Courses

NOTE: This site is an archive of 2010–2011 programs and policies at Boston University Metropolitan College. If you are looking for current information about Metropolitan College and its programs, please go to our official website: www.bu.edu/met.

• GMS BT 540: Regulatory and Compliance Issues
  This course explains the regulatory requirements for health care products: drugs, biologics, diagnostics, and devices. The focus is on U.S. FDA regulations and their impact on product development and marketing with international requirements. Recommended for students in clinical research concentration.
• GMS BT 550: Clinical Data Management
  Introduces students to the technology, process, and responsibilities of clinical data management. We will examine study setup, case report form (CRF) design, and the data life cycle, including data collection; data validation, coding of adverse events, using standard dictionaries (such as ICD-9 or MedDRA), data review, and database lock. Data Management SOP's will be discussed within this context. An industry-leading clinical data management system (CDMS) will be utilized. We will also explore how new technologies, such as electronic data capture (EDC), affect these processes.
• GMS BT 560: Good Clinical Practices (GCP) in Clinical Research
  Introduces the regulatory responsibilities of sponsors, monitors, and investigators conducting clinical trials. Practical information and exercises are designed for the clinical trial professional on procedures for ensuring GCP compliance from an industry perspective. Topics include: identifying and selecting qualified investigators, obtaining ethical approval to enroll patients, and initiating sites successfully. Also covers issues related to collecting required regulatory documentation, verifying high quality data, maintaining study materials accountability, and reporting serious adverse events. Group discussions and guest speakers help students learn the practical skills used in the field.
• GMS BT 575: Design and Conduct of Clinical Trials
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of biostatistics or approval of instructor is required.
  This course covers basic principles and current methodologies used in the design and responsible conduct of clinical trials. Topics include statistical design of clinical trials, sample selection; data collection and management; patient recruitment strategies, adverse event reporting and compliance monitoring. Practical exercises will include clinical research protocol and informed consent form writing as well as design of case report forms. [4 cr.]
• GMS BT 580: Legal and Ethical Issues in Clinical Research
  Students examine the development and implementation of regulatory as well as ethical issues involved with conducting clinical trials. Topics include: use of human subjects, privacy and confidentiality, conflicts of interest, use of stem cells in research, federal laws affecting laboratories, and genetic testing of gene and therapy trials. There will also be discussions on landmark legal cases affecting laboratory scientists. 2 cr. summer
• GMS BT 591: Directed Study: Biomedical Externship
  Directed study for degree candidates only. Practical, hands-on experience in laboratory setting. Various credits and fee, as arranged with Director.
• GMS BT 592: Directed Study: Biomedical Externship
  Directed study for degree candidates only. Practical, hands-on experience in laboratory setting. Various credits and fee, as arranged with Director.
• GMS BT 594: Clinical Research Practicum
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: 16 credits in clinical research and permission of Director.
  Graduate Prerequisites: 16 credits in clinical research and permission of Director.
  Directed study offering direct exposure to the conduct of a clinical trial. Various credits and fee, as arranged with Director.
• GMS BT 595: Clinical Research Practicum
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: 16 credits in clinical research and permission of Director.
  Graduate Prerequisites: 16 credits in clinical research and permission of Director.
  Directed study offering direct exposure to the conduct of a clinical trial. Various credits and fee, as arranged with Director.
• MET AD 500: Computers for Business
  Examines the application of computer spreadsheet and databases in solving information problems in business. Not open to degree candidates in computer science or computer information systems. Lab course.
• MET AD 501: Business Communication for International Students
  Techniques for effective written and verbal communications. This course is a special offering for students for whom English is a second language. Departmental approval required for non-M.S.A.S. students.
• MET AD 510: Mathematics for Management
  Provides and overview of fundamental mathematical concepts, with emphasis on the solution of word problems. Topics covered include quadratic equations, signed numbers, polynomials, graphs, roots and radicals, and basic concepts of differential and integral calculus. Prerequisite course which may not be used for graduate credit.
• MET AD 555: International Commerce Regional Field Experience
  Enhances the theoretical regional business course (750 series) for a specific commerce area of the world. Course offers on-site experience exposing students to the region's geopolitical and cultural environment. Also examines business activities through lectures and tours of company and government locations as well as cultural activities.
• MET AD 600: Economic Development and Tourism Management
  Provides a market oriented, strategic planning framework to address a broad range of tourism and regional economic and development issues that relate to tourism industry development and growth. The interplay of private, public and government organizations is discuss as they relate to the development of a comprehensive tourism plan. The combination of theory and practice will prepare students to analyze tourism markets, assess area, regional and national weakness and strengths as well as the security, infrastructure/logistics, marketing and costs associated tourism. Topics include: importance of tourism to the economy, developing the tourism strategy, ecotourism, research and analysis, positioning and marketing, funding tourism and developing new attractions.
• MET AD 603: Evaluating and Developing Markets for Cultural Tourism
  Cultural tourism in the 21st century is more than the traditional passive activities of visiting a museum, hearing a concert or strolling down an historic street. It has become an active, dynamic branch of tourism in which half of all tourists have stated that they want some cultural activities during their vacation. In this course we will introduce various themes of cultural tourism including the relationship between the Tourist Industry and the Cultural Heritage Manager, conservation and preservation vs. utilization of a cultural asset, authenticity vs. commoditization, stakeholders and what should be their rights and obligations, tangible and intangible tourist assets, the role of government, private industry and the non-profit sectors in tourism planning and sustainable economic development. We will examine these themes in different areas of cultural tourism including the art industry, historical sites, cultural landmarks, special events and festivals, theme parks and gastronomy.
• MET AD 610: Introduction to Business Continuity, Security, and Risk Management
  This overview course examines the management issues involved with assessing the security and risk environments in both the private and public sectors in order to assure continuous system-wide operations. The course studies the elements of risk assessment and operational continuity using the project management framework of planning, organizing, and control. Students are exposed to the role of the firm in crisis response and management as well as the terms, systems, and interactions necessary to assure continuous operations. Topics include: the role and need for comprehensive assurance strategy and planning; the security aspects of the firm; an overview of the system-wide structure?as well as the organizations within that structure?designed to plan for and respond to local or national crisis; the social and emotional impact on the workforce as well as its effect on productivity; and the organizational infrastructure relating to national, regional, and international compliance. 4 cr
• MET AD 611: The Social and Psychological Elements of Workplace Disruption
  This course focuses on the human-factor aspects of crisis management as they relate to maintaining reasonable business activity while facing continuity disruption, and the important areas of proactive versus reactive leadership during crises. In addition, the course will discuss the leadership qualities that are essential during crisis periods. The course will assist the student in understanding that, at times, the human resource elements of the workforce recovery may be even more complicated than the logistical ones. In fact, the ?best practices? for mitigating the impact of crises/disasters on personnel are often not well understood or sufficiently prioritized. Students will learn to appreciate that the reactions and needs of employees may vary and change over time. 4cr.
• MET AD 612: COO-Public Emergency Management
  This course examines emergency management from national, state, local, and family perspectives of prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. The course encompasses knowledge of the specific agencies, organizations, and individual behaviors in emergency management as well as the interlinking partnerships between/among these groups. Areas of discussion include: responsibilities at federal, state, community and individual levels; guidelines and procedures for operations and compliance such as the National response Plan; Incident Command Systems (ICS); exercises; plan development, command, and control; communication; partnership development and maintenance; leadership; and numerous other elements related to effective emergency management. The unique and critical roles of private and public partnerships are reviewed and particular attention is paid to the interplay and interdependency among national, state, community, business (public and private), and the individual. 4cr.
• MET AD 613: System-Wide Risk Planning, Strategy, and Compliance
  Students are exposed to the important issues relating to corporate and organizational security and risk from both the perspective of systems designed to protect against disasters and aspects of emergency preparedness should systems fail. Security areas of study include information technology, terrorism, and other organization disruptions. Students study proactive risk assessment through management risk analysis techniques and simulations. Students will be able to design a company or agency global assurance plan, organize the strategy to make the plan operational, and implement control measures to assess the plan's degree of success. The course also provides explanations of legal/regulatory, auditing, and industry-specific requirements related to compliance, control, and reporting issue sin business risk management. The role of establishing and maintaining standards by local, national, and international agencies is discussed, as is the importance of these agencies in certifying operations. 4 credits
• MET AD 614: Incident Response and Disaster Recovery
  This course takes concepts covered in MET 610 and MET 613 and applies them in more detail mainly to the corporate-private sector environment. During this course, we will first review the organization and processes necessary to effectively respond to and manage incidents, including the transition from emergency response and incident management to business recovery. Finally, the course will focus on disaster recovery, with an emphasis on technology recovery, an absolutely essential but sometimes overlooked component of any successful corporate recovery program. 4 credits