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NE 333Macromolecular Science

Units
0.50
Faculty
Engineering
Subject
Nanotechnology Engineering

When it runs

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

Ran in 2 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: not on the schedule. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.

Basic definitions, polymer types and nomenclature, molecular weight averages and distributions, structure and properties. Chemical kinetics, step-growth and free-radical chain-growth polymerizations, polymer recycling and sustainable design.

Prerequisites

  • Complete all of the following

Antirequisites

  • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in any of the following:
    • CHE541 - Introduction to Polymer Science and Properties (0.50)
    • CHEM370 - Introduction to Polymer Science (0.50)
    • MNS322 - Polymer Materials (0.50)

Leads to

Reviewed on UW Flow

15% liked it20% easy47% useful

From 26 ratings and 9 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.

  • Terrible. Course has no textbook, which is a red flag cause the course can teach you essentially anything and if you dont get it there isnt a strict reference material. No place for extra practice and you can never be sure what material is in the scope of the course. feel like the course needs a rework and a textbook is a must

    Aug 2022 · didn’t like it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Nothing in the exam is from the lecture so you eventually do not need to attend the lecture since you will fail anyways
    Cheat sheet is allowed but what is the need of cheat sheet when no one understand the content anyways

    May 2026 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • The course could have been useful, if taught by a better professor. There was no actual textbook to follow, notes were completely unorganized. Once the "notes" uploaded were actually a partially scanned page of a textbook. This course is a wasted opportunity which is sad for something that is so crucial to NE

    Sep 2025 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • assignments were difficult, but Costas grades very leniently so exams ended up being fine. I didn't learn much. was just getting by.

    Jul 2025 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Took this course in 2021. Basic polymer course, with introduction to polymer properties, polymerization mechanisms and equations, characterization. Was pretty dry and Simon was pretty unengaging and hard to understand. Equations and concepts will be useful for 336 and 352, 481 and 488, and obviously if you're aiming for material engineering.

    May 2023 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this

Discussed on r/uwaterloo

6 posts and comments in 4 threads mention NE 333, August 2016 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.

Spring 2019

Have you ever taken a class or had a prof where you're just real glad the term is over? 21 points, 17 comments

u/DailyDoseOfZinthos: “… Nasser Abukhdeir NE 333 Prof. Xiaosong Wang NE 343 Prof. Bo Cui BIOL 130 Prof. Heidi Engelhardt CHEM 120L Prof. …”

u/GankedByGoose: “… NE 333 is Leonardo Simon, who's fine if difficult. NE 343 is still Bo Cui. …”

u/DailyDoseOfZinthos: “I had Simon for NE 333 as well when I repeated the term and he was great - definitely one of the best profs I had, but you're right, he's no walk in the park. …”

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Successful Coop in Nano? And program questions / Advice 0 points, 15 comments

“I am seriously considering Nanotech eng. I read all about the horrible job prospects and generic degree. But many posts are +3 years old. Anybody landed coops relevant to their degree recently? …”

u/GreenBurette: “So I'm definitely biased as I'm in Materials & Nanosciences (MNS) but as the NE sister program, I've shared enough coops and classes with y'all to speak to this. …”

u/uni_ca_007: “… Because as far as I can see \[NE 333\](http://www.ucalendar.uwaterloo.ca/1920/COURSE/course-NE.htmlNE333) and \[MNS 322\] (http://www.ucalendar.uwaterloo.ca/1920/COURSE/course-MNS.htmlMNS322) are the only ones that are listed as antireq. …”

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Spring 2017

What is the highest number of courses you can take per term? 2 points, 12 comments

“I heard recently that in engineering, there is no hard upper limit on how many courses you can take. Due to time limits/etc, what do you think is the theoretical maximum number of courses that would …”

u/ehhhk: “… In Nano, 3A, you are enrolled in 9 courses straight out: NE 301, NE 318, NE 320L, NE 333, NE 334, NE 343, NE 344, NE 350 and a CSE (Source). Granted, one of those is a seminar, one is a work term report, and one of them is a lab. …”

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Spring 2016

Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026

Calendar versions

Undergraduate Calendar