SE 463Software Project Management, Requirements, and Analysis
- Units
- 0.50
- Subject
- Software Engineering
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.
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. Students undertake a substantial customer-driven group project as part of SE 490/SE 491 design-project sequence covering all major phases of the software engineering life cycle; they decide on a project concept, complete a project-approval process, and develop high-level requirements for the project using all the tools covered in the course. Social, legal, and economic factors are considered.
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:
- Enrolled in Computer Engineering Option, Computing Option, H-Software Engineering, or Software Engineering Option
- Complete 1 of the following
Antirequisites
Leads to
No course lists it as a requisite.
Fall 2026 sections
| Section | Class | Enrolled | Meets |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEC 001 | 7671 | 107 / 120 | TTh 14:30–15:50 |
| TUT 101 | 7672 | 107 / 120 | F 10:30–11:20 |
Resources
Around the web
Found by uwloo’s link finder, which checks that each page names SE 463.
- SE463: Fall 2026 Schedule Course website · Fall 2026 · student.cs.uwaterloo.ca Remove
- SE 463 Course website · cs.uwaterloo.ca · from Joanne Atlee’s site Remove
- Diagramming tutorials - YouTube Lecture videos · youtube.com · from UWaterloo Links (SE) Remove
- Alloy Docs Other · alloy.readthedocs.io · from UWaterloo Links (SE) Remove
- alloytools.org Other · alloytools.org · from UWaterloo Links (SE) Remove
- Mermaid | Diagramming and charting tool Other · mermaid.js.org · from UWaterloo Links (SE) Remove
Reviewed on UW Flow
11% liked it49% easy16% useful
From 105 ratings and 36 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.
I regret not having switched to CS. I feel dirty. The things that this course made me do are enough to make me cry myself to sleep. I don't think I'll ever be the same again. :'(
Aug 2016 · didn’t like it · 7 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
Without a doubt the worst course I've taken at UW in the 7 school terms so far. The contents are completely useless. This is the only course for which learning the materials seems to serve no other purpose than to pass it so that you don't have to deal with it anymore. The assignments can be a lot of grueling work, and the worst part is they do not help you learn anything remotely interesting or useful. Again, the course is completely useless.
Recently they changed the course so that you have to base the course project on your FYDP. The problem is that the course materials often don't apply to your FYDP. If you're making a website or a mobile app, you'll probably be fine; but if you are…Jul 2016 · didn’t like it · 7 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
If you are a first-year looking to decide between CS and SE, please read this post.
There are many bland courses that SE students have to take to get an engineering degree, but SE463 is the crown jewel in terms of useless information. (Disclaimer: I was lucky enough to take this course with Jo Atlee, who is one of the better SE professors; however, even not Mother Teresa could make a miracle out of this one.) Basing this course off of our FYDP project did the exact opposite of making students understand their FYDP better; it only made time to actually work and improve our project scarce, with its numerous weekly assignments. I will not remember a thing about this course in a week from the…Aug 2016 · didn’t like it · 6 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
If this course is still being taught, switch to CS. I'm not joking. If you're an incoming 4A Software and this course is on your calendar, switch to CS before the start of the term.
Aug 2016 · 6 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
worth switching out of se to avoid this
Aug 2019 · didn’t like it · 5 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
Discussed on r/uwaterloo
31 posts and comments in 24 threads mention SE 463, March 2012 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
thank you MATH 117 for being the only ones to submit my grades so far :) 20 points, 2 comments
“AGHH NO GRADES. but that aside thank you to the TAs and my slay prof for submitting the calc marks in time for tdy!! thank you :)))”
u/suiyui: “Yea I agree, some of my profs must've pulled all nighters getting the grades out SE 463 exam was on Monday night and the Prof somehow managed to single handedly grade everything just in time despite that exam being 37 pages of free response questions. Class was pretty big too”
Now that the term is over, is there any course you enjoyed attending this term? 26 points, 52 comments
u/suiyui: “SE 463 - The walk from UW's dungeon (RCH) to it's prison (MC) gave me enough sunlight to keep my sanity. Prof was cool too”
u/bigboNedThree: “L course”
Is CE or CS harder to get into? 1 point, 3 comments
u/suiyui: “… There's people who switch from SE to CS just to avoid the SE 463/464/465 courses (search up SE 463 on UWFlow - it's one of the most hated courses in the school by dislike:like ratio)”
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. …”
u/suiyui: “Having taken ECE 452 and SE 463 I can confirm you don't really need any pre-requisite knowledge. As long as there's space in the class, you should be able to get the override Though, they changed ECE 452 recently so it may be different. …”
Spring 2023
Alternatives on application 1 point, 3 comments
“Hi! This fall I'm strongly consideirng applying to UW Engineering, so I had a few questions - 1. Is there a difference in co-op opportunties in CE and SWE? 2. …”
u/robocop12321: “… SE drowns you out with chemistry reqs, SE 463/464/465, etc… useful but no fun.”
Winter 2023
Anyone taken SE 463 before? Should I take it as a TE? 1 point, 0 comments
u/wagwanm0n: “I also suck at coding if that plays into it”
Spring 2022
SE463 crying thread 1 point, 0 comments
Spring 2021
Best CS/SE course to take as an engineering student who has just finished first year and needs software dev experience for next co-op? 0 points, 3 comments
u/helpmechoosecourse: “… to Artificial Intelligence (maybe, but I feel this wouldn't be as useful as the other two) SE 463 Software Requirements Specification and Analysis (Crosslisted with CS 445, doesn't seem super useful from what is on UW Flow) As well, if you have any recommendations for other …”
Winter 2021
Has anyone transferred to se? 0 points, 15 comments
“If so, can I pls PM you? I have a few questions. (From math)”
u/elegantpeacock: “Just go to CS lol”
u/harmonyIn3rdsNot4ths: “… The SE 465/464/463 sequence and design project courses are also offered as CS coded courses.”
Winter 2020
SE 350 automatic 100% on 50% final, CS 350 possible exam??? 101 points, 157 comments
“Software Engineering course (SE 350) gets automatic 100 on 50% final exam. Computer Science equivalent (CS 350) planning on online exam. …”
u/thinkerjuice: “What's the SE profs name”
u/UWSE2022: “Because we have SE-only courses such as SE350, 380, 463, 464, 465, etc. that are only offered once a year. They're not going to split a cohort (and thus the courses). Also, since most of our courses are pre-selected the courses have their place in making a balanced schedule.”
Spring 2019
What is the difference between CS and Software Eng? 34 points, 19 comments
“I feel like I'm gonna get reamed for this since it seems most of you are CS, but I legit don't know. I'm just a Biology boy who knows nothing about computers”
u/pahgawk: “I know you're in biology and not actively deciding which to take between the two, but in case anyone reading this is in that situation, here's my SE graduate perspective on what I think the …”
u/Transcendate: “… Also, what is your opinion of the SE "software engineering" course-chain (SE 465, 464, 463)? …”
u/pahgawk: “… SE 463: The lectures were a chore to get through but using Object Constraint Language to write specs over state diagrams was actually pretty cool. …”
Winter 2019
Urgent SE/CS study advice 5 points, 5 comments
“Hello everyone. I am a 2B Software Engineering student in dire need of study tips/advice. Ever since CS137, I've had trouble finding a way to study that I could actually follow along and not give up …”
u/I-Can-Explain: “If you can maintain low 80s without studying then you're probably fine to pass any semester so do whatever the fuck you want. What about CS240 bothers you so much? Its a pretty fundamental course.”
u/I-Can-Explain: “… Also I'd wait till taking SE 463/464/465 before saying you enjoy SE courses. …”
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