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CO 487Applied Cryptography

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.

A broad introduction to modern cryptography, highlighting the tools and techniques used to secure internet and messaging applications. Symmetric-key encryption, hash functions, message authentication, authenticated encryption, public-key encryption and digital signatures, key establishment, key management.

Prerequisites

  • Complete all of the following
    • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
      • CS116 - Introduction to Computer Science 2 (0.50)
      • CS136 - Elementary Algorithm Design and Data Abstraction (0.50)
      • CS138 - Introduction to Data Abstraction and Implementation (0.50)
      • CS146 - Elementary Algorithm Design and Data Abstraction (Advanced Level) (0.50)
    • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
      • MATH135 - Algebra for Honours Mathematics (0.50)
      • MATH145 - Algebra (Advanced Level) (0.50)
    • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
      • STAT206 - Statistics for Software Engineering (0.50)
      • STAT220 - Probability (Non-Specialist Level) (0.50)
      • STAT230 - Probability (0.50)
      • STAT240 - Probability (Advanced Level) (0.50)
    • 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 001659498 / 200TTh 16:30–17:50

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 00158340 / 260TTh 10:00–11:20
LEC 701221095 / 9999Online or by arrangement

Resources

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Reviewed on UW Flow

83% liked it60% easy87% useful

From 131 ratings and 36 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.

  • Does not seem to be a CO course, would not recommend if you like taking theory courses

    Dec 2023 · didn’t like it · 2 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • A survey course covering lots of different topics in cryptography with a moderate amount of technical depth. There's a fair bit of math (especially number theory), but no hard proofs or anything like that. The exams and assignments are mostly conceptual, with some application problems as well (eg coming up with attacks against given crypto schemes). I think this course is worthwhile for an SE student, especially since CS 458's coverage of these topics is pretty poor.

    Apr 2017 · liked it · 2 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • This is a great introduction to cryptography. I took it at the same time as the CS security course, which had a minimal amount of overlap. While it by no means made me qualified to write crypto, it certainly gave me a huge start on insight into how and why cryptography fails, and what it achieves.

    Dec 2012 · liked it · 2 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • If you're interested in cryptography, you'll find this course really interesting. There is a lot of cool and intelligent math and number theory in cryptography, which if you liked MATH135, you will enjoy, but it is far lighter. You learn how many cryptographic schemes are implemented, why they are secure, and the most efficient attacks on these schemes. The assignments are often finding a way to break a hypothetical cryptographic scheme, and are really fun.

    Jun 2023 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Easy content, final requires you to read through all lec notes (once reading through everything then the final is really easy 90+), but if you didn't reading through everything, then got 60+ in the final and everything ruined. Assign may waste some time and hard to 90+ (but more time implies more mark in this course) Overall crypto stuff didn't really interest me.

    May 2023 · didn’t like it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

Discussed on r/uwaterloo

352 posts and comments in 261 threads mention CO 487, September 2011 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

How was it? CS459 Privacy, Cryptography,Network and Data Security 12 points, 16 comments

“I was planning on taking CS458 Computer Security and Privacy, sadly no longer offered. How was CS459 Privacy, Cryptography,Network and Data Security? For anyone taking it this term. …”

u/blake_potato: “… I’m taking CO487 at the same time and there have been some topics that come up where I’m glad I learned them in depth in CO487 and would be confused otherwise, so I’d recommend doing the same but it’s hard to tell just from the first month how useful it will be for the rest of …”

u/Ok-Conclusion-5481: [deleted]

u/MeteorFossil: “… You learn basically the same stuff in CO 487, so if you want more focus on the cryptographic part of 458 take CO 487 instead.”

u/blake_potato: “Just wanted to update on the CS459 experience now that we’re nearing the end of the term. The course has an enrolment cap of 70 people, and although I’m not sure how many people were in the course at …”

u/blake_potato: “… Overall, the first like 6 or 7 lectures are content you can get in CO487, and I think that course does a better job at teaching those ideas. …”

u/ImLiterallyDepressed: “I see - I hear a lot of people saying to take CO487 over CS459 but I have a lot more interest in secure networks and ML models over plain cryptography, so I'll be taking both at the same time. …”

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Most interesting upper-year CS classes 13 points, 8 comments

“Rising 4B CS here. Currently on my schedule I have 488 (Graphics) since I’ve been meaning to take that since like 2nd year and CS 492 since I feel like it’d be fun to talk about the social …”

u/Frozen5147: “Not CS technically but I found CO 487 interesting. Bit of math but mostly in a more applied sense.”

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Workload for W25 HELPPP! 6 points, 3 comments

u/NoActivity436: “Do you guys think taking CO331, 353, 487 and AMATH342 in one semester is doable? I heard that most of the CO courses have a relatively heavy workload and am unsure about if I get to handle all these at the same time ;)”

u/SpiritedTie9025: “CO331 and CO487 should be okay, CO353 is super hard, I remember the top 5 students' score last year are 97, 93, 8x, 7x, 56. Which means most of the students can't get 60+. So consider more bro.”

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Spring 2024

CO 487 2 points, 2 comments

u/Own-Television-6733: “Hi, I wonder whether it is possible to take CO 487 in my 2b term? (It is required to have level at least 3a) Anyone took that before 3a? This course sounds so fun and useful so I want to take it early! Thank you!”

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Enumeration-like courses 4 points, 4 comments

“I enjoyed the binary string part of math 239 and i’m wondering what future course (CO or other kind of theory courses) go more in depth into that or explore topics like that? …”

u/ftgxttg: “Take CO 331/487”

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Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026

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