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ECE 150Fundamentals of Programming

Units
0.50
Faculty
Engineering
Subject
Electrical and Computer Engineering

When it runs

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

Ran in 3 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: not on the schedule. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.

Software design process in a high-level programming environment. Programming fundamentals, language syntax, simple data types, control constructs, functions, parameter passing, recursion, classes, arrays and lists, list traversals, introduction to searching and sorting algorithms, basic object-oriented design, polymorphism and inheritance, simple testing and debugging strategies, pointers and references, basic memory management.

Prerequisites

Antirequisites

  • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in any of the following:
    • CIVE121 - Computational Methods (0.50)
    • MTE121 - Digital Computation (0.50)
    • NE113 - Introduction to Computational Methods (0.50)
    • SYDE121 - Digital Computation (0.50)

Leads to

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 0014580142 / 140M 08:30–09:20
TTh 10:30–11:20
Sep 18 16:30–17:20
Oct 23 14:30–16:20
TTh 10:30–11:20
Oct 30 16:30–17:20
M 08:30–09:20
Nov 13 16:30–17:20
Nov 27 16:30–17:20
LEC 0024581140 / 140MWF 13:30–14:20
Sep 25 15:30–16:20
Oct 9 15:30–16:20
Oct 23 14:30–16:20
MWF 13:30–14:20
Nov 20 15:30–16:20
LEC 0034582140 / 140T 13:30–14:20
WF 14:30–15:20
Oct 1 09:30–10:20
Oct 23 14:30–16:20
T 13:30–14:20
WF 14:30–15:20
Oct 29 09:30–10:20
Nov 12 09:30–10:20
LAB 2014679142 / 140Sep 10 12:30–13:20
Th 12:30–14:20
Oct 1 12:30–13:20
Oct 8 12:30–14:20
W 08:30–10:20
Nov 5 12:30–14:20
Nov 12 12:30–13:20
Th 12:30–14:20
Dec 2 08:30–10:20
LAB 2025080140 / 140Sep 9 08:30–09:20
W 08:30–10:20
Oct 7 08:30–09:20
Oct 28 08:30–10:20
Nov 4 08:30–09:20
W 10:30–12:20
Nov 18 08:30–09:20
Dec 2 08:30–10:20
Dec 2 10:30–12:20
Nov 11 08:30–10:20
Nov 25 08:30–10:20
LAB 2034680140 / 140Sep 10 08:30–09:20
Th 08:30–10:20
Oct 1 08:30–09:20
Oct 8 08:30–10:20
Oct 29 08:30–09:20
M 08:30–10:20
Nov 5 08:30–10:20
Nov 19 08:30–10:20
Th 08:30–10:20
Nov 30 08:30–10:20
Nov 12 08:30–09:20
TUT 1014583142 / 140F 08:30–09:20
F 08:30–09:20
TUT 1025079140 / 140Th 16:30–17:20
Th 16:30–17:20
TUT 1034584140 / 140W 09:30–10:20
W 09:30–10:20

Resources

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Reviewed on UW Flow

74% liked it66% easy87% useful

From 442 ratings and 72 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.

  • Studio Apt Install Opsec
    all jokes aside tho this course will be somewhat easy if you just experiment with your code outside of labs and lectures + leetcode practice, also the TA's are very lenient in exam marking, if you just write the algorithm required for the code then ur guaranteed half the marks of that question

    Sep 2026 · liked it · 2 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Harder's slideshows are a bunch of yap, use Claude to summarize it and to learn C++
    Be prepared for this course. Actually do practice questions (make some with AI or something), if you just do the projects and study the days before exams, it WILL be difficult if you do not know programming.

    Dec 2025 · didn’t like it · 2 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • make sure to always use goto statements

    Jan 2025 · liked it · 2 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • The lecture slides are unbelievablely confusing so you're going to either be forced to attend the lectures and make notes or watch the YouTube videos. If you already have prior experience in programming this course will be a cakewalk. Be wary as the TA's will diddle you during the midterm marking.

    Dec 2025 · didn’t like it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Very useful and relevant course, but is 100% self-taught

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

Discussed on r/uwaterloo

488 posts and comments in 369 threads mention ECE 150, August 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

Admission / High School Megathread (Fall 2024) 24 points, 20 comments

“This megathread is for prospective frosh and current high school students interested in Waterloo. Ask your questions here. …”

u/Legitimate-Garlic315: “I’m a grade 12 student and I really like circuit Analysis and I’m interested in EE at uw If you got accepted what was your avg and how are you liking the program at uw? Does grade 11 matter? …”

u/itzjackybro: “… Kostadinka Bizheva [ECE 105: Classical Mechanics], Werner Dietl [ECE 150: Fundamentals of Programming]) Things to prepare for - ECE 150: Fundamentals of Programming - LEARN TO CODE if you do not already know how! …”

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Where did I go wrong 44 points, 5 comments

u/Valuable-Call2924: “… I'm worried about what'll happen now, ECE 150 wasn't amazing either, math 117 had one of its hardest finals in a while, I don't want to repeat the term but I don't even understand how I got myself in this position at all. …”

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Scared to freaking death 24 points, 4 comments

u/Motor-Resolution-852: “… Scared to death that I'm going to fail my ECE 150 exam tmrw. I have one more day to prep and Ive only just finished reviewing midterm content. I had to review it extensively since I got dirt poor on the midterm (\35%). …”

u/anlxi: “… I took ECE150 in 2023 so I can't speak on the chance harder will curve but I will say that the few people I saw fail 150 were the ones who did bad on the midterm and put the same effort on towards the final. …”

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ece 1a term 6 points, 6 comments

u/anxjaiem: “… the ece150 final is coming up in a day, and its difficult because i dont have a strong background in programming and the course content was super hard for me to understand and apply. …”

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ECE 1A Exam tips 1 point, 5 comments

u/ButtonIndividual5235: “Anyone have any pointers on how to do well on ECE 105, MATH 117, MATH 115, ECE 190 and/or ECE 150. I feel kinda cooked given that i did bad on midterms.”

u/itzjackybro: “for ECE150: practice paper coding. I know lots of people who certainly know how to code, but struggle with paper coding. Also practice tracing through programs; it's genuinely a useful technique to figure out why your code is doing something it shouldn't.”

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How to get better at programming? (ece150) 5 points, 4 comments

u/Valuable-Call2924: “… ECE150 I don't understand anything. Got dirt poor on the midterm (sub 40%). Stopped attending lectures because harder goes too fast only to learn his video lectures arent much better. …”

u/itzjackybro: “… Harder provides a lot of coding challenges on the ECE150 website that can help you practice your skills. …”

u/UncleGuma: “I'm taking ECE150 right now, I'm not the greatest when it comes to programming, but I am roughly class average. …”

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Preparing for ECE150 final 2 points, 2 comments

u/whatsalamp: “Hi, I'm a 1A ECE student and was hoping to get any thoughts/ideas/advice on how to prepare for the ECE150 final? I've heard the midterm is significantly easier (despite a 61% mean...), and there aren't many practice finals available. …”

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