uwloo

BET 580Consulting

Units
0.50
Faculty
Engineering
Subject
Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology

When it runs

  1. F24
  2. W25
  3. S25
  4. F25
  5. W26
  6. S26
  7. F26
  8. W27
  9. S27

Ran in 5 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: scheduled, 2 lecture sections. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.

This course is useful for anyone considering working as a consultant, either for a consulting firm, as an independent entrepreneurial consultant, or as an internal consultant to large organizations. Some of the competencies skilled consultants have include understanding business needs from a holistic perspective, developing innovative ideas, expert people skills, influence, and change management. Course topics may also include key stages in the consulting process, issue diagnosis, managing difficult clients, consulting frameworks, analytical approaches to solving complex problems, engagement management, building a consulting toolset, change management processes, negotiation, and advanced presentation techniques. We will also cover aspects of the business of consulting.

Prerequisites

  • Students must be in level 3A or higher

Antirequisites

None listed.

Leads to

No course lists it as a requisite.

Fall 2026 sections

Enrolment from UW Open Data, which can trail Quest by up to two days. Instructors and rooms: Schedule of Classes.
SectionClassEnrolledMeets
LEC 001498830 / 45Th 18:30–21:20

Winter 2027 sections

Enrolment from UW Open Data, which can trail Quest by up to two days. Instructors and rooms: Schedule of Classes.
SectionClassEnrolledMeets
LEC 00149480 / 70M 18:30–21:20
LEC 701199721 / 9999Online or by arrangement

Reviewed on UW Flow

92% liked it86% easy75% useful

From 12 ratings and 6 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.

  • Since it was the first time the course was offered, the course was pretty fluid and changed a decent amount from the original course outline. But, it's a course that I thoroughly enjoyed in terms of content. Assignments were not that great and will probably be adjusted in future offerings. This included 2 individual assignments, and 2 group assignments. The groups were assigned by Dr. Holt.
    Content wise, I learned a lot about the consulting process, and I really enjoyed when guest speakers came in to share their insights. This includes consultants from Deloitte, PWC, Accenture, Mark Satov - founder of Satov Consultants, as well as a few others from the industry. The course focused on…

    Dec 2019 · liked it · 2 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Wasn't that bad of a course but felt it was a heavier workload for an elective course. Assignments were also marked subjectively. The prof was helpful and accommodating though.

    Apr 2026 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Pretty fun and engaging course that I really enjoyed coming from a more technical background. Taught some pretty useful concepts about organizing yourself when solving business problems, and Dr. Holt usually tried to bring in at least one guest speaker most weeks, which was pretty interesting. Course structure is pretty chill, with 2 major individual assignments and 2 major group assignments. Our class was a 3 hour lecture at night but they seemed to go by pretty quickly, and the second half of the course is mainly presentations and guest speakers so it's pretty chill.

    Dec 2024 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Don't let the course code scare you. This is one of the few CSEs that is both fun and practical. Lectures are mostly focused on discussions and activities rather than note taking, and there is usually a guest speaker every week. The main focus is on management consulting. Most of the learning is done outside of the classroom. There are weekly readings and quizzes, which weren't difficult, but it was annoying to buy both textbooks + the case studies to complete them. There's also 2 individual assignments and 2 group assignments (no midterm or final). They were easy but they felt too similar to each other (2 PowerPoints and 2 word docs, each with problem structuring). The instructions were…

    Dec 2022 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • It is a super interesting course, where the content is not only relevant but applicable in other areas. The assignments are manageable (although the individual assignments are a little tougher) and the lectures are great!

    Dec 2021 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

Discussed on r/uwaterloo

5 posts and comments in 5 threads mention BET 580, July 2019 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

Easy course where I'll genuinely learn something - Winter 2025 17 points, 17 comments

“Hi, I'll be in 4B ECE and I've mapped out all my degree req's. I have one empty course slot. Anything you'd recommend? I want to be amazed, or learn something I didn't think of. …”

u/whattodoaita: “BET 580 was the only course in my whole degree where I learnt anything useful. Prof. Holt is amazing and I genuinely enjoyed each second spent in his class. Its not a super duper easy course though, it does require a couple hours each week.”

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Fall 2020

Spring 2019

Any interesting classes in the Fall? 6 points, 12 comments

“On co-op but I can take a course for fun! Any interesting courses to take?”

u/QuoteMaker_: “BET 580 is being offered for the first time, it's a course in business consulting. I hear it's supposed to be "How to be a CEO 101." It's an evening class so it shouldn't conflict with co-op.”

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Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026

Calendar versions

Undergraduate Calendar