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ECON 361Cost-Benefit Analysis and Project Evaluation

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 4 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: not on the schedule. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.

Methods for evaluating private and public projects; decision rules, efficiency conditions, and methods of conducting cost-benefit analysis. Application of the technique. This course assumes prior familiarity with probability, expected values, and variance.

Prerequisites

  • Complete all of the following
    • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
      • AE224 - Probability and Statistics (0.50)
      • AFM113 - Analytic Methods for Business 2 (0.50)
      • ARTS280 - Statistics for Arts Students (0.50)
      • BME213 - Statistics and Experimental Design (0.50)
      • CHE220 - Probability and Statistics (0.50)
      • CIVE224 - Probability and Statistics (0.50)
      • ECE203 - Probability Theory and Statistics 1 (0.50)
      • ECON221 - Statistics for Economists (0.50)
      • ENVE224 - Probability and Statistics (0.50)
      • GEOE224 - Probability and Statistics (0.50)
      • LS280 - Social Statistics (0.50)
      • ME202 - Statistics for Engineers (0.50)
      • MSE251 - Probability and Statistics 1 (0.50)
      • NE215 - Probability and Statistics (0.50)
      • PSCI314 - Quantitative Analysis (0.50)
      • PSYCH292 - Basic Data Analysis (0.50)
      • REC371 - Quantitative Data Analysis and Mobilization (0.50)
      • SDS250R - Social Statistics (0.50)
      • SOC280 - Social Statistics (0.50)
      • SRF230 - Introduction to Statistics (0.50)
      • STAT202 - Introductory Statistics for Scientists (0.50)
      • STAT206 - Statistics for Software Engineering (0.50)
      • STAT211 - Introductory Statistics and Sampling for Accounting (0.50)
      • STAT220 - Probability (Non-Specialist Level) (0.50)
      • STAT230 - Probability (0.50)
      • STAT240 - Probability (Advanced Level) (0.50)
      • SYDE212 - Probability, Statistics, and Data Science (0.50)
    • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
      • ECON201 - Microeconomic Theory for Business and Policy (0.50)
      • ECON290 - Models of Choice in Competitive Markets (0.50)

Antirequisites

None listed.

Leads to

No course lists it as a requisite.

Reviewed on UW Flow

60% liked it82% easy62% useful

From 20 ratings and 6 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.

  • bird course; I downloaded the textbook 3 days before the final exam and got a 95 on the course.

    Aug 2026 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Full of useless work and heavy load, and the final over 50 policy is unbearable. Run! It's not a bird course!

    Oct 2025 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • This course has a very heavy workload. The text and course materials are overly complicated. I wish there was videos or some kind of virtual/visual interaction to aid with learning. I thought the course would teach more practical applicant of CBA that I could take into the workforce but it is highly theoretical and based in government policy. Do not enjoy.

    Oct 2022 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Worst ECON course ever. Course materials contained lots of readings but no videos were provided to explain any concepts. There were three cases to write for the final assignment but only one was randomly chosen and marked.
    Reading FREE Wikipedia or watching FREE Youtube videos is a better alternative if you are interested in the concepts.

    Dec 2020 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • The course was online. There were a few assignments, which helped with the understanding of the material. Discussion boards were also useful. The lecture videos were clear to understand. Do not avoid taking this course onlinee!

    May 2014 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

Discussed on r/uwaterloo

65 posts and comments in 58 threads mention ECON 361, November 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

Spring 2024

ECON 361 Difficulty level 1 point, 1 comment

u/myboringlife04: “I am thinking about taking ECON 361 online in the fall term to fulfil my breath and depth requirements as a CS major. I have taken econ 101 and econ 102, so I thought I could take this course and fulfil my requirement. …”

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Fall 2022

Spring 2022

Winter 2022

ECON 361 Question 0 points, 2 comments

u/Benquincy: “I'm taking the online version of ECON 361 this term. For anyone who has taken the course, is it necessary to do the textbook readings that correspond with each module? Or is all of the information covered in the online module sections.”

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ECON 361 6 points, 0 comments

u/UnironicallyBeta: “The required text is available online for free. You can still buy it if you'd like, but IMO there's no need. Just a heads up for anyone taking the course Boardman, Greenberg, Vining and Weimer, “Cost-Benefit Analysis: Concepts and Practice”, 5th Edition, Cambridge University …”

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Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026

Calendar versions

Undergraduate Calendar