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CO 370Deterministic OR Models

Units
0.50
Faculty
Mathematics
Subject
Combinatorics and Optimization

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.

An applications-oriented course that illustrates how various mathematical models and methods of optimization can be used to solve problems arising in business, industry, and science.

Prerequisites

  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • CO250 - Introduction to Optimization (0.50)
    • CO255 - Introduction to Optimization (Advanced Level) (0.50)

Antirequisites

  • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in any of the following:
    • CO327 - Deterministic OR Models (Non-Specialist Level) (0.50)

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 001609948 / 89MW 11:30–12:50

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 00156240 / 120TTh 14:30–15:50
LEC 701220753 / 9999Online or by arrangement

Reviewed on UW Flow

57% liked it50% easy61% useful

From 44 ratings and 14 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.

  • Test 1 is worth 10%(Avg 70), Test 2 is worth 15%(Avg 40), and Test 3 is worth 20%(Note this is the actual final exam since it's cumulative). 6 Assignments worth 20%, Project worth 35%(Presentation include). Overall, interesting course material, but tests are hard. (Remember to attend the lec for the bonus mark in the test)

    Dec 2025 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • I enjoyed how this course was much more focused on application than CO 250. Some programming of formulations was taught it Julia, which I enjoyed. It was nice to see how more computationally complex problems could be solved. In terms of content, it was mainly focused on CO 250 content with some extensions, with little detailed theory. I'm sure this course can be very prof-dependent, but I found it to be quite easy and manageable (with Laurent Poirrier).

    Dec 2019 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Most useful CO course I took. Dives into using Gurobi to formulate and solve LPs. Topics on formulation, sensitivity analysis and large-scale optimization can be extremely relevant and useful for industry

    Apr 2026 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Pretty fun course, first 2/3 is pretty much a CO250 refresher, but the later content is nice to know like Dual Simplex, Sensitivity Analysis, Parametric Programs, and they aren't very hard. You get a much better idea of how all the different facets of linear programming and optimization come together, and it's quite satisfying.
    Assignments were at times decently challenging and/or time-consuming but rewarding once you get them. Usually a couple algorithm application questions, a simple proof using core concepts of the unit, then one harder or longer question needing deeper understanding.

    Mar 2025 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Useless course that is very breadth-heavy. Do not take with Ricardo

    Feb 2025 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this

Discussed on r/uwaterloo

85 posts and comments in 72 threads mention CO 370, May 2014 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

Have you ever failed/barely passed a midterm and still passed the final? 35 points, 38 comments

“Just barely passed the midterm for cs115 and as the content is getting more complex the final is definitely gonna be harder. …”

u/Successful-Stomach40: “… I've barely passed more midterms than I can count (Probably CO370 that I just wrote 2 weeks ago, BU111, BU288, BU231 etc) and yet I've not failed any of them ...well we'll see about CO370 but the point is there's still more than enough time to recover”

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Spring 2024

Stat 454/Stat 341 4 points, 14 comments

“Hi everyone, I'm trying to complete my remaining math electives and I do well in Stat courses. I was deciding which Stat course to take as my last math elective, and I'm stuck between Stat 454 and …”

u/mmooner: “stat 341 will be way easier, especially since you've already taken stat 372. stat 454 is on the easier side for a 4th year stat course, but all 4th year stat courses are harder and have more work …”

u/miss270202: “I'm assuming you've taken it before, do you think it's manageable with 3 other courses? I'm planning on taking it with CO 370, Matbus 371 and Comm 400.”

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Winter 2024

Fall 2023

Spring 2023

Winter 2023

Martin pei, you deserve better students. 608 points, 47 comments

“Man, he shows up every lecture excited to teach, and only like a 10th of the class shows up. There was 9 of us today in a class of like 70 ish students or something, and same on Monday. …”

u/Le9GagNation: “I had Martin last term for CO370 and he's one of the nicest, funniest, profs and most structured lecturers I've had. These students don't know what they're missing out on.”

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CO454 vs CO367 vs CO353 2 points, 8 comments

u/OrangeMint1-2: “I need to decide on one more CO course to meet my degree requirement; so far, I have done CO 351, 370 and 456. I also plan to take CO 342 in the future, which seems to be the least challenging course among my options. …”

u/sherpy_: “CO 353 is very goog :) It gives the theoretical backing for common algorithms along with an opportunity to actually code them and use them to solve problems. …”

u/sherpy_: “This is hard for me to tell because I did my undergrad at a different institution. The only course I have to compare it against is CO 370, and I would say it's substantially harder than 370.”

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Spring 2022

Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026

Calendar versions

Undergraduate Calendar