ECON 408Business Cycles
- Units
- 0.50
- Faculty
- Arts
- Subject
- Economics
When it runs
- F24
- W25
- S25
- F25
- W26
- S26
- F26
- W27
- S27
Ran in 5 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: not on the schedule. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.
This course prepares students to conduct analyses of problems and policies associated with macroeconomic fluctuations. It examines the empirical features of business cycles, and discusses how macroeconomic models help to understand business cycles and to assess the consequences of alternative macroeconomic policies.
Prerequisites
- Complete all of the following
- Must have completed the following:
- Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
Antirequisites
None listed.
Leads to
No course lists it as a requisite.
Fall 2026 sections
| Section | Class | Enrolled | Meets |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEC 001 | 4107 | 22 / 45 | MW 13:00–14:20 |
Reviewed on UW Flow
67% liked it75% easy100% useful
From 3 ratings and 2 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.
Most useful and transferable econ course i have taken. very content heavy.
Feb 2026 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
Don't be scared of the graphing/trend line assignments - they are marked easily, but the methods are very important.
Nov 2020 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
Discussed on r/uwaterloo
4 posts and comments in 4 threads mention ECON 408, March 2018 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 2020
upper year econ 3 points, 5 comments
“hewwo anyone in upper year econ pls tell me if i should take econ 406/7/8/or 9 im looking for whichever one is the easiest ngl”
u/jDxrKW2040: “I found econ 406 pretty easy compared to econ 408 but both are not hard.”
Fall 2019
Economics (or really anyone) Study Buddy? 2 points, 24 comments
“I have a really hard time studying alone. Is there a way to find someone to study with? How did you guys find your study buddy? …”
u/twofactorial: “What courses you got left fam”
u/coolsoy: “One of Econ 406,407,408 and 409 and 2 other econ electives above 2nd year.”
Winter 2018
uw royal pain 2 points, 3 comments
u/dafuqtheywant: “… i didn't realize econ 306 needed econ 391 and since econ 406/407/408 are only offered in fall and winter, if i don't get the course override, i'll be forced to be in school to take one course and stay back an extra term. …”
Need advice for 4th year Econ course 5 points, 2 comments
u/Quacksquad: “So to graduate in Econ we need one of Econ 406, 407, 408 ,409. None of them seem to relate to what I plan on doing after graduation and I'm not going for grad school. …”
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