AFM 433Business Strategy
- Units
- 0.50
- Faculty
- Arts
When it runs
- F24
- W25
- S25
- F25
- W26
- S26
- F26
- W27
- S27
Ran in 7 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: scheduled, 3 lecture sections. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.
This course focuses on strategic management of the total enterprise. Managers contribute to the organization through their analytical and leadership capabilities as well as their technical expertise. The course provides a framework for developing and implementing strategy that fits the firm's environment, managerial values, and organization.
Prerequisites
- Complete all of the following
- Must have completed the following:
- AFM291 - Intermediate Financial Accounting 1 (0.50)
- Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
- Complete 1 of the following
- Enrolled in H-Accounting & Financial Management, H-Computing & Financial Management, H-Mathematics/Chartered Professional Accountancy, H-Science & Financial Management, or H-Sustainability & Financial Management
- Enrolled in H-Biotechnology/Chartered Professional Accountancy
- Must have completed the following:
Antirequisites
- Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in any of the following:
- ENBUS302 - Strategies for Environment and Business (0.50)
Leads to
Fall 2026 sections
| Section | Class | Enrolled | Meets |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEC 001 | 3386 | 29 / 36 | T 08:30–11:20 |
| LEC 002 | 3387 | 58 / 58 | T 11:30–14:20 |
| LEC 003 | 3536 | 39 / 40 | T 14:30–17:20 |
| LEC 004 | 8356 | 35 / 36 | T 17:30–20:20 |
| TST 101 | 3800 | 161 / 170 | Oct 30 16:00–18:00 |
Winter 2027 sections
| Section | Class | Enrolled | Meets |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEC 001 | 3343 | 0 / 40 | T 11:30–14:20 |
| LEC 002 | 3391 | 0 / 60 | T 14:30–17:20 |
| LEC 701 | 1243 | 65 / 9999 | Online or by arrangement |
| TST 101 | 4208 | 0 / 100 | Feb 25 19:00–21:20 |
Reviewed on UW Flow
58% liked it67% easy61% useful
From 36 ratings and 8 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.
This is one of those bs course in AFM. You will be reading a lot of articles and then discuss them in class. Then use the tools you gained from the articles to solve cases. You'd make a cheatsheet of all the tools you need and then write the exam (which is a case) using it. In a sense, it's like an advanced version of AFM211, with less financial focus, but more on the overall business. It's quite interesting to be honest. But the thing with these kinds of case course is that it's quite subjective. Your TA plays a big role in this course. If you're unlucky and got a hard TA for midterm/final, then you're pretty much screwed. Also, Mark is not very knowledgeable with financials, so he tends…
Dec 2016 · liked it · 2 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
It's important in terms of what the overarching goal is, but the entire course is about the 433 Case Approach, so in real life it probably isn't as straightforward or applicable as it is for the cases we do in class. All profs are good, so that shouldn't impact your experience for the class. the MT and final are more time crunches than anything, the content is not that hard.
Dec 2025 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this
Don't learn much things you don't already know, but you learn to apply them.
Oct 2025 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this
Great course, interesting content. Course is taught off multiple case examples. You learn a basic roadmap to business strategy, building on it each week. It is used in MAcc as the foundations for the case approach. Although the answers are subjective to the professors, if you do all the practice cases, you get a really good understanding of what the professors are looking for. Also, many of the elements have 'required' aspects, which are just free marks.
Apr 2023 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
It's a very interesting course because I have never taken one which teachs about business strategy specifically. Although, it's very subjective and the way you describe your answer on the exam matters, but the profs are sometimes lenient in giving you the marks. The exam cases are long and you really need the entire 2 or 3 hrs to do it. Do at least a couple of practice cases before doing the exams, they really help.
May 2022 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
Discussed on r/uwaterloo
28 posts and comments in 24 threads mention AFM 433, December 2015 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.
Fall 2024
AFM 433 midterm 1 point, 0 comments
u/Live-Orchid-4180: “How hard is AFM 433 midterm? Is it possible to finish it in time?”
AFM 433 Midterm 1 point, 0 comments
AFM 4a courses and 8 month co-op 2 points, 3 comments
u/Live-Orchid-4180: “Can anyone tell me how hard AFM 433, 451 and 480 are? Taking AFM 373 with it so i was wondering if i can just focus on 373 mostly. Also, is it easier to find a 8 month co-op compared to 4 month one?”
Winter 2024
AFM 2B Elective: Exchange 3 points, 1 comment
“Hello please help if ur in afm!! If you took an exchange for 4A what did u use as ur elective slot to reach ahead! I reached out to saf advisor and they said they can’t help lol. …”
u/kenash29: “I took AFM 433 in 3A and AFM 422 in 2B. I also joined one of the funds to get an extra credit. I’m going on exchange in fall.”
Fall 2023
AFM Student Considering Exchange 2 points, 2 comments
u/Bellatropa13: “… For those of you who did exchange, what are the chances of getting into AFM 433 while in third year? I'm on the waitlist right now, I was advised to take AFM 433 in the winter then 480 in the spring. …”
AFM 3A Elective 1 point, 0 comments
u/BeautifulShame6975: “… Thanks \- AFM 433 \- AFM 451 \- AFM 345 \- AFM 323 \- AFM 347”
Winter 2023
AFM 433 final exam buddy 2 points, 1 comment
Spring 2022
AFM upper year difficulty - for exchange 2 points, 5 comments
u/xerese: “… i was told i have to fast track AFM 433 in either 3A or 3B and take AFM 480 in 4B with no electives. in terms of course load difficulty, would anyone be able to recommend if taking 433 would be better in 3A or 3B? …”
u/DivineMuffin: “373/382 and 362/391 are the pairs of hard courses for those terms. I would personally say that 373/382 are easier although 373 can be really tough if you're not at least somewhat comfortable with …”
u/RMfollower: “AFM 433 is a case based course, the midterm is a 3-hours case writing. Although the course is not that hard, it is time consuming since you will have a big group project as well.”
FARM vs MATH/CPA 2 points, 7 comments
“Hey everyone, &x200B; I have been fortunate enough to be accepted into both FARM and Math/CPA and have been very grateful for it:) Nevertheless, I am VERY struggling to choose between these two and …”
u/AFMISFULLOFNOOBS: “… Managers (or COMM 231) AFM 341 Accounting Information Systems AFM 362 Corporate Taxation AFM 382 Cost Management Systems AFM 391 Intermediate Financial Accounting 2 AFM 433 Business Strategy AFM 451 Audit Strategy AFM 462 Special Topics in Taxation AFM 482 Performance …”
Fall 2021
Afm 433 - final exam crying thread 4 points, 3 comments
u/davidkraken: “😔”
AFM Exchange Program 3 points, 3 comments
“Any AFM students went on an exchange program outside of Canada? If you did how was it/what did you have to do to make it happen?”
u/themossywangs: “… To be able to go on exchange I had to take AFM 433 and 333 in a different semester (those are the degree requirement courses for our 4A term). …”
AFM 433 in 3a? 2 points, 2 comments
u/CasualHearthstone: “Currently I have to take afm 321, 373, 341, 382 plus an elective for my winter 2022 3a term. Should I take afm 433 as my fifth course, a different AFM course, or a bird course instead? Which one?”
Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026
- Undergraduate Calendar, 2026–27The official entry
- Requirements for Fall 2026Waterloo’s requisite checker
- Schedule of Classes, Fall 2026Instructors, rooms, live seats
- Quest Class SearchWhere you enrol
- Course outlinesSyllabi from past terms (UW login)
- UW FlowStudent ratings and reviews
- WClassesPast sections back to 2004, and who taught them