Master of Science in Project Management (2023)

Learn to Manage Projects—From the Simple to the Complex

Available on campus and online, the Master of Science in Project Management (MSPM) degree program at Boston University’s Metropolitan College (MET) is a unique opportunity to combine a broad and industry-rooted knowledge of business and management principles with a mastery of successful project-based strategies and practices, preparing you for a range of career paths in a variety of industries.

A recent Project Management Institute study (Make Reality Global Survey 2020–2021) cited project management as one of the top-five areas business leaders would like to prioritize in 2021. Yet, a talent shortage persists. According to the PMI 2021 Talent Gap Report, the global economy will need 25 million new project professionals by 2030, filling about 2.3 million job openings per year. To counteract this shortage, we need to ensure that the project management workforce has the skills necessary to navigate a rapidly evolving profession.

As reflected in the seventh edition of the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK^® Guide), the global standards of project management are changing radically across industry, including a shift from processes toward principles and best practices for carrying out projects successfully. That means less emphasis on predictive plan-based methodology and more focus on leadership and agile methodologies that can result in faster delivery time and higher success due to collaboration and the ability to respond to market trends.

To meet these changing needs—including corresponding adjustments to professional certification exams—the Project Management master’s provides a strong foundational core in project management technical knowledge, leadership principles, and awareness of the context of projects in the business environment. Along with developing the technical expertise to manage projects in accordance with professional standards, you will be able to demonstrate ethical and culturally aware stakeholder engagement, communication, leadership, and teamwork. Additionally, the program will ensure that you possess the strategic awareness to make informed decisions and deliver a sustained competitive advantage.

The MS in Project Management curriculum enables you to choose required courses and electives that match your personal academic and career interests. You also have the option of pursuing a more specialized approach by selecting an optional degree concentration:

With its detailed and tool-based examination of a project’s conception, planning, budgeting, resource allocation, and implementation, BU MET’s Project Management program is beneficial to those with a broad range of professional responsibilities—from working on complex projects for global companies to designing IT infrastructure to completing consulting contracts. The group-oriented approach we take is closely aligned with how real-world projects are successfully completed.

Program at a Glance

• Top 10 Online Program
• Online and On Campus
• Part-Time or Full-Time Study
• 40 Credits
• 12–20 Months to Completion
• 9 Core Faculty
• No GRE/GMAT
• Tuition & Fees Range—Part-Time Study*: $36,760–$38,500

*Based on 2022–2023 Boston University tuition and fees. Merit scholarship may reduce cost.

Advance Your Career with a Master’s in Project Management

Increasingly, all work is becoming project work. BU MET’s MS in Project Management will prepare you to manage complex projects, facilitate communication between the project team and clients, and balance competing demands among scope, time, cost, and quality—providing the tools to achieve success at the highest levels of management. Coursework covers mega-projects, project and program portfolios, agile principles, project and program governance, project planning and control, project management life cycle, methodologies of effective leadership and motivation, cost and risk management, management of project quality and procurement, earned value analysis, and communication.

Importantly, our program recognizes that to achieve project success, leadership competencies—at the strategic level—are, increasingly, the largest single differentiator. Along with teaching the mechanics for managing a project technically, we provide you with the capability to inspire, influence, negotiate, and communicate with appropriate authority.

Supplementary lecture modules and pedagogical laboratories in the areas of project, program, and portfolio management provide an unparalleled opportunity to master the tools and techniques of project management practice. Completion of the MSPM ensures that you have the knowledge to succeed on the Project Management Professional (PMP®) and Certified Associate in Project Management Certification (CAPM™) exams offered by the Project Management Institute, as well as tests leading to a Scrum Master designation.

“The coursework in the Project Management master’s degree program was not just challenging, it was extremely interesting. I really wanted to take the opportunity to make class assignments as pertinent to my real job as possible, so I was intrigued by learning how to look at what I do on a daily basis through a more analytical lens, to see how I was applying (or not applying) best practices in my work and trying to figure out how to do my work better based on what I was learning.”—Anne Marie Kelly (MET’18), Program Director, Information Services & Technology, Boston University

Explore Careers in Project Management

Use the Career Insights tool to explore jobs that are the right fit for you. Filter by career area and job title or by industry sector to explore employment demand and average salaries. Select “Learn More” for a downloadable career report, or “Explore Other Options” to find the BU MET degree or certificate program that will prepare you for the job you want.

Why BU’s Project Management Degree is Ranked in the Top 10

• Accreditation: The master’s degree in Project Management at BU MET is accredited by the Project Management Institute Global Accreditation Center for Project Management Education Programs (GAC).
• PMI^® Exam Prep: BU MET’s optional, complimentary Project Management Professional (PMP^®) and PMI-ACP^® exam preparation courses are ideal for those who seek to pursue PMP^® certification. Those who already hold PMI® certifications can earn up to 45 PDUs per course. The MSPM curriculum also prepares you for success on the exams leading to the Certified ScrumMaster^® (CSM^®) designation. By earning a Project Management master’s from BU MET, you can waive one of the three years of experience required for PMI’s certification programs.
• Active Learning Environment: BU MET’s Project Management program focuses on practical, hands-on education, combining graduate-level theory with the core competencies and skills that underlie the Project Management Professional (PMP^®) certification—education you can apply on the job.
• Engaged Faculty: In BU MET’s Project Management master’s program, you benefit from working closely with highly qualified faculty who draw from active research and substantial professional achievements in areas such as mega-projects, earned-value analysis, improvisation, risk management, project governance, cost estimation, enterprise architecture, IT projects, and agile project management.
• Complimentary Project Management Labs: Two self-paced laboratories offer access to advanced tools and provide opportunities to hone project management skills and technological proficiency using case studies.
• Capstone Course: Benefit from a hands-on, experiential research project under the guidance of faculty and industry mentors.
• OPT Designated: Eligible graduates on student visas have access to an Optional Practical Training (OPT) of 12 months.
• Extensive Network: Study principles of project management alongside peers with solid business experience, learn from faculty who have valuable business contacts, and benefit from an alumni community with strong professional connections.
• Project Management Student Club: Advance your practical knowledge of project management in fun and interesting ways with opportunities for individual leadership and group development through activities and real projects. Check out these videos to see what other students have done.
• 15:1 Class Ratio: Enjoy an exceptional student-to-instructor ratio, ensuring close interaction with faculty and access to support.
• Valuable Resources: Make use of Boston University’s extensive resources, including the Center for Career Development, Educational Resource Center, , IT Help Centers, Mugar Memorial Library, Center for Antiracist Research, Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground, George Sherman Union, , and many others.
• Flexible Options: Study at the pace that works for you, evenings on campus or fully online. Courses begin fall, spring, and summer; online courses have two starts per term.
• Track Record: Learn from the best—since 2014, BU MET’s part-time master’s programs in business and management have been ranked among the top in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
• Merit Scholarships: All applicants are automatically considered, and admitted students are nominated based on eligibility.

Master the Tools to Manage Projects

Offered through BU MET’s Department of Administrative Sciences, the MS in Project Management (MSPM) attracts high-achieving candidates from all over the world, representing major project-driven industries such as financial services, manufacturing, construction, information technology, business, life sciences, and healthcare. The mission of the Project Management master’s degree program, which includes a concentration in , is to combine contemporary research and established practice to instill in our diverse student population the personal and intellectual skills needed to excel in changing, globally ambiguous, culturally diverse, and uncertain environments. Our goal is to produce critical thinkers and innovative leaders with the skills, knowledge, and agility to excel in the realm of project, program, and portfolio management.

Graduates of the MSPM are prepared to move forward in a wide variety of project management-related careers. Program alumni have been hired at organizations such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft, State Street, Fidelity, Putnam, Exxon Mobil, Aramco, UnitedHealth Group, McKesson, CVS Health, Sony, Hitachi, Sprint, National Grid, Deloitte, Ernst & Young (EY), KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Genzyme, Biogen, Pfizer, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Vertex, Philips, Siemens, Huawei, Verizon, Comcast, Nokia, National Grid, and other major employers within the consulting, financial, construction, life sciences, pharmaceutical, and educational sectors.

Graduate with Project Management Expertise

Metropolitan College’s Project Management master’s degree will equip you with the ability to:

• Construct a project plan and demonstrate knowledge of key subsidiary plans such as scope, schedule, cost, quality, communications, resources, and procurement; and demonstrate proficiency in developing an agile or plan-based project management life cycle for projects relevant to their professional domain.
• Demonstrate advanced knowledge of project delivery principles—such as value, stewardship, team, stakeholders, risk management, communications, and leadership. Students will build and enhance team capability after assessing personal strengths and weaknesses and develop skills to manage a team and lead others.
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategic planning, portfolio and program management, project analytics, and governance applicable to large projects and programs. Apply key drivers for project success—such as value delivery systems, change management, complexity management, investing in actively engaged sponsors, and social responsibility and ethics.

Access to Self-Paced Project Management Laboratories

As a student in BU MET’s Project Management program, you have free access to hands-on, noncredit preparatory laboratories offered through the Department of Administrative Sciences. Our self-paced laboratories (SPLs) are organized in two levels:

• Project Management Essentials (PM 100) provides a foundation in basic project management concepts aligned with the latest project management standard—the PMBOK^® Guide, 7th edition—using a threaded, Boston-flavored, sustainability-oriented example case study. The lab introduces Microsoft Project Professional, as well as key Microsoft Excel add-ins for later use in project, program, and/or portfolio management.
• Introduction to Project, Program, and Portfolio Management (PM 200) is an opportunity to master Microsoft PPM and make further progress in your journey as you transition from projects to programs and portfolios.

Certificate-to-Degree Pathway

BU MET graduate certificate programs can serve as building blocks to a master’s degree. The Graduate Certificate in Project Management and the share specific courses with the master’s in Project Management program, giving you the option to take one or two certificates on your path to a master’s degree. To be eligible for the degree, you must apply for admission and be accepted into the degree program. Consult with a graduate admissions advisor to learn more about this option.

Advisory Board

At BU MET, we recognize the importance of maintaining advisory boards that will provide an important link between industry, students, and faculty with the goal of improving the quality and relevance of our programs. The main goal of the Project Management Advisory Board is to establish a link between industry and BU MET students and faculty. Our advisory board is composed of a diverse mix of practitioners who currently represent a cross-section of the industry.

Project Management Faculty

Tuition & Financial Assistance

Back to Programs