2024–2025 Bulletin Addendum Master of Science in Urban Affairs (MSUA)

The Master of Science in Urban Affairs (MSUA) at Boston University’s Metropolitan College (MET) is designed for students seeking to develop a broad understanding of urban public policy and urban service management. The program emphasizes policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation, equipping students with the skills to assess the impacts of policies on urban communities. The MSUA program provides both analytical and practical foundations to navigate the complexities of the urban policy landscape.

The trained urban policy professional is prepared to take on various roles, such as gathering and analyzing data for policymaking, identifying community needs and resources, and managing effective service-delivery programs. These skills are applicable in public, private, and nonprofit organizations across a wide range of urban functions. The program offers flexibility for students to tailor their studies to develop specific skills aligned with their career aspirations. Many students pursue the MSUA degree to advance in their current careers or as a stepping stone for further academic study.

Learning Outcomes

• Analyze key urban problems by understanding their historical context and interdependencies, focusing on identifying underlying causes and potential impacts.
• Explain and assess the economic, political, social, and equity issues inherent in urban policy work.
• Apply quantitative and qualitative research skills to theory-building, data-gathering and analysis, and planning and urban policymaking processes.
• Create relevant policy and planning solutions that incorporate the diverse perspectives of various stakeholders, including those of minority and disadvantaged communities.

For more information about the City Planning & Urban Affairs programs at Boston University, including admissions information, faculty bios, student resources, events, and more, please visit the program website.

Admissions Information

For current admissions information, please visit the Metropolitan College website.

Degree Requirements

A total of eight courses (32 units) is required, distributed as follows:

Required Courses (four courses/16 units)

• MET UA 551 Policy Responses to Urban Issues
• MET UA 579 Urban Economics and Public Finance
• MET UA 589 Research and Evaluation Methods
• MET UA 591 Applied Analytical Methods

Elective Courses (four courses/16 units)

Select four courses with the advice of a faculty advisor:

• MET UA 503 Housing and Community Development
• MET UA 508 Real Estate Development
• MET UA 510 Selected Topics in Urban Affairs
• MET UA 521 Environmental Law, Policy, and Justice
• MET UA 527 Feeding the City: Urban Food
• MET UA 598 Foundations of GIS and Spatial Analysis
• MET UA 604 Urban Political Decisionmaking
• MET UA 617 Actionable Sustainability
• MET UA 619 Urban Transportation Policy and Planning
• MET UA 642 Geospatial Intelligence for Urban Analysis
• MET UA 801 Graduate Directed Study in Urban Affairs and Planning
• MET UA 804 Supervised Fieldwork

Up to one elective course may be taken outside the program’s offerings with advisor approval.

Master’s Thesis Option

 A master’s thesis option is available for qualified students who have a GPA of 3.7 or higher. The 6-unit thesis option comprises MET UA 761 Thesis 1 and MET UA 762 Thesis 2, taken over two terms. This option can be arranged through the City Planning & Urban Affairs program. Supervision by a full-time Boston University faculty member with a terminal degree is required. It is important to note that these two thesis courses are additional, making the total program requirement 38 units instead of the standard 32.

Combined Certificate Options

MSUA students may receive an additional graduate certificate upon successful completion of one additional approved elective. The City Planning & Urban Affairs program offers a Graduate Certificate in Applied Sustainability, Graduate Certificate in Applied Urban Informatics, and a Graduate Certificate in Urban Policy & Planning. Please contact cityplan@bu.edu to inquire about additional graduate certificate options associated with this degree.

Graduate certificates consist of four courses specific to the area of study, including required and elective courses. Elective courses can be selected from a preapproved list of a wide range of multidisciplinary electives offered across the University. The courses from the graduate certificate can be credited to the master’s degree program.

Course Waivers for Related Programs

The three core requirements for the Master of Science in Urban Affairs (MSUA) and Master of Science in City Planning (MSCP) programs are identical. Therefore, Urban Affairs graduate students may opt to transfer their units to obtain a Master of City Planning degree instead. In such cases, transferring MCP candidates may receive a full waiver for all three core courses, provided they received a grade of B– or higher.

Master of Urban Affairs students may pursue a certificate program in Commercial Real Estate, Commercial Real Estate Practice, or Real Estate Finance at Boston University’s Center for Professional Education (CPE). MUA students who earn a CPE certificate in Commercial Real Estate or Real Estate Finance will be granted a waiver of one graduate-level elective course (4 units) toward their degree.