biology professors don't really care about teaching, but not dave. his lectures are logical and he clearly explains every point, and he makes fair tests that aren't too easy but are not too hard. he also gives practice questions (something that other biol professors refuse to do) and also extra credit, again setting him apart from the rest.

immunology isn't too technical of a class. it's certainly not easy, but it's not incredibly technical either. try to synthesize all the material in the unit (he really likes it when you do that). I got an A and my strategy was just to transcribe (word for word) all the lectures (because he only tests on those) and then study the concepts dilligently. He's a sympathetic professor because he allowed tests to be open note during covid and will ensure that the class average on tests isn't completely abysmal (i think he likes a B average).

if you're really into immunology then you'll absolutely love this course.

As somebody who had Dave in person (BIOL 2100) and online (BIOL 3240), I can confirm that he is a wonderful lecturer in both settings. Immunology is his specialization and he clearly is super insightful about the topics. The amount of material is kinda terrifying, but it's honestly super cool and interesting. It's been a while since I took a biology class that has made me super excited to learn the material. The course grade is broken down into 5 exams [4 x 21.25%;1 (the lowest) x 15%] and the final is not cumulative. The exams were open-note and mostly MC, the exception being a few SAs for a couple of exams. It's possible to earn 2 points extra credit by doing online quizzes. The textbook is helpful for clarification, but it's not necessary to read all of it as it contains excess information. Dave only tests on lecture material, never anything solely pulled from the textbook. As for exam prep, he releases full practice exams and hosts a Q/A session before every exam. If you don't do anything, then go to the Q/A sessions -- he almost always has the exams written by then and gives his answers tailored to the questions on the exams.

TLDR: Highly recommend Immunology with Dave. He's a really kind and knowledgeable professor who values the learning of all his students. Listen closely to the lecture and supplement with the textbook. Go to the Q/A sessions. Enjoy the content!

You will NOT regret taking this class. Dave is the best professor I have had at UVA thus far. His lectures are so interesting, and he presents all the material in a very engaging way. That being said, it is a very hard class, so it should not be taken as a GPA boost. His exams are very short which makes every question high-stakes, but they are very doable if you understand EVERYTHING he has said in lecture. I feel like I learned so much from this class that will be really applicable in the future, and I would recommend it to ANYONE in the bio major.

This has been my favorite class at UVA! Kittlesen is such a knowledgeable guy, he's very approachable, explains tough concepts amazingly well, and makes the class so much fun. It is really hard though, because your grade is determined only by 5 tests that are each about 28 multiple choice questions. The tests are during the 50 minute class period, and he hands out practice tests for the first 4 tests (very similar to his intro bio class). Homework is optional (but can boost your grade by 2%) and is through a site called Rocketmix. He said this was the first year he was doing the homework for extra credit, so that might change. Every second of class time is chalk full of information, so I would highly suggest recording it. Near the end of the course he goes over some really applicable topics such as vaccine development, how we eradicated polio, and immunotherapy of cancer. Overall a very interesting class taught by a really passionate and funny professor! Would highly recommend.

Best science course at UVA with the best professor! By far the hardest class I took at UVA but also my favorite! I'd recommend taking this class 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year. The course is a lot of work and I didn't keep up with the readings in the textbook too well, and skimming the reading before each lecture definitely would've helped. I got a B+ in the class which was great considering the material is so dense and very detailed, just it can be overwhelming at times, but I found recording Dave's lectures and re-listening to them to study was the best! I also found asking Dave questions after lecture was beneficial.