ECE 451Software Requirements Specification and Analysis
- Units
- 0.50
- Faculty
- Engineering
- Cross-listed
- CS 445
When it runs
- F24
- W25
- S25
- F25
- W26
- S26
- F26
- W27
- S27
Ran in 7 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: scheduled, 2 lecture sections. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.
Introduces students to the requirements definition phase of software development. Models, notations, and processes for software requirements identification, representation, analysis, and validation. Cost estimation from early documents and specifications.
Prerequisites
- Complete all of the following
- Complete 1 of the following
- Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
- Must have completed the following: MSCi240
- Students must be in level 3A or higher
- Complete 1 of the following
- Enrolled in H-Electrical Engineering
- Enrolled in a BASc program
- Complete 1 of the following
Antirequisites
- Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in any of the following:
- SE463 - Software Project Management, Requirements, and Analysis (0.50)
Leads to
No course lists it as a requisite.
Fall 2026 sections
| Section | Class | Enrolled | Meets |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEC 001 | 5218 | 40 / 39 | M 11:30–14:20 |
| TUT 101 | 5219 | 40 / 39 | M 14:30–15:20 |
Winter 2027 sections
| Section | Class | Enrolled | Meets |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEC 001 | 4543 | 0 / 20 | TTh 13:00–14:20 |
| LEC 701 | 1868 | 22 / 9999 | Online or by arrangement |
| TUT 101 | 4544 | 0 / 20 | Th 14:30–15:50 |
Reviewed on UW Flow
50% liked it67% easy67% useful
From 4 ratings and 2 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.
Easiest ECE TE of my undergraduate career. This term had no exams--just assignments, quizzes, and weekly discussion posts. Some assignments were semi-time-consuming. Victoria was a really nice professor. The class was cross-listed with CS 445 and CS 645.
Jan 2026 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
The content isn't difficult but the deliverables are time consuming and tedious. The TA marking is a little arbitrary. Easy class to pass if you complete the work.
Jan 2022 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this
Discussed on r/uwaterloo
19 posts and comments in 18 threads mention ECE 451, August 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 2023
ECE451 or CS445 1 point, 1 comment
ECE451 or CS445 1 point, 0 comments
u/Cheese_se: “Which one is easier to pass and less work? How about ECE 453/CS 447? Which on is recommended? They are both cross listed so similar in content apparently. Thanks”
Is ECE 406 do-able on co-op term? 1 point, 3 comments
u/Safi_world: “… (if there is a lab many of them seem to be online): MSCI 446, SYDE 522, SYDE 572, ECE 417, ECE 451, ECE 452, ECE 453, ECE 457B, ECE 459. …”
Fall 2022
How does the software engineering option (engineering) work? 1 point, 7 comments
u/Think-Journalist6629: “So for the SE option in engineering you're required to take: \-CS 445/ECE 451 or SE 463 \-CS 446/ECE 452 or SE 464 \-CS 447/ECE 453 or SE 465 Unlike the courses in other options it seems like these have prerequisites of being in CS/ECE/SE. …”
Winter 2022
ECE transfer to Math advise 0 points, 2 comments
“I just finished my 2b term in ECE(CE) and I also applied to BMath, as I feel ECE courses are not very useful or interesting. …”
u/amxnday: “… i’m currently arranging my upcoming terms so that i’m only taking software related courses in 3B 4A 4B which is doable because there are a lot of software TEs like ECE 351, 356, 358, 452, 455, 457, 406, 451 etc.”
Fall 2021
CS 445/645, ECE 451 Group :) 1 point, 0 comments
u/cs445buddies: “Hi, I know it's past the add course deadline but the prof said I could transfer in if a team would be willing to take me on as a 5th member. If anyone has a group or knows someone who has a group that could use an extra person, I promise I'll actually do work and be productive :)”
Winter 2020
Anyone have experience with ECE653 or its offshoots CS447/ECE453/CS647/SE465 0 points, 1 comment
“I'm picking courses for next semester. I'm an ECE grad student and this weird monstrosity of a course is one of the only software courses that are available that I'd be ok taking with just online …”
u/Frozen-Penis: “ECE 451-453 are probably the least popular software courses ece offers (single digit enrollment as opposed to the 200 that courses like ECE 459 pulls in)”
What’s the most waste ECE technical elective I can take in 3A? 9 points, 5 comments
u/RandomName2847: “… ECE 451 or ECE 452 (both are cross-listed with CS people). Basically, any course that is actually a CS course that we get to take is the easiest course you will ever take in ECE. …”
Winter 2019
ECE 451 and 453 2 points, 0 comments
Fall 2018
CS 445/ECE 451 Final Exam prep 7 points, 2 comments
u/LegalBluebird: “Anyone taking CS445 this term? How are you guys prepping for the final? I'm very stressed as I feel that course is so open ended and there is no way I can get through all the slides in 2 days :(”
Possibility of failing CS 445/ECE 451 6 points, 5 comments
u/crave152: “I need to pass this course to graduate on time, but I heard the course was a shitshow. Does this course have a high probability of failing?”
Fall 2017
Any way to disable UWCourseLinker from posting? 16 points, 26 comments
“posting a reply to my comment I find the bot annoying.”
u/Jackhofmann: “PSYCH 483 PSYCH 484 PSYCH 485 PSYCH 486 PSYCH 490R PSYCH 499A PSYCH 499B PSYCH 499C PSYCH 621 PSYCH 630 PSYCH 677A PSYCH 704A PSYCH 704B PSYCH 707 PSYCH 710 PSYCH 714 PSYCH 717 PSYCH 720A PSYCH 721A …”
u/Jackhofmann: “… ECE 254 ECE 290 ECE 300A ECE 300B ECE 318 ECE 356 ECE 358 ECE 361 ECE 390 ECE 400A ECE 400B ECE 451 ECE 484 ECE 498A ECE 498B ECE 499 ECE 600 ECE 601 ECE 604 ECE 606 ECE 611 ECE 613 ECE 614 ECE 621 ECE 630 ECE 633 ECE 635 ECE 636 ECE 637 ECE 639 ECE 650 ECE 651 ECE 658 ECE …”
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