uwloo

ECON 102Introduction to Macroeconomics

Units
0.50
Faculty
Arts
Subject
Economics

When it runs

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

Ran in 7 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: scheduled, 3 lecture sections. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.

This course introduces students to the measurement and behaviour of key macroeconomic variables both in Canada and around the world. Topics include national accounts, inflation, interest rates, wages, international balance of payments, business cycles, growth, employment, unemployment, poverty, and inequality.

Prerequisites

None listed.

Antirequisites

  • Complete all of the following
    • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in any of the following:
      • ECON100 - Principles of Economics (0.50)
    • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in:

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 0014083171 / 250TTh 08:30–09:50
LEC 0024288206 / 250TTh 10:00–11:20
LEC 0813167244 / 250Online or by arrangement
TST 1014289377 / 440Oct 9 16:30–18:00
Nov 6 16:30–18:00

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 00138030 / 348TTh 13:00–14:20
LEC 00238510 / 348TTh 11:30–12:50
LEC 7011460426 / 9999Online or by arrangement

Reviewed on UW Flow

48% liked it70% easy58% useful

From 860 ratings and 166 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.

  • Preface: I got a decent mark in this class, but I am bitter about the time I wasted to get it.
    NOT A BIRD COURSE. The content is graph-based, but even if you aced Advanced Functions in high school and rocked Calculus 1 , you will likely never truly understand these graphs. Material is very dry and useless to students not in Economics/Business/Finance/etc.
    Avoid at all costs.

    Aug 2015 · didn’t like it · 6 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • It is a useful course. While ECON101 was more math and logic based, ECON102 was more facts and memorization. Depends on what kind of learner you are, you may find ECON102 harder/easier than 101. It is not an easy course though, you need to work hard to achieve a high mark.

    Jul 2015 · liked it · 5 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Harder than ECON 101, and much more memorizing. Going to lectures don't usually help since the prof usually just reads the slides.

    Apr 2015 · didn’t like it · 3 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • takes too long for a response from the instructor!

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

  • They literally made us learn programming in R for a first-year arts course. Just like why???

    Jul 2021 · didn’t like it · 2 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

Discussed on r/uwaterloo

1,387 posts and comments in 987 threads mention ECON 102, May 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 cooked am I next term 33 points, 27 comments

“https://preview.redd.it/sja2uyioa4ae1.png?width=652&format=png&auto=webp&s=da6f9cb5427cd275561128caa48f6851333be88b I am probably going to regret this. Is this too big of a course load?”

u/swaggyrabbit145: “I took a similar schedule to you last year, but with STAT230 and ECON102 instead of PHYS122 and PHYS175. Difficulty wise I think that if you find MATH145 and MATH147 okay then the 1B advanced classes should be doable. Time-wise for me was rough. …”

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Transferring to Waterloo Math from McMaster 4 points, 3 comments

“Hi! I'm a first year math & stats student at McMaster and was wondering how hard it would be to transfer into a Waterloo math program (not CS). …”

u/whore_for_coop: “I transferred with one of my friends from math and stats to Waterloo math in my first year, my mac gpa was a 11.7/12 but my friend did it with a 11.6/12”

u/surker512: “… MATH 1X03/1XX3 transfers to MATH 137/138 MATH 1B03/1C03 transfers to MATH 136/135 ECON 1B03/1BB3 transfers to ECON 101/102 COMMERCE 1AA3 transfers to AFM 101 Note that MATH 1MP3 will not transfer to a UW CS course. …”

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Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026

Calendar versions

Undergraduate Calendar